Finland Passport Photo Requirements — 500 × 653 px, Light Grey
For a Finnish passport photo. Finland is unusual in giving exact pixel dimensions for an electronically submitted photo: 500 × 653 pixels, no deviation even by one pixel, at most 250 kB, in JPEG. The head must be 445–500 px (32–36 mm) from crown to chin. The photographer normally sends the photo to the police electronically, linked to your application by a photo retrieval code. Verified against the Finnish police passport photograph instructions, September 2026.
Official Finland passport photo specification
| Electronic size | Exactly 500 × 653 pixels (no deviation, even one pixel) |
| File size | Maximum 250 kB |
| Format | JPEG (not JPEG2000); .jpg or .jpeg |
| Head size | Crown to chin 445–500 px (32–36 mm) |
| Margins | Above crown 4–6 mm (56–84 px); below chin 7–9 mm (96–124 px) |
| Centring | Face centre line within 21 px (1.5 mm) of the photo centre line |
| Background | Light grey is best; light, neutral, monochromatic and flat, with no shadows |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open with no squinting |
| Glasses | Eyes clearly visible; no reflections; tinted glasses only for medical reasons |
| Face width | No specific measurement — only the head length is checked |
The official instructions state verbatim:
The dimensions of photographs submitted electronically must be exactly 500 x 653 pixels. Deviations as small as one pixel are not accepted.
The maximum size of an electronically submitted photograph is 250 kilobytes.
The distance between the crown of the head and the chin must be at least 445–500 px (32–36 mm).
The 500 × 653 px electronic photo
Finland is one of the few countries that works in exact pixels for the electronic route: 500 wide by 653 high, and the instructions say a deviation as small as one pixel is not accepted. The file must be at most 250 kB and in JPEG (not JPEG2000). The unit rule matters: the pixel dimensions apply to photos submitted through the photograph server, and the millimetre dimensions apply to paper photos. So a paper photo is measured in mm and an electronic one in px. If you need to hit an exact pixel size and a KB cap, the image compressor handles the KB side and the image cropper the crop.
Head size and margins
The head, crown to chin, must be 445–500 px, or 32–36 mm. Above the crown there must be 4–6 mm (56–84 px), and below the chin 7–9 mm (96–124 px). The head must be centred so the face's centre line is within 21 px (1.5 mm) of the photo's centre line. Note two official points: the hair and beard are not included in the head size, and there is no specific measurement for the width of the face — if the length is right, the width needs no attention. The full list of formats is in the size chart.
Background: light grey, flat and shadow-free
The instructions say the best background colour is light grey, but the key is that the face, hair and clothes can be clearly distinguished from it. The background must be monochromatic and flat, light and neutral, with no shadows. A too-dark, uneven or shadowed background, or one that is too strongly lit, is listed as a rejection. See the backgrounds guide for practical setup.
Expression, glasses and head covering
The expression must be neutral with the mouth closed, and the eyes open with no squinting — even small children must keep their eyes open. With glasses, the eyes must be clearly visible; frames partly covering the eyes or reflections are rejected, and tinted glasses or an eyepatch are allowed only for medical reasons. A scarf or other head covering is allowed only if required by religious reasons, an established tradition, or health/medical reasons, and it must not cover the face too much or cast shadows over it. For a small child, you may support them, but no part of you may be visible in the photograph.
How the photo reaches the police
The instructions describe the normal route: the photographer usually sends the passport photograph directly to the police electronically, and it is linked to your application with a photo retrieval code assigned to the photo. You can also use a paper photograph if you submit your application at a police service point. Either way, the same standards apply to subjects of all ages.
What is still not published
Finland publishes more than most — exact pixels, file cap, format, head band and margins — but it does not publish an overall physical size in mm for the whole photo, a head-size percentage, or a face-width figure. Work from the official numbers above rather than converting a figure from another country. Confirm a finished crop with the passport photo checker.
60-second Finland check
- ☐ Electronic photo is exactly 500 × 653 px, JPEG, max 250 kB
- ☐ Head 445–500 px (32–36 mm) crown to chin
- ☐ 4–6 mm above the crown; 7–9 mm below the chin
- ☐ Head centred; face centre line within 21 px of the photo centre
- ☐ Background light grey, flat, light and neutral, no shadows
- ☐ Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
- ☐ Eyes clear of the frame; no reflections or tinted glasses
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Finnish passport photo?
Electronically it must be exactly 500 × 653 pixels, at most 250 kB, in JPEG. The millimetre dimensions apply to paper photos instead.
How big should the head be?
The distance from the crown of the head to the chin must be 445–500 px, or 32–36 mm. Hair and