Biometric passport photo online – in a few minutes

Choose the document, upload a photo or take one with your camera. You immediately see your passport-style photo – cropped, with a new background and checked against the German biometric rules. For a driving licence, the health insurance card, visas, or as a job application photo.

1What do you need?

2Document

3Your photo

Example with a fictional person

Drop a photo here or – the preview is free.

Driving licence (Germany)

We check your photo and crop it to 35 × 45 mm.

Facing the camera, head straight, mouth closed
Even daylight, no shadows
Space above the head, shoulders in frame
Glasses only without glare

Have the photo printed at a photo lab or an instant-print kiosk. Some offices do not accept self-printed photos – if in doubt, ask your driving licence office first.

Size: 35 × 45 mm
File: 827 × 1063 px (600 dpi)
Submission: printed
Source: Landratsamt Tübingen, Fahrerlaubnisbehörde

How you get your photo

Preview

Free

Cropped, background replaced and checked – with a watermark.

Biometric photo

€7.99

Photo without watermark at your document’s size
Digital file for uploads and a 10 × 15 cm print sheet
Download for 24 hours, copy by email

100% money back if the office rejects the photo for not meeting the requirements. Terms

Payment via Dodo Payments · final price incl. VAT · no subscription
Files available for 24 hours, then deleted
Questions: support@approvavisa.com

How FotoKlar works in 3 steps

Take a photo with your phone or upload one
Facing the camera, in daylight. We replace the background.
Automatic crop and biometric check
Head size, eye height, light and background – with tips.
Download and have it printed
File and 10 × 15 cm print sheet for €7.99.

Before and after

From phone photo to biometric passport photo

Create your passport photo online instead of at a studio: we cut you out, set an even light background, adjust head size and eye height to the rules and check light, sharpness and gaze – like a passport photo generator, but with a biometric check.

Background replaced, plain and shadow-free
Cropped to 35 × 45 mm with a 32–36 mm head height
Checks for eyes, expression, head pose and image quality

Try your own photo

Free preview · €7.99 only when you download

Before: phone photo of a woman in a headscarf in front of a living-room wall — BeforePhone photo

After: biometric 35 × 45 mm photo with a light grey background — After35 × 45 mm

Example with a fictional person · the after image is real output of our image processing.

What you get

The files the purchase delivers – without watermark, right away in the browser and by email.

Digital file

JPG at the document’s size
e.g. 35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
For uploading to insurers or portals

Print sheet 10 × 15 cm

Several photos at real size
For a photo lab or photo printer
Ready to cut out

How to print it right

Order it at a photo lab as 10 × 15 cm or print with 100% / “Actual size”. Then measure one photo with a ruler: it must match the size exactly. For a driving licence we recommend a lab print.

What you can use your FotoKlar photo for

Wherever you upload your own photo or hand in a print. Size and source are listed for each document.

Health insurance card (AOK, TK, Barmer & co.)

Upload in the portal or via the link in the insurer’s letter. Guides: AOK, TK, Barmer.

Driving licence

The licensing office wants a printed photo. What to watch out for.

Job application & CV

Not a passport photo but a portrait with a studio background: the job application photo.

Visas, student ID & other cards

US visa 2 × 2 in, Schengen visa, student and disability ID cards, Austrian e-card.

Document	Size	Submission	Source	Action
Driving licence	35 × 45 mm	hand in printed	Landratsamt Tübingenchecked 21/10/2026	Create photo
Health insurance card	35 × 45 mm	upload	AOKchecked 21/10/2026	Create photo
Disability ID card	35 × 45 mm	printed or upload	LAGeSo Berlinchecked 21/10/2026	Create photo
Student ID	35 × 45 mm	upload	Your office’s rules	Create photo
e-card (Austria)	35 × 45 mm	hand in printed	WKOchecked 21/10/2026	Create photo
US visa	51 × 51 mm	upload	U.S. Department of Statechecked 22/09/2026	Create photo
Schengen visa	35 × 45 mm	printed or upload	Your office’s rules	Create photo

Before: phone photo of a man in a navy blazer in a living room — BeforePhone photo

After: job application photo with a grey studio background — After4:5 · 1200 × 1500 px

Example with a fictional person · the after image is real output of our image processing.

New

Also as a job application photo – professional without a studio

Not a passport photo but a portrait: five studio backgrounds, a crop for your CV and LinkedIn, gentle light and colour correction. Your face stays as it is.

Job application photo

€7.99 · Money back within 14 days if you don’t like the result

Important: ID card and passport since May 2025

Not for German ID cards, passports or electronic residence permits.

Since 1 May 2025 German authorities only accept photos for these that a registered provider (photo studio, drugstore) sends digitally, or that are taken at the citizens’ office. FotoKlar is not such a provider.

For a German ID card, passport or electronic residence permit you need a registered photo studio, a drugstore with a passport photo terminal or a photo taken at the citizens’ office. Self-made photos are no longer accepted for these – not even printed.

Nothing changes for other applications: health insurers, driving licence offices, universities and many consulates still accept your own photo if it meets their rules.

Biometric requirements at a glance

The key rules for 35 × 45 mm. In detail: all biometric photo requirements and photo size in mm and pixels.

35 × 45 mm, portrait
Head height 32–36 mm, chin to crown
Facing the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed
Background plain and light, no shadows
Glasses allowed if the eyes are clearly visible
Head covering only for religious reasons, face visible

FotoKlar vs. photo studio, drugstore & photo booth

An honest comparison: when FotoKlar is the better choice – and when it isn’t.

Criterion	FotoKlar	Studio / drugstore	Photo booth
Where & when	at home, any time	on site, opening hours	on site
Preview before paying	yes, retry as often as you like	depends on the provider	depends on the machine
Digital file for uploads	yes, instantly	depends on the provider	depends on the machine
Printed photo	print sheet for a photo lab	yes, instantly	yes, instantly
German ID card & passport	no	yes, at registered providers	certified machines only

Guides on passport photos and uploads

Frequently asked questions

Anything else? Write to us at support@approvavisa.com.

What can I use the FotoKlar photo for?

For applications where you upload your own photo or hand in a print – for example the health insurance card, driving licence, many visas, student and disability ID cards – and for job applications. For German ID cards, passports and electronic residence permits, digital transmission by registered providers has been required since May 2025; FotoKlar is not suitable for those.

What size is a German passport photo?

The German passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm, portrait format, with a head height (chin to crown) of 32 to 36 mm. For other uses FotoKlar sets the right size, for example 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) for a US visa.

How long does it take?

The preview usually appears within a few seconds. After payment the files are created immediately and can be downloaded for 24 hours; you also get them by email.

What happens to my photos?

Your photo is only processed to create the preview and the files you buy. Finished files are deleted automatically 24 hours after they are created. We don’t use your photos for advertising. Details are in the privacy policy.

How much does it cost?

The preview is free. The finished photo costs €7.99 as a final price including VAT, one-off, no subscription. A job application photo costs €7.99.

What if my photo is rejected?

If the office rejects the photo because it does not meet the photo requirements, you get 100% of the price back. Email us within 30 days with your order number and proof at support@approvavisa.com.

Can I take the photo with my phone?

Yes. Ideally have someone else take it in daylight from the front, about an arm’s length to 1.5 m away, camera at eye level. You don’t need a plain wall – FotoKlar replaces the background.

How do I print the photo for a driving licence?

Order the print sheet at a photo lab as a 10 × 15 cm print (e.g. at a drugstore or online) and cut out one photo. Some driving licence offices don’t accept self-printed photos – if in doubt, ask first.