The Ministry of Internal Affairs spoke about the requirements for passport photographs

Throughout our lives, we are faced with the need to take our own photographs not only for placement in family albums and on the pages of our accounts on social networks, but also for submission to various government agencies when receiving official documents, filling out forms when applying for a job, receiving passes, certificates and so on. Photo standards for documents can vary quite significantly between different institutions. And not only by the size of the image, but also by other parameters. In this article, we will be your navigator in the bureaucratic sea of countless documents, highlight the most popular ones and tell you about the basic requirements for photographs for them.

What should be the photograph for the license: possible options

In most cases, photographs on matte paper are used for documents. The image has a size of 30x40 mm. It is allowed to make photographs in color and black and white. VU has its own rules.

For the old ID:

It was allowed to take photographs in a photo workshop or studio.
The traffic police department accepted color images printed on matte paper. Size - 30x40 mm.
For a paper document, the photo card was made on a white background, for a plastic document - on a red one.

For a new ID:

The photograph is taken at the traffic police department. The department's employees have optical-electronic equipment that allows them to obtain high-quality digital images.
No printing required. When producing a driver's license, plastic and an electronic photo are used. All necessary data is applied directly to the plastic base. The use of special equipment made it possible to automate the manufacturing process.

The introduction of updated photo requirements for a driver’s license has completely relieved the car owner from worrying about the quality of the photo. But the driver needs to take into account some criteria in relation to appearance: clothes, hairstyle, glasses.

Special requirements are accepted for photos for international rights:

It is allowed to use both color and black and white photographs.
Photo size: 35x45 mm.

International laws will have to be changed every three years. To change or obtain an international DP, all rules established for national documents are taken into account.

Passport photographs cannot be subjected to artistic manipulation to enhance the image. This was reported to TASS by the press center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in response to a corresponding request.

“In order to ensure more accurate visual identification of citizens, by order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia <...> restrictions have been introduced on the provision for pasting into a passport of photographs with an edited or artistically processed image to improve appearance, as well as with lenses that change the natural color of the eyes,” the department said .

Rights according to your license: instead of a passport you will be allowed to use a driver’s license

The document will be used for identification during currency exchange and money transfers

It is noted that the image must reliably display all facial features. Failure of photos to meet the established requirements may become grounds for refusal to accept an application for issuance or replacement of a passport and other documents.

As the Ministry of Internal Affairs said, personal photographs on the day of filing an application for issuance or replacement of a passport must be identical and correspond to the age of the citizen. They can be black and white or color. The photo size should be 35 by 45 mm. The person in the photo should be shown without a headdress. Exceptions are allowed only for people whose religious beliefs do not allow them to appear in front of strangers without covering their heads. Citizens who constantly wear glasses must wear glasses without tinted lenses, and the frame in the image must not cover their eyes. It is not allowed to take passport photos in uniform, outerwear, or scarves that cover part of the chin.

The department also reminded that passports that contain information or prohibited notes, for example, about crossing the state border, are invalid. If desired, Russian citizens can indicate in their passport their blood type and Rh factor, as well as their taxpayer identification number. But information about a person’s nationality is not included in the document.

On April 5, the Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed details of the mechanism for issuing new passports to Russian citizens in the form of a card with an electronic chip (PEN). As the department explained, the Russian government has instructed to organize the issuance of PEN in Moscow, starting from December 1, 2021. Documents will be issued in the regions as soon as they are technically ready, but no later than July 1, 2023.

On January 28, it was reported that the administrative regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the issuance and replacement of passports came into force in Russia. Among the innovations are more stringent photo requirements, changes to the application form and state duty details, and citizens now have the opportunity to issue a temporary identity card during the period of passport production.

Detailed photo requirements for a driver's license in 2021

Any documentation has its own regulations, enshrined in regulations. They indicate exact numbers and properties for the photograph: from the location of the person in the frame to appearance.

Basic requirements for face and appearance:

The face is placed frontally. It is directed straight and located in the center of the frame. Head turns, smiles, bright facial expressions and other features that distort appearance are prohibited.
The eyes are open and looking into the camera lens. It is forbidden to cover or close your eyes, or look away to the side. Eye color must be visible.
Only light makeup is allowed. It should not distort the features and be provocative and bright.
The clothing style is strict. It is prohibited to wear T-shirts and sweaters with bare shoulders, a deep neckline, or a neck that is too long and covers the chin.
It is prohibited to be photographed wearing headwear, including scarves and bandanas.
The hairstyle should not cover the eyes, forehead, or ears. Hair needs to be tidied up.
The background is only one color, the lighting is bright, and the image is of the highest quality, without glare or darkening.

Important.

For documents of the new sample, only a neutral (gray) background is used without the presence of foreign objects.

What photo do you need for your driver's license if you wear glasses?

You can take off or keep the glasses on as you wish.
The frame is thin and does not cover the face.
The glass is not tinted, without glare or flash reflection. The eyes are clearly visible.

What photo size is needed for a driver's license:

Only a photo of 30x40 mm in size is allowed on a driver's license. There is no corner.
The photograph is color and without distortion.

Note.

When applying for a printed photograph for documents at the salon, the specialist also takes into account additional nuances. The paper is strictly matte, up to 0.3 mm thick. Marks may remain on the glossy surface and ink may smudge. The face is strictly in the center of the photo and occupies 80% of the frame. There is a space of 3 millimeters above the head.

Photo for document in Perm

Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation

Extract from Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated November 13, 2017 N 851 “On approval of the Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the provision of public services for the issuance and replacement of passports of a citizen of the Russian Federation, identifying the identity of a citizen of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Russian Federation” (Registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia on 07.12 .2017 N 49154)

38. Personal photographs must be identical and corresponding to the age of the citizen at the time of filing an application for the issuance (replacement) of a passport, in black and white or color, 35 x 45 mm in size with a clear image of the face without headdress. The size of the oval face in the photograph should occupy at least 70 - 80 percent of the vertical size of the photograph. The size of the head image in the photograph should be between 30 and 32 mm in height and 18 to 22 mm in width. The image in the photograph is placed in such a way that the free upper margin above the head is 5 (1) mm.

38.1. It is permitted to submit photographs wearing hats that do not hide the oval of the face by citizens whose religious beliefs do not allow them to appear in front of strangers without hats. The face in the photo should be in focus from the tip of the chin to the hairline and from the nose to the ears.

38.2. For citizens who constantly wear glasses, photographing with glasses is mandatory. The eyes must be clearly visible in the photograph.

38.3. In the photo, the person is depicted strictly from the front and looking straight with a neutral expression and a closed mouth. The background must be white, smooth, without stripes, spots and images of foreign objects and shadows. A citizen's eyes must be open and his hair must not obscure them.

38.4. Photos in uniform will not be accepted.

38.5. The thickness of the resulting photo print is set to (0.235-0.075) mm, the material density is at least 110 g/m.

38.6. If technically possible, photographing and receiving photographs can be done directly at the migration department or at a multifunctional center.

38.7. If an application for the issuance (replacement) of a passport is submitted in the form of an electronic document using the Unified Portal, the photograph is also submitted in electronic form.

38.8. If it is necessary to issue a temporary identity card for a citizen of the Russian Federation in Form N 2P, an additional photograph is provided.

Full text of the document

Old style international passport, valid for 5 years

Extract from Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated November 16, 2017 N 864 “On approval of the Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the provision of public services for the registration and issuance of passports of a citizen of the Russian Federation, identifying the identity of a citizen of the Russian Federation outside the territory of the Russian Federation” (Registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia 12/14/2017 N 49251)

40. Photographs of the citizen must be identical and correspond to the age of the citizen for whom the passport is issued, at the time of filing the application for a passport, in black and white or color, 35 x 45 mm in size with a clear image of the face without headdress. The photo must include the face and upper part of the shoulders of the citizen, and the size of the face must be 70 - 80% of the area of the photo.

It is permitted to submit a photograph of a citizen wearing a headdress that does not hide the oval face of a citizen for whom a passport is issued, whose religious beliefs do not allow him to appear in front of strangers without a hat. It is not permitted to present a photograph of a citizen wearing tinted glasses and/or uniform.

In the photo, the person is depicted strictly from the front and looking straight with a neutral expression and a closed mouth. The background must be white, smooth, without stripes, spots and images of foreign objects and shadows. A citizen's eyes must be open and his hair must not obscure them.

Full text of the document

New sample international passport, valid for 10 years, with biometrics

Extract from Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated November 27, 2017 N 889 “On approval of the Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the provision of public services for the registration and issuance of passports of a citizen of the Russian Federation, identifying the identity of a citizen of the Russian Federation outside the territory of the Russian Federation, containing an electronic storage medium” (Registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia on December 21, 2017 N 49331)

42.3. Photos of the citizen must be identical and correspond to the age of the citizen for whom a passport containing an electronic storage medium is issued, on the day of filing an application for a passport containing an electronic storage media, in black and white or color, 35 x 45 mm in size with a clear image of the face without headdress. The photo must include the face and upper part of the shoulders of the citizen, and the size of the face must be 70 - 80% of the area of the photo.

It is allowed to submit a photograph of a citizen in a headdress that does not hide the oval of the face of a citizen for whom a passport is issued containing an electronic storage medium, whose religious beliefs do not allow him to appear in front of strangers without hats. It is not permitted to present a photograph of a citizen wearing tinted glasses and/or uniform.

In the photograph, the person is depicted strictly from the front and looking straight with a neutral expression and a closed mouth.
The background must be white, smooth, without stripes, spots and images of foreign objects and shadows. A citizen's eyes must be open and his hair must not obscure them. Full text of the document

Photo for replacing a driver's license

There are several reasons why the device will need to be replaced:

The validity period has expired, you need to get a new document. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, rights are issued for ten years. After the expiration of the period, they are changed, having previously submitted the required package of papers to the MREO.
If your driving license has been stolen or lost.
The driver’s personal data has changed: first and last name, category and other marks.
There have been changes regarding medical contraindications and other parameters related to the health of the car owner.
It is necessary to obtain a new driver's license after the restrictions established by the judicial authority are lifted.
Change of citizenship, when national rights need to be exchanged for a Russian Federation certificate. In 2015 alone, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 200 thousand foreigners received Russian citizenship. In most cases, these are people from former Soviet republics. If new citizens of the Russian Federation want to obtain a driving license, they are required to contact the nearest traffic police department at their place of residence, provide a package of documentation and an application, including national rights and a certificate of passing a medical examination.

To complete the document, the car owner must bring to the traffic police department a passport, an old driver’s license, an application on a form filled out according to the sample, a medical certificate (if indicated), and a certificate of payment of the state duty.

The photograph is changed simultaneously with the ID. According to the regulations, the applicant must take a photograph at the traffic police. The department will quickly take a photo and put it on a plastic base. The procedure will not take much time. But the regulation does not prohibit bringing a digital image with you. It is important that the size, color, quality and other parameters meet the requirements for a driver’s license photo.

Important!

On the website of the State Traffic Inspectorate, the photograph is not included in the list of required documents for submitting an application for obtaining/changing a license.

When contacting MFC branches, it is allowed to use photographs from photo salons or studios.

The replacement period depends on the procedure established by the traffic police. If you have a complete package of papers, the registration will take up to three hours (if the validity period of the license has expired). When contacting the MFC (multifunctional center), you will have to wait up to five days.

How much does a photograph cost?

At the traffic police department you will not have to pay separately for photo services. The procedure is already included in the state duty, which the driver of the car pays upon receipt of the document. Its amount is 2,000 rubles (1,400 rubles when paying on the State Services website).

When contacting a photo salon, you will have to pay for the digital photo service. The cost will average from 200 to 350 rubles.

Even if you know about all the nuances of photo processing and have the necessary programs, it is impossible to remember and know about every requirement. The MREO knows exactly what size photograph is needed for a license and what new standards have appeared. Our specialists will do everything quickly, efficiently and according to the rules, and you won’t have to overpay.