Belgium photo size — 35×45 mm

Belgium photo requirements at a glance

Photo size

35 × 45 mm

In inches

1.4 × 1.8 in

Pixels at 300 DPI

413 × 531 px

Pixels at 600 DPI

827×1063 px

Shape

Portrait, about 1.3:1

Head height

25 – 35 mm (crown to chin)

Background

Light grey

File size limit

None published

Copies per 4×6 in print

8

These figures were checked against an official or widely-cited source. Portals occasionally change their rules, so confirm on the page where you submit.

What Belgium asks for specifically

Belgian passports are issued through your commune or, from abroad, a consulate, with the photo standard set by FPS Foreign Affairs. Belgium states plainly that the photograph must meet the ICAO standard and that the counter will refuse one that does not.

The one people get wrong

Belgium measures the face INCLUDING the hair — 25 to 35 mm on the 45 mm photo — rather than crown to chin the way Switzerland and the Netherlands do. The band is wider than most of Europe at the bottom end, so a slightly smaller head passes here that would fail in Germany.

Glasses

The eyes must be perfectly visible — no reflecting or tinted lenses. Belgium is unusually specific about frames: they should not be too big, but nor should they sit too close to the eyeline.

Head coverings

The face must be completely uncovered. Forehead, chin and the sides towards the ears all have to be visible.

Expression

Head and shoulders straight, square to the camera. A neutral expression: mouth shut, no smiling.

Source: FPS Foreign Affairs — Quality requirements for the photo (Belgian passport), with measurements from its consular photo-requirements sheet. Checked 2026-08-23. Rules change — confirm on the authority’s own page before you submit.

Getting the head size right

Head height is the measurement most photos fail on, and it is not the same as “how much of the frame your face fills”. It runs from the top of the head — the crown, not the top of your hair if it stands up — down to the bottom of the chin. For Belgium that is 25 to 35 mm on a 45 mm tall photo, leaving the rest as space above the head and below the chin. The maker draws that band on screen while you position the photo, so you can see whether you are inside it before you export.

Printing a Belgium photo at home

At 35×45 mm you get 8 copies on a single 4×6 in (10×15 cm) print, which is the cheapest size at almost every print counter and photo kiosk. Export at 300 DPI (413×531 px) for printing; some portals accept or prefer 600 DPI (827×1063 px) for digital submission. Cut along the guides with a straight edge rather than scissors — a crooked border is a surprisingly common reason for a photo to be handed back.