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Norway passport photo size & requirements

Norwegian passport photos are 35 x 45 mm with a plain light-grey or white background and a face height of 32–36 mm.

Norway issues biometric passports (biometrisk pass) through the Norwegian Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet), and applications are submitted at local police station service points (politiets servicesentre) across the country. The photo format follows the ICAO biometric standard — 35 x 45 mm with the face filling 70–80% of the frame — consistent with Norway's full Schengen membership despite not being an EU member state.

Norway has a distinctive feature for its passport service: the police capture biometric data (photo and fingerprints) on-site at the time of application. For adults, you do not typically need to bring your own photos for a new passport application made in person in Norway. However, for applications submitted through Norwegian embassies and consulates abroad, and for certain residence permit applications processed by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), applicants must provide photos meeting the standard specification. The UDI acceptance letter and most Norwegian visa application forms specify the 35 x 45 mm format explicitly.

Photo size
35 x 45 mm
Resolution
300 DPI
Head height
Face from chin to crown should be 32–36 mm, filling 70–80% of the frame
Background
Plain light grey or white
Make my Norwegian photo How to print it

Norway passport photo requirements

  • Photo must be 35 x 45 mm, following the Norwegian biometric passport standard.
  • Plain light-grey or white background with no shadows or patterns.
  • Neutral facial expression with mouth closed and both eyes open, looking directly at the camera.
  • Face from chin to crown should measure 32–36 mm (70–80% of the photo height).
  • No hats, head coverings, or sunglasses unless required for religious or medical reasons.
  • Even, shadow-free lighting that accurately represents your skin tone.
  • Recent photo taken within the last six months.

Common reasons Norway passport photos get rejected

Even a technically correct photo can be turned away for these issues. They come up repeatedly in official rejection notices.

  • Background that is not uniformly light grey or white — Norwegian police service points are strict about background quality for embassy and consulate submissions.
  • Head tilted or not facing the camera directly — the Schengen biometric system Norway uses measures facial symmetry, and any rotation is flagged.
  • Eyes partially closed or obscured by hair or glasses glare.
  • Photo taken with uneven or one-sided lighting, creating a shadow across half the face.
  • Glasses with tinted lenses — Norwegian immigration guidance prohibits tinted lenses including very light tints.
  • Photo not taken within the last six months.

Make your Norway passport photo

Use our free passport size photo maker — select Norway from the country list and it will automatically apply the correct size (35 x 45 mm) and background settings for you.

Crop, remove background, and download a compliant Norway passport photo — free, no signup, no watermark.

Open Passport Size Photo Maker

Select Norway in the tool to get the exact 35 x 45 mm preset.

Other countries

United States flag United States 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) Albania flag Albania 35 x 45 mm Australia flag Australia 35 x 45 mm Brazil flag Brazil 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm); US visa applications use 2 x 2 in Canada flag Canada 50 x 70 mm China flag China 33 x 48 mm France flag France 35 x 45 mm Germany flag Germany 35 x 45 mm Iceland flag Iceland 35 x 45 mm India flag India 35 x 45 mm (Indian visa & many applications use 51 x 51 mm / 2 x 2 in) Ireland flag Ireland 35 x 45 mm Italy flag Italy 35 x 45 mm Japan flag Japan 35 x 45 mm Luxembourg flag Luxembourg 35 x 45 mm Malaysia flag Malaysia 35 x 50 mm Netherlands flag Netherlands 35 x 45 mm New Zealand flag New Zealand 35 x 45 mm Nigeria flag Nigeria 35 x 45 mm Pakistan flag Pakistan 35 x 45 mm Philippines flag Philippines 35 x 45 mm (Philippine visa applications often use 2 x 2 in) Russia flag Russia 35 x 45 mm Saudi Arabia flag Saudi Arabia 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) Schengen / EU flag Schengen / EU 35 x 45 mm Singapore flag Singapore 35 x 45 mm South Africa flag South Africa 35 x 45 mm South Korea flag South Korea 35 x 45 mm Spain flag Spain 32 x 26 mm (Spanish ID/passport); EU visas use 35 x 45 mm Switzerland flag Switzerland 35 x 45 mm Thailand flag Thailand 35 x 45 mm Turkey flag Turkey 50 x 60 mm United Arab Emirates flag United Arab Emirates 43 x 55 mm United Kingdom flag United Kingdom 35 x 45 mm Vietnam flag Vietnam 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm)