Cyprus National ID Card Photo: The Exact Biometric Standard
Everything you need to know about the Cyprus biometric ID card photo standard — 35x45 mm, ICAO-compliant, white background — and why this document is now captured on-site.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Cyprus 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 Cyprus photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Cyprus 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 Cyprus national ID card (Δελτίο Ταυτότητας) photo must meet the strict ICAO biometric standard enforced by the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD). A compliant image is a 35x45 mm portrait with a neutral, technical look — no shadows, no glasses, and a clean light background that lets the facial-recognition system map your features accurately.
Here is the part most people get wrong. With the new biometric ID cards, the CRMD captures your photo, fingerprints and signature on-site during your appointment. The card chip stores this data, so for the application itself you generally cannot bring a self-made or downloaded photo. Note also that some commercial photo tools still list an older 30x40 mm format — that is outdated. The current biometric frame is 35x45 mm, with the head measuring 31.5–36 mm and roughly a 3 mm margin above the hair.
The exact requirements for a compliant Cyprus ID photo are:
- Size: 35x45 mm (827x1063 px at print resolution)
- Background: plain white (#FFFFFF) or very light grey, evenly lit
- Face height: the head fills about 70–80% of the frame (31.5–36 mm)
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible
- Glasses: not allowed
- Headwear: none, except for genuine religious reasons (face fully visible)
- Recency: the image must reflect your current appearance (within 6 months)
Common reasons photos are rejected in Cyprus:
- Using the outdated 30x40 mm format instead of the current 35x45 mm biometric frame
- Wearing glasses or having reflections and glare across the lenses
- A coloured, textured or shadowed background instead of clean white/light grey
- Head incorrectly sized or off-centre, breaking the 31.5–36 mm and 3 mm top-margin rule
Because the CRMD now performs digital capture at the office, a photo you prepare at home will normally not be accepted for the ID card submission. That is exactly why our tool is still useful: it automatically crops your own picture to the precise 35x45 mm ICAO standard, giving you a reliable reference of how a compliant photo must look. Use it to check your framing, prepare for your appointment, or for other documents that do accept self-supplied images — honestly, without false promises of acceptance for this particular card.
What an accepted National ID card photo looks like
Cyprus · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
- Background
- White plain
- Head in frame
- 70–80%
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Facial expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Headwear
- Only for religious reasons
- File
- JPG · ≤ 2 MB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.
Official requirements source: moi.gov.cy
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Cyprus 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 Cyprus National ID card photos
What is the correct photo size for a Cyprus ID card?
Can I use my own self-made photo for the Cyprus ID card?
What background colour is required?
Are glasses allowed in the Cyprus ID photo?
How large should my head appear in the photo?
Is headwear ever allowed?
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.