Norway Driving Licence Photo: Official ICAO Size and Requirements
Everything you need to know about the 35×45 mm ICAO biometric photo standard for a Norwegian driving licence, as set by Statens vegvesen.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Norway 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 Norway photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Norway Driving licence 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 Driving licence photo: what matters
A compliant photo for a Norwegian driving licence must meet the ICAO biometric standard administered by Statens vegvesen, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The reference format is 35×45 mm (827×1063 px), with a uniform light-grey background and strict facial-image rules that closely mirror those for a Norwegian passport.
Since Norway introduced the digital driving licence, both the photo and signature are captured in person at a Statens vegvesen trafikkstasjon (traffic station) by trained staff using calibrated equipment — you do not print or upload a photo yourself for the licence. The full ICAO facial requirements apply regardless: frontal pose, neutral expression, no glasses, and a plain uniform background. Arriving at your appointment knowing exactly what these standards require means there are no surprises on the day. A correctly formatted reference image is also directly reusable for Schengen visa applications and any other official document that requires a submitted photograph.
- Size: 35×45 mm (827×1063 px at 600 dpi)
- Background: uniform light grey (#E6E6E6) — no gradients, patterns or shadows
- Face height: 70–80% of the total frame height
- Pose: strictly frontal, eyes open and clearly visible, looking directly at the camera
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, no smile
- Glasses: not permitted under any circumstances
- Headwear: permitted only for documented religious reasons; must not obscure any facial feature
- Recency: taken within the last 6 months
Common reasons photos are rejected in Norway:
- Glasses present — even thin metal frames, rimless glasses or clear lenses are strictly prohibited under Norway's ICAO guidelines
- Non-neutral expression — a slight smile, raised eyebrows or parted lips will cause the image to fail the biometric check
- Uneven or coloured background — home walls, patterned surfaces or lighting that casts visible shadows are not acceptable
- Incorrect face proportion — the face must occupy 70–80% of the frame height; sitting too far from or too close to the camera is a frequent error
Our tool automatically crops and adjusts your photo to the exact 35×45 mm ICAO specification — correct dimensions, the right background tone (#E6E6E6), and the proper face proportion. A watermarked preview is available free before any payment, so you can see exactly how the compliant image looks. Walk into your Statens vegvesen appointment fully prepared, and keep your ready image on file for any visa application or official document that accepts a submitted photograph.
What an accepted Driving licence photo looks like
Norway · 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 · ≤ 2 MB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.
Official requirements source: udi.no
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Norway Driving licence 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 Norway Driving licence photos
What size must the photo be for a Norwegian driving licence?
How is the photo taken for a Norwegian driving licence?
Are glasses allowed in a Norwegian driving licence photo?
What background colour is required?
How much of the frame should the face fill?
Can I wear a head covering in the photo?
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.