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Danish Residence Card Photo (opholdskort, biometrics taken at the office): size and requirements

The Danish Residence Card Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches). Not stated by the Immigration Service; the biometrics station uses its own backdrop. Light grey is our rendering choice; neither the authority nor the saved ICAO excerpt names a colour; head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against Udlændingestyrelsen (Danish Immigration Service) and SIRI, newtodenmark.dk, with ICAO Doc 9303.

For the residence card issued with a Danish residence permit to non-EU/EEA nationals, where the Danish Immigration Service, SIRI, a Danish mission or a visa application centre records your facial image as biometrics. Not for a Danish passport or kørekort, which take a printed photo from you, and not for a Schengen visa.

Only an application at a foreign mission representing Denmark, or for a permit in Greenland, needs a photo; everywhere else the Immigration Service, SIRI, the Danish mission or the visa centre records your facial image itself. See the Denmark documents we can prepare.

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Colourful townhouses and moored boats at Nyhavn, Copenhagen
VerifiedNo national rule published; ICAO 9303 standard appliesLast checked 2026-10-07Udlændingestyrelsen (Danish Immigration Service) and SIRI, newtodenmark.dk, with ICAO Doc 9303

Requirements at a glance

Size
35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches)
Head height
Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (No Danish photo geometry is published for the residence card (the authorities capture the image); ICAO Doc 9303: crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent of the image height)
Background
not stated by the Immigration Service; the biometrics station uses its own backdrop. Light grey is our rendering choice; neither the authority nor the saved ICAO excerpt names a colour
Expression
Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
Glasses
Allowed without glare or tint
Head covering
Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
Photo age
Taken within the last 6 months
We deliver
827 x 1063 px (600 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet

What trips people up

  • Check
    You do not bring a photo: everyone over 18 applying under the Aliens Act 'must have their biometric features (facial image and fingerprints) recorded in connection with submitting their application', in person at the Immigration Service's Citizen Service, a SIRI branch, a Danish mission or a visa application centre, normally within 14 days of applying.
  • Check
    Two exceptions take a photo from you. At a foreign mission representing Denmark under a representation agreement 'you must submit one facial photo and show valid ID', and your biometrics are recorded after you arrive in Denmark. For a residence permit in Greenland no biometrics are recorded at all; instead you submit an information card signed with a black pen 'along with a facial photo'.
  • Check
    Refusing or missing the biometrics appointment is fatal: 'your application will be rejected ... that is, your application will not be processed.' The Immigration Service's own deadline is currently extended to six weeks because of fewer resources.
  • Check
    Bring your passport, the digital receipt or the first three pages of a paper form, and sign with a black pen; the facial photo and fingerprints go onto the card's chip.

Source and verification

VerifiedLast checked 2026-10-07Udlændingestyrelsen (Danish Immigration Service) and SIRI, newtodenmark.dk, with ICAO Doc 9303

No national rule published; ICAO 9303 standard applies. Last checked 2026-10-07 (archived copy dated 2024-09-12) at Udlændingestyrelsen (Danish Immigration Service) and SIRI, newtodenmark.dk, with ICAO Doc 9303.

  • When you submit an application for a residence permit, your biometric features will be recorded.
  • All non-EU/EEA citizens over the age of 18 who apply for a residence permit under the terms of the Danish Aliens Act must have their biometric features (facial image and fingerprints) recorded in connection with submitting their application.
  • If you submit your application in person at a foreign diplomatic mission with which Denmark has a representation agreement, you must submit one facial photo and show valid ID.
  • You do not need to have your biometric features recorded if you apply for a residence permit in Greenland.
  • you must instead submit an information card with your full name, date of birth, personal ID or Alien Identification number (if applicable) and your signature, written with a black pen, along with a facial photo.
  • The deadline for having your biometric features recorded at the Danish Immigration Service is currently extended to 6 weeks.
  • Your biometrics (facial photo and fingerprint) will be stored in a chip on the card.
  • Submitted portraits should be 45.0 mm x 35.0 mm (1.77 in x 1.38 in) in dimension.
  • The crown-to-chin portion of the facial image shall be 70 to 80 per cent of the longest dimension defined for Zone V, maintaining the aspect ratio between the crown-to-chin and ear-to-ear details of the face of the holder.
  • A submitted portrait shall have been captured within the last six months before application, as outlined in [ISO/IEC 39794-5].

Quotes 1-6 are English from the newtodenmark.dk page 'Biometric features' at source.url (quotes 5-6 are from its 'Residence in Greenland' paragraph; quote 6 starts mid-sentence after 'In connection with your application,') and quote 7 from 'Residence card' https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-GB/Words-and-concepts/F%C3%A6lles/Residence-card, both read via the r.jina.ai text proxy (sources/dk/nyidanmark-biometric-features-en.txt, sources/dk/nyidanmark-residence-card-en.txt). The authority publishes no photo geometry, not even for the representation-agreement or Greenland facial photo, so the spec is 'icao-default' and quotes 8-10 are ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/, Wayback 2024-09-12) supplying the reference size, head fraction and six-month age. physical 35 x 45 mm / 600 dpi, background 'light-grey', glasses and head-covering values are ICAO-style defaults and our rendering choices. 'restricted' reflects the two channels that take a photo: representation-agreement missions and applications for Greenland. printsRequired is left undefined (the Greenland card says 'a facial photo', the mission 'one facial photo'; no general count). nyidanmark.dk is not matched by the validator host rule, but the icao-default confidence exempts it.

We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.

Frequently asked questions

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