In short
To crop a passport photo to 35 × 45 mm, the head (chin to crown) must be 32–36 mm high and centred, with a little space above it. FotoKlar detects your face and crops automatically to these values, replaces the background and checks the result. You only need a frontal photo with some room around your head.
Last updated: · FotoKlar editorial team
Turning a normal photo into a passport photo
A normal phone or camera photo becomes a passport photo once it is cropped to 35 × 45 mm, the background is replaced and the head size and eye height are right.
The photo must be frontal, sharp and evenly lit; a holiday snap with a tilted head or sunglasses will not work. How to take a suitable photo is on taking a passport photo with your phone.
Which measurements does a cropped passport photo need?
Portrait 35 × 45 mm, head height 32–36 mm from chin to crown, face centred.
All sizes for other documents and countries are on passport photo size.
| Value | German passport photo standard | Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm | 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi |
| Head height | 32–36 mm (chin to crown) | about 70–80% of the height |
| Aspect ratio | 7 : 9 (portrait) | — |
| Position | centred, head straight | — |
How to crop a photo to passport size online
- 1Upload a frontal photo in the tool above – leave some space above your head and around your shoulders.
- 2Choose your document. FotoKlar detects the face and crops to the size and head height it needs.
- 3Check the free preview with the measuring lines.
- 4If it fits, download the file and the 10 × 15 cm print sheet for €7.99.
Cropping it yourself on a PC, Mac or phone
Yes, with any image editor that can crop to an aspect ratio – but you have to measure the head height yourself.
- Set a fixed aspect ratio of 7 : 9 (35 × 45)
- Place the chin and crown so the head fills about 70–80% of the height
- Export at 827 × 1063 px (600 dpi) or 413 × 531 px (300 dpi)
- Print at 100 % (“Actual size”) and measure: 35 × 45 mm
What if my photo is cropped too tightly?
If your hair or chin is cut off, the photo cannot be cropped correctly – take a new one from slightly further away.
FotoKlar tells you in the preview when the photo ends too close to your head. A photo taken from about 1.5 metres with the phone held at eye level works best; see taking a passport photo with your phone.
Sources
- Federal Ministry of the Interior: photo sample chart – checked 21/10/2026
- Tübingen district office: photo for the driving licence – checked 21/10/2026