Switzerland Passport Photo Size 2026: 35x45mm Light Grey

Switzerland’s passport photo standards are issued by the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) and follow the ICAO biometric format — but with one detail that trips up applicants: the background must be light grey, not white. Submit a photo with a white wall behind your head and the cantonal passport office (Passbüro) will reject it. This guide covers every Swiss passport photo requirement for 2026 so you can submit a compliant Passbild, photo de passeport, or fototessera the first time.

Official Swiss Passport Photo Size

The Swiss passport photo must be 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall, the same ICAO portrait format used for Schengen documents across Europe.

Key dimensions:

Photo size: 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches)
Head height: 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown
Top margin: approximately 5 mm above the head
Resolution: at least 300 DPI for printed submissions
Format: high-quality color photo on photo paper (or compliant digital file)

The photo must have been taken within the last 6 months and reflect your current appearance. fedpol rejects photos showing a significantly different hairstyle, weight, beard, or age. The authoritative source for these specifications is fedpol.admin.ch, which publishes the official photo template.

Why Switzerland Requires Light Grey (Not White) Background

The single most common reason Swiss passport photos get rejected is the wrong background. While the US, Canada, India, and many other countries require pure white, Switzerland follows the European biometric guideline that calls for a plain, uniform light grey background.

Grey provides better contrast against pale clothing and lighter skin tones, reveals subtle shadows that white would hide, and matches the Schengen visa standard so the same photo works for both documents. White, off-white, cream, beige, and pale blue are all rejected — only neutral light grey is approved.

Head Height and Face Position

The head must occupy the middle and upper portion of the frame, with 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown and roughly 5 mm of empty space between the top of your hair and the top edge of the photo.

Centre the face horizontally with the nose on the vertical midline.
Hold your head straight — no tilt, no chin up or down.
Eyes on a horizontal line, looking directly into the lens.
The full outline of the face must be unobstructed.

Hair over the forehead is fine if eyebrows remain visible. Hair to the side is fine if it does not cover the jawline.

Facial Expression and Eye Direction

fedpol requires a neutral expression with mouth closed and both eyes open and clearly visible.

No smile, no frown, no raised eyebrows.
Lips relaxed and closed — no parted lips or teeth showing.
Eyes looking straight at the camera, not up, down, or to the side.
No squinting or closed eyes (common under bright lights).

Children under six get some flexibility on expression; adults are held to a strict neutral standard.

Glasses Policy

Switzerland allows clear prescription glasses if you wear them daily, but the conditions are strict:

No glare or reflections on the lens surface.
No tinted, photochromic, or coloured lenses — including lenses that have darkened indoors.
No thick frames that obscure the eyes or eyebrows.
Sunglasses are banned in all cases.

In practice, the easiest way to avoid rejection is to remove glasses entirely. Reflections from indoor lighting are subtle but clearly visible at high resolution, and fedpol-trained staff reject borderline cases.

Dress Code and Background Tips

Switzerland has no formal dress code, but a few practical rules help your photo pass:

Wear a dark or medium-tone top to contrast with the light grey background. Avoid white shirts.
Avoid uniforms (police, military, airline).
Hats and head coverings are not permitted unless worn daily for religious reasons, and the full face from forehead to chin must remain visible.
Plain jewelry is fine; avoid large earrings or piercings that draw attention.

For the background, use a plain light grey wall or neutral grey fabric backdrop. A white wall under warm light will read as warm white, which is not accepted. Use a dedicated grey backdrop or have a software tool replace the background.

How to Take a Swiss Passport Photo at Home

You can produce a compliant Passbild at home with a smartphone if you set up the scene properly:

Hang a light grey backdrop — a grey sheet, craft paper roll, or photography backdrop — at least 50 cm behind where you will stand.
Use even, diffused lighting from the front. Two soft lamps at 45 degrees on either side of the camera eliminate shadows. Avoid overhead lighting that casts shadows under the eyes and chin.
Position the camera at eye level, about 1.5 m away. Use a tripod or have someone else hold the phone — selfies distort proportions and are routinely rejected.
Take several frames with a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes on the lens.
Crop to 35 x 45 mm with the head 32-36 mm tall and 5 mm of margin above the hair.
Print on photo paper at 300 DPI, or save as JPEG under 240 KB if your canton accepts digital uploads.

