ePassport photo obligation since 1 May 2025 – passport photos can only be transferred digitally

ePassport Photo: Germany’s Digital Process Since 2025

Since May 1st, 2025, a new regulation has come into effect in Germany regarding the creation of passport photos. All photos for official identification documents must now be digitally created and securely transmitted to the respective government authorities.

What’s Changing?

• Digital Creation and Transmission: Passport photos for German ID cards, passports, or residence permits may now only be produced digitally and transferred directly to the passport office via secure systems.

Where Can You Get Your Passport Photos?

• At the Authority: Some citizen service offices (Bürgerbüro) or passport departments offer photo capture on site.
• At a Certified Photo Studio: Professional studios like ours can take compliant biometric photos and transmit them securely.

Transition Period Until July 31st, 2025

Paper photos could still be accepted in technical exceptional cases until July 31, 2025. This transition period has ended.

Benefits of the New Digital Photo Process

• Increased security through encrypted, direct submission to authorities
• Reduced risk of manipulated photos through a controlled transmission process
• Faster and more reliable passport/ID application processing

What Does This Mean for You?

We continue to offer professional, biometric, and regulation-compliant passport photos. As a certified passport photo studio in Germany, we handle the secure and legally compliant transmission of your image directly to the government portal – fast, safe, and reliable.

Tip: Schedule your appointment in advance to avoid waiting times.

Have questions? Contact us anytime – by phone, email, or visit us in person.

Trusted Sources on the New Regulation

• ADAC News – Digital Passport Photos
• ALFO ePassfoto – Background Information

More Info or Book a Session:

➡️ Passport Photos at PM Studios – Certified Photo Studio in Munich

ePassport photo preparation for your next application

The ePassport photo process covers one part of an application: capturing and supplying the picture digitally. Start with the document list provided by the issuing authority. Identify the exact document and check the stated image requirements. Visas, foreign passports and other cards may use different specifications. Tell the studio the intended purpose before booking, rather than relying on the general term passport photo.

What should you check when booking?

Decide whether to use a participating studio or an authority’s capture equipment where available. Ask the office about availability and arrangements. With a studio, specify the required service and mention children or particular requirements in advance. Confirm the price and included deliverables before your visit. This helps separate what the photo session provides from the authority’s own application service.

What information helps the photographer?

Bring the document requirements if you have a written list. Wear clothing that allows you to sit comfortably, and let the photographer check your positioning. Questions about glasses, head coverings or individual circumstances should be resolved using the relevant authority’s instructions. Do not assume that advice for one country’s passport applies unchanged to another country’s visa photograph.

Why not use a business portrait?

An application or business portrait has a different purpose. Expression, camera angle and background can be chosen to communicate a professional image. An identity-document photograph instead follows the document’s specifications. A flattering existing portrait is therefore not automatically suitable. Adding filters or editing it yourself does not turn it into an acceptable ePassport photo. Explain its intended use before the camera session.

What happens after the session?

For the studio retrieval process, keep the supplied code or retrieval information safe and ready for the authority. The photograph does not replace the remaining documents, nor does it reserve an application appointment. If you have a question about retrieval, contact the studio or issuing office. Ask what is needed before assuming that you must purchase another photo session.

Check the application as a whole

Before attending, compare your preparations with the authority’s checklist: image submission, existing documents and any additional evidence. An old blog post may describe a transition that has already ended. The ePassport photo change explains the digital process, while the issuing authority provides the instructions for your specific application. For historical context, see the German Federal Government’s May 2025 update (German). Keep the distinction between photography and the application itself clear.