Switzerland photo size — 35×45 mm

Switzerland 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

29 – 34 mm (crown to chin)

Background

Plain neutral

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 Switzerland asks for specifically

Swiss passports and identity cards are administered by fedpol, the Federal Office of Police, which publishes a Fotomustertafel in German, French and Italian showing accepted and rejected photographs side by side.

The one people get wrong

The face must measure 29 to 34 mm from the chin to the top of the skull — a tighter and lower band than the 70–80% rule used across much of Europe, and one where a generic “Schengen” crop comes out too large. If you have voluminous hair the face must still not fall below 29 mm. For children under 11 the minimum drops to 23 mm.

Background

A single colour, uniform and neutral, with no shadows and a clear separation between the head and the background. fedpol rejects both “kein neutraler Hintergrund” and a background so pale it loses contrast against the hair.

Head coverings

Exceptions are admitted only for attested medical or religious reasons, the latter explicitly covering members of a religious community whose rule prescribes a veil in public.

Expression

Head straight — not tilted, turned or tipped — looking into the camera, mouth closed. The rejection sheet calls out a sideways glance, closed eyes, hair across the face and a hand in shot.

Source: fedpol — Kriterien für die Annahme von Fotos für Pässe und Identitätskarten (Fotomustertafel). 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 Switzerland that is 29 to 34 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 Switzerland 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.