Bulgaria Passport Photo: Exact MVR Biometric Standard Made Simple
Get a perfectly compliant 35x45 mm reference image matching Bulgaria's ICAO biometric passport standard, so you arrive at the MVR appointment fully prepared.
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 Passport 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 Passport photo: what matters
A Bulgarian passport (Bulgarian biometric ID document) requires a photo that meets the strict ICAO biometric standard enforced by the Ministry of Interior (MVR), Directorate Bulgarian Identity Documents (BDS). The specification is precise: a 35x45 mm portrait, head height between 30 and 36 mm, a plain light-grey background, and a neutral, closed-mouth expression with both eyes clearly visible. Our tool automatically crops and formats your own picture to this exact official standard, giving you a flawless reference image.
The key peculiarity for Bulgaria: as part of the move to fully biometric passports, the photo, your fingerprints, and your signature are now captured live, on-site, at the MVR BDS office during your appointment. This means a self-made or downloaded photo is generally not submitted as the official passport image. The on-site digital capture guarantees the biometric data links directly to your live presence. The standard reference image still matters: it shows you exactly how you must look, how your hair and clothing should sit, and what background and framing the live capture targets.
Exact requirements for the Bulgaria passport photo:
- Size: 35x45 mm (827x1063 px)
- Background: plain light-grey, #D8D8D8, evenly lit with no shadows
- Face coverage: head fills 70-80% of the frame height (30-36 mm)
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera
- Glasses: not allowed (unless medically required and documented)
- Headwear: none, except for religious or medical reasons with the full face visible
- Recency: taken within the last 6 months and reflecting your current appearance
Common reasons photos are rejected in Bulgaria:
- Wearing glasses, or lenses that reflect or obscure the eyes
- A background that is too dark, patterned, or not the required light grey
- Smiling or an open mouth instead of a strictly neutral expression
- Hair, shadows, or headwear covering part of the face or eyes
To use the tool, simply upload a clear front-facing photo and receive a standard-compliant image cropped to the MVR specification in seconds. Be aware: for the Bulgarian passport, the authority requires the official photo to be captured digitally on-site at the BDS office, so a self-supplied photo is generally not accepted for submission. Use your compliant reference image to verify exactly how a passing photo must look and to prepare confidently for your appointment.
What an accepted Passport 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, mybiometricphotos.com
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Bulgaria Passport 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 Passport photos
What size must a Bulgarian passport photo be?
Can I submit my own self-made photo for a Bulgarian passport?
What background colour is required?
Are glasses allowed in a Bulgaria passport photo?
Is headwear permitted?
Then why prepare a compliant photo at all?
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.