You can use our free Switzerland passport photo tool to verify compliance, replace the background with the correct light grey, and auto-resize to fedpol specifications.

Where to Get a Swiss Passport Photo

If you prefer in-person service, Switzerland has several reliable options:

Passbild automat (photo booths): Found in SBB train stations (Zürich HB, Bern, Genève-Cornavin, Basel SBB), shopping centres, and post offices. Cost: CHF 10-15. Most modern machines use the correct light grey background by default.
Foto-Studios (fotograf, photographe, fotografo): Independent studios offer professional service with retouching. Cost: CHF 20-40 for prints plus a digital backup.
Cantonal passport offices (Passbüro): A few cantons offer on-site photo capture during the application appointment.

When booking, ask for a biometrisches Passbild (DE), photo biométrique pour passeport (FR), or fototessera biometrica (IT) so the operator uses the Swiss-compliant grey background.

Renewing a Swiss Passport Abroad (Consulates)

Swiss citizens abroad apply through the nearest Swiss embassy or consulate. Specifications remain identical: 35 x 45 mm, light grey background, head 32-36 mm. Most consulates accept photos from any reputable local studio, provided you specify Swiss requirements. Some larger consulates (London, Paris, New York, Singapore) offer on-site biometric capture. Check the embassy page on eda.admin.ch before booking.

Switzerland Visa Photo (Schengen) — Same Spec, 2 Required

Visitors applying for a Swiss Schengen visa — including Indian, Chinese, Filipino, and other non-EU nationals — must submit photos meeting the same biometric standard as the passport: 35 x 45 mm, light grey background, head 32-36 mm, taken within the last 6 months.

The key difference is quantity: two identical color photos are required for the visa application, not one. Both must be printed on quality photo paper. One is glued to the application form; the other is retained by the consulate.

For Indian applicants — where most local photo shops default to a white background — this is the leading rejection reason at VFS Switzerland centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Specify light grey background, Schengen biometric standard when booking, or use our Switzerland visa photo tool to handle background replacement automatically. The same 35x45mm light grey spec applies to all Swiss visa categories — tourist (Type C), study, work, family reunion, and long-stay national visa (Type D).

Swiss Passport Photo for Children and Newborns

Children and newborns need their own passport photos, and Switzerland is more lenient on infants:

Size and background rules remain the same: 35 x 45 mm, light grey.
Newborns can be photographed lying flat on a light grey sheet from directly above.
Eyes do not need to be fully open for infants under one year, but should be open if possible.
Mouth closed; pacifiers and bottles are not permitted in the frame.
Parents and supporting hands must not appear in the photo.

For toddlers, drape a grey cloth over a high-backed chair and shoot at the child’s eye level. Avoid direct flash, which causes reflection.

Common Reasons Swiss Passport Photos Get Rejected

White background instead of light grey — by far the most common rejection reason.
Head height outside the 32-36 mm range.
Less than 5 mm clearance above the head.
Smile, parted lips, or visible teeth.
Glasses with glare, tinted lenses, or thick frames; sunglasses.
Hair covering the eyes, eyebrows, or jawline.
Shadows on the background behind the head, especially near the ears.
Photo older than six months or showing a significantly different appearance.
Heavy beauty filters, skin smoothing, or digital retouching.
Low-resolution print or poor-quality photo paper.

Tips for First-Time Compliance

Book a morning appointment when natural light is soft and even.
Bring a printout of fedpol’s photo template (from fedpol.admin.ch) and ask the photographer to match it.
Wear a plain dark shirt — navy, charcoal, or black work well against light grey.
Tie back long hair so the outline of your face is visible.
Remove glasses unless required for vision; reflections are the leading cause of rejection.
Review the photo on a large screen before printing — small phone previews hide subtle issues.
If using a digital tool, confirm the background reads as neutral light grey (RGB roughly 200-220), not warm white or cool blue-grey.

Next Steps

Ready to create your Swiss Passbild? Use our free Switzerland passport photo tool to take a photo at home, replace the background with the correct light grey, verify head height against fedpol’s 32-36 mm spec, and download at 35 x 45 mm. Applying for a Schengen visa? The Switzerland visa photo tool outputs the same compliant format ready for two-photo VFS submission. Photos are processed entirely in your browser for privacy, and the result can be printed on photo paper or submitted digitally where your canton accepts online uploads.