Swedish National ID Card Photo (nationellt id-kort, taken by Polisen): size and requirements
The Swedish National ID Card Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches). Not stated by Polisen; the passexpedition camera uses its own backdrop. Light grey is our rendering choice; neither the authority nor the saved ICAO excerpt states a colour; head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against Polismyndigheten (Swedish Police Authority), with ICAO Doc 9303.
For the nationellt id-kort issued by Polisen to Swedish citizens, photographed at the passexpedition at the same appointment as a passport. Not for the Skatteverket id-kort (not covered here; skatteverket.se was unreachable) and not for a driving licence, which accepts a print.
Polisen takes the national ID card photo at your appointment. See the Sweden documents we can prepare.
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 Swedish photo geometry is published (Polisen takes the photo); ICAO Doc 9303: crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent of the image height)
- Background
- not stated by Polisen; the passexpedition camera uses its own backdrop. Light grey is our rendering choice; neither the authority nor the saved ICAO excerpt states 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
- CheckSame appointment, same camera as the passport: Polisen photographs you and takes two fingerprints at the passexpedition and does not accept a photo you bring.
- CheckThe card's chip stores personal data, the photo and fingerprints, which is why Polisen insists on taking the picture itself.
- CheckOnly Swedish citizens can get the nationellt id-kort ('endast svenska medborgare kan få svenskt pass eller nationellt id-kort'); Polisen tells non-citizens to contact their home country's embassy or, failing that, Migrationsverket. The Skatteverket id-kort is not covered here (no source could be saved).
Source and verification
No national rule published; ICAO 9303 standard applies. Last checked 2026-10-07 (archived copy dated 2024-09-12) at Polismyndigheten (Swedish Police Authority), with ICAO Doc 9303.
Fotografering för pass och nationellt id-kort sker vid ansökningstillfället hos polisens passexpeditioner.
Passet och det nationella id-kortet är försedda med ett chip som lagrar personuppgifter, foto och fingeravtryck.
Passhandläggaren tar ett fotografi och två fingeravtryck
Du som är svensk medborgare kan ansöka om pass eller nationellt id-kort.
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.
Quotes 1-2 are in Swedish from Polisen's FAQ at source.url (sources/se/polisen-vanliga-fragor-om-pass.txt), quote 3 from 'Besök passexpedition' (sources/se/polisen-besok-passexpedition.txt) and quote 4 from the topic page (sources/se/polisen-pass-och-nationellt-id-kort.txt), all read directly. Quotes 5-6 are ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/, Wayback 2024-09-12) for the reference geometry only. Background 'light-grey' is our rendering choice (neither Polisen nor the ICAO excerpt names a colour). No Skatteverket source could be saved (skatteverket.se resets TLS, 404 via proxy), so nothing is asserted about the Skatteverket id-kort photo. polisen.se is not matched by the validator host rule; 'icao-default' reflects the absence of a national spec.
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
