Romania National ID Card Photo — Exact Size & Requirements

A compliant photo for the Romanian national identity card must meet the specifications set by the Serviciul Public Comunitar de Evidență a Persoanelor (SPCLEP) — the authority that issues both the legacy paper Carte de identitate and the new Cartea Electronică de Identitate. The standard calls for a 30×40 mm (3×4 cm) colour photograph on a plain white background, with your face filling 70–80% of the frame height and a neutral, forward-facing expression.

Romania is currently in a significant transition in how ID photos are handled. The legacy paper Carte de identitate required applicants to bring a physical 30×40 mm photograph to the SPCLEP office. Since 2021, Romania has been rolling out the Cartea Electronică de Identitate (CEI) — an electronic chip-bearing ID card — across its municipalities. For the electronic card, the facial image is captured digitally on-site by a SPCLEP officer at the time of your appointment, not brought in by the applicant. This means the photograph is taken under controlled, standardised conditions at the office itself. Knowing exactly what a compliant photo must look like — and arriving prepared — makes the enrollment appointment straightforward and efficient.

• Photo size: 30×40 mm (equivalent to 709×945 px at 600 dpi)
• Background: plain white (#FFFFFF) — no shadows, no patterns
• Face coverage: your face must fill 70–80% of the total frame height
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes fully open and looking directly at the camera
• Glasses: not permitted — remove all eyewear before the photo
• Head covering: only permitted for documented religious reasons; face must remain fully visible
• Recency: the photograph or reference image must be recent, accurately reflecting your current appearance
• Lighting: even, no shadows across the face or falling onto the background

Common reasons photos are rejected at Romanian SPCLEP offices:

• Coloured or off-white background — any tint, gradient or shadow behind the subject makes the photo non-compliant; the background must be pure white
• Glasses present — Romania aligns with EU biometric norms; spectacles of any kind, including tinted or thin frames, are rejected
• Incorrect face proportion — a face that occupies less than 70% or more than 80% of the frame height will not pass the biometric check at the SPCLEP terminal
• Non-neutral expression or open mouth — smiling, raised eyebrows or any visible teeth will cause the image to be retaken

Our tool automatically crops and resizes your photo to the exact 30×40 mm / 709×945 px specification, balances the background to pure white, and checks face proportion — so you have a reference image that matches what a compliant photo must look like, whether for your SPCLEP appointment or for another document that accepts submitted photographs (a visa application, a driver's licence renewal, or a notarial deed). You can preview a watermarked version for free before downloading the full-resolution file. Walk into your appointment knowing exactly what to expect.