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Netherlands residence card photo

Netherlands residence card photo requirements: 35 × 45 mm. Check background, head position, expression, glasses and print or digital format. Official document-specific guidance

No registrationDigital file + print sheetPublic source-backed rules

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First the portrait, then the document and only the settings that matter.

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Choose a portrait from the gallery or use the camera
Face forwardEven lightingNo heavy shadowsNeutral expression
Start with the portrait first so the correct format and rules can be applied to the selected document.
Step 2

Review the photo and choose the document

Just the preview, the document and a few necessary options.

What you get
Ready digital file
Download a normalized file for online forms, uploads and personal storage.
Print sheet
The same result can be exported as a print-ready sheet for common paper sizes.
Rules matched to the document
Format 35 × 45 mm. This page is checked against public document-specific guidance.
1 Upload a portrait
2 Select the document
3 Download the result
Processing photo…
AI adapts your portrait to the selected document. Usually 30–60 seconds.
Result
Why This Page Is Practical
No registration
Open the workflow from this page directly without creating an account.
Digital + print
The same result gives you a normalized digital file and a print sheet for common paper sizes.
Source transparency
This page shows the source authority, verification level and last verified date.
Route-aware rules
This workflow is tuned for documents that still accept applicant photos.

What this page covers

This page summarizes the photo rules for Netherlands residence card photo. The main print format is 35 × 45 mm.

Use the checklist below to confirm background, face position, glasses and lighting, then prepare the file online with PhotoDocs.

The reference source for this profile is IND / Government.nl.

Source and verification

VerificationOfficial document-specific guidance
SourceIND / Government.nl
Last verified2026-04-13

This page follows document-specific public guidance published by IND / Government.nl.

Official Dutch residence permit photo rules were verified on 2026-04-13. IND states that the residence permit photo must meet Dutch passport photo requirements, and the public photomatrix on Government.nl sets a 35 × 45 mm format with a 26-30 mm head height, centered full-face view and an even light background.

How this page is checked
Structured document profile
This page is maintained as a document profile inside PhotoDocs, not as a generic blog post or a broad passport-photo landing page.
Source and verification
The requirements on this page are tied to IND / Government.nl. The page shows its verification level and the last checked date 2026-04-13.
Where AI is used
AI is used to prepare the output photo. Source links, requirement notes and verification labels are stored in the page data and are not inferred from the uploaded portrait.

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Photo requirements

Format 35 × 45 mm
Head height 26–30 mm
Background Light plain background; IND explicitly warns about issues when very light clothing blends into a light grey background.
Pose Full-face, head centered.
Expression Neutral expression, eyes open.
Glasses The eyes must be fully visible; no dark lenses or strong glare.
Lighting Shadows, overexposure and glare are not allowed.
Head covering Only for religious reasons and without covering the facial outline.

How to take this photo correctly

  • Start with a recent, sharp portrait for Netherlands residence card photo.
  • Keep the pose aligned with the rule: Full-face, head centered.
  • Use a clean setup that matches the required background: Light plain background; IND explicitly warns about issues when very light clothing blends into a light grey background.
  • Check eyewear before submission: The eyes must be fully visible; no dark lenses or strong glare.

Common reasons this photo gets rejected

  • The background does not match the rule: Light plain background; IND explicitly warns about issues when very light clothing blends into a light grey background.
  • The head is tilted, too close to the edge or cropped too tightly.
  • Glasses, glare, hair or shadows make the eyes hard to see.
  • The facial expression does not match the rule: Neutral expression, eyes open.

More document photo pages for Netherlands

Netherlands driver's license photo 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance Netherlands ID card photo 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance Netherlands passport photo 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance

Same document type in other countries: residence card

Belgium residence card photo 35 × 45 mm · Official public guidance Schengen Area residence card photo 35 × 45 mm · Official public guidance Spain residence card photo 26 × 32 mm · Official public guidance Sweden residence card photo Live biometric capture at the authority · Official public guidance

FAQ

35 × 45 mm.
Light plain background; IND explicitly warns about issues when very light clothing blends into a light grey background. Full-face, head centered. Neutral expression, eyes open.
The eyes must be fully visible; no dark lenses or strong glare. Only for religious reasons and without covering the facial outline.
This page follows document-specific public guidance published by IND / Government.nl.
Yes. Start with a sharp, evenly lit portrait and let PhotoDocs crop and normalize the output for the selected document.