Bulgaria National ID Card Photo (Lichna Karta) — Exact ICAO Standard
A precise 35x45 mm reference photo built to Bulgaria's unified ICAO standard for the lichna karta, so you know exactly how a compliant image must look before your MVR appointment.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Bulgaria does not accept a self-prepared photo. By law it must be captured on site by an authorised service and submitted electronically, so we cannot produce a submittable file for it. The official specification is shown below so you know exactly what to expect at your appointment.
This photo is captured on site — but we can make your Bulgaria photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Bulgaria National ID card photo has strict requirements, and a mistake costs time and money. We’ll show you how to pass on the first try.
It gets rejected
Wrong size, background or cropping — and the system returns the application.
Expensive and slow
A trip to a photo studio means a queue, time and €7–12 for a reshoot.
Confusing requirements
Exact size, head height, light background, facial expression — easy to get wrong.
Redo it all over
Rejected — take another photo, pay and submit again. Round and round.
«Below are the exact requirements from the official source, so you arrive at your appointment prepared.»
Ordinary photo → ready for submission
We remove the background and clutter, set the framing and lighting — keeping your face without «beautifying».
Your face stays yours — we do not change features, only the background, lighting and framing.
Your National ID card photo: what matters
The Bulgarian national ID card, the lichna karta, uses the same unified ICAO biometric photo standard as the Bulgarian passport. The issuing authority is the Ministry of Interior (MVR), Directorate Bulgarian Documents for Identity (BDS), which sets a strict 35x45 mm format with a neutral expression and a light-grey background. Getting these proportions right is the difference between a smooth appointment and a rejected application.
There is one crucial peculiarity that sets the lichna karta apart from older paper-photo processes: your photograph is captured digitally on-site. When you apply at an MVR/BDS office, the clerk takes a live facial image together with your fingerprints and signature directly into the secure document system. Because the biometric capture and the chip data must be cryptographically linked, a downloaded or self-printed photo is generally not accepted for submission. The grey background (#D8D8D8) and the 70-80% face-height rule still define exactly what that captured frame must look like.
The exact specification for a compliant Bulgarian ID photo:
- Size: 35x45 mm (827x1063 px at print resolution)
- Background: plain light grey, #D8D8D8, evenly lit with no shadows
- Face size: the head fills 70-80% of the frame height
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible
- Glasses: not allowed, except with documented medical justification
- Headwear: permitted only for religious or medical reasons, and must not cover the face
- Recency: must reflect your current appearance (taken within the last 6 months)
Common reasons photos are rejected in Bulgaria:
- Wrong background: white, blue or patterned backdrops instead of the required light-grey tone
- Glasses worn without medical proof: any lens reflection or frame covering the eyes
- Face too small or too large: head not within the 70-80% height range
- Non-neutral expression: smiling, open mouth, or tilted head breaking ICAO symmetry
Our tool automatically crops and formats your picture to this exact 35x45 mm standard with the correct grey background and face proportions. To be transparent: because the MVR/BDS now captures the lichna karta photo digitally at the office, a self-supplied image is not used for the actual application. Use the generated photo as a perfectly compliant reference — to see precisely how you must present yourself, prepare for the appointment, and avoid surprises on the day.
What an accepted National ID card photo looks like
Bulgaria · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
- Background
- Light plain
- Head in frame
- 70–80%
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Facial expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Headwear
- Only for religious reasons
- File
- JPG · ≤ 240 KB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.
Official requirements source: mvr.bg
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Bulgaria National ID card photo gets rejected — and how to avoid them. Compare good and bad shots.
1Format and freshness
A color photo taken no more than 6 months ago.
2Lighting and background
Even light with no shadows on the face; a plain light background, without glare.
3Head position
Face head-on, head centered, no tilt or turn.
4Facial expression
Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.
5Glasses and accessories
No glasses (especially sunglasses); eyes fully visible, without glare.
6Headwear
Only for religious reasons and not covering the face — the face fully visible.
7Clothing
Ordinary everyday clothes; no uniforms or face-covering clothing.
Common questions about Bulgaria National ID card photos
What size is a Bulgarian national ID card photo?
Can I submit my own photo for a Bulgarian ID card?
What background colour is required?
Can I wear glasses in my Bulgarian ID photo?
Is headwear allowed?
How recent must the photo be?
Your photo is protected
A photo is personal data, so we handle it carefully and in line with GDPR. We process it only to prepare the document and delete it within clear deadlines.
- Only with consentWe process the photo only after your explicit consent before upload.
- Auto-deletionWe delete the source photo within a day, the ready file after 7 days.
- No sharing with third partiesYour photos are not sold or used to train any third-party systems.
- Deletion on requestYou can ask to delete your data at any time — with a single request.