Switzerland Passport Photo: Accepted at the Cantonal Office

A valid Swiss passport application starts with a photo that matches the federal standard exactly. Switzerland follows the fedpol "Fotomustertafel" (the Federal Office of Police photo template), which is built on the international ICAO 9303 specification. When you apply at your cantonal passport office (Passbüro), you may bring your own photo — but it is checked against this template, and a single deviation means a return visit. Our tool prepares your picture to that precise standard so it clears inspection on the first submission.

The detail most applicants miss is that Switzerland is strict about the background and lighting, not just the framing. The fedpol template requires a light, neutral, single-colour background (light grey or white) that is even and completely shadow-free — a busy, coloured, or unevenly lit wall behind your head is one of the most common reasons a Swiss photo is bounced. Your head and face must also fill roughly 70-80% of the frame height, a tighter crop than many people expect, and the photo must be recent (taken within the last six months and reflecting your current appearance).

• Size: 35x45 mm portrait (413x531 px)
• Background: light, even, shadow-free single colour (#F5F5F5 light grey / white)
• Face size: head and face fill 70-80% of the frame height
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible
• Glasses: allowed only if eyes are fully visible — no glare, no reflections, no tinted lenses
• Headwear: not permitted, except for religious reasons with the full face visible
• Recency: taken within the last six months

• Common reasons photos are rejected in Switzerland:
• Coloured, patterned, or shadowed background instead of the required even light-grey/white
• Head too small or too large — face outside the 70-80% frame-height range
• Reflections or glare on eyeglasses, or tinted lenses hiding the eyes
• Smiling, an open mouth, or a tilted head instead of a square, neutral pose

To get a compliant photo, upload an ordinary picture taken against a plain wall. It is automatically cropped and adjusted to the exact fedpol standard — correct dimensions, neutral background, and proper face proportions. You see a free watermarked preview before paying anything, and every photo comes with an acceptance guarantee: if the cantonal office rejects it, we redo it free or refund you. You pay only for the final file, and only once it fits.