Luxembourg Residence Card Photo — Exact Official Standard

When you apply for a Luxembourg residence card (titre de séjour), a correctly prepared passport-style photo is a mandatory part of your application file. The photo must meet the ICAO biometric standard as specified under EU Regulation 1030/2002, which governs the uniform format for residence permits across all EU member states. Submitting a non-compliant photo is one of the most common and easily avoidable reasons an application is delayed or returned.

Luxembourg's residence card is issued in a biometric credit-card format, and the photo submitted with the application file is reproduced digitally into the chip and the card surface. This means the technical requirements are applied strictly: the image is processed by the issuing authority's system, and any deviation in background colour, face proportion, or image sharpness is flagged automatically. The required background is neutral light grey — a plain grey field with no gradients, shadows, or texture. White backgrounds or off-white backgrounds, common in casual photo booths, are not accepted. The photo must also be recent — taken within the last six months — to match your current appearance.

• Print size: 35 × 45 mm (digital equivalent: 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi)
• Background colour: neutral light grey (#D9D9D9) — uniform, no shadows or gradients
• Face height: 70–80% of the total frame height, centred
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible
• Glasses: permitted only if eyes are fully visible with no glare, reflections, or tinted lenses
• Head covering: not permitted except for documented religious reasons
• Recency: photo must have been taken within the last six months
• Quality: sharp focus, even lighting, no shadows on face or background

• Wrong background colour: white or cream backgrounds are frequently submitted and rejected — Luxembourg requires a specific neutral grey, not white
• Face too small or off-centre: selfies and casual photos rarely meet the 70–80% face-height rule; the face must be centred with even margins
• Glasses with glare or tinted lenses: standard prescription glasses may still fail if overhead lighting creates reflections on the lenses
• Photo too old or visibly outdated: if your appearance has changed significantly — hair colour, facial hair, weight — an older photo will be queried even if it is under six months old

To get your photo right the first time, upload a clear, well-lit portrait taken against any plain background. The photo is automatically prepared to the exact 35×45 mm, grey-background, ICAO-compliant standard required for the Luxembourg residence card application. You receive a free watermarked preview before any payment — check that the result meets your expectations, then pay only for the final download. If your photo is rejected by the issuing authority, we will redo it at no charge or provide a full refund. No upfront risk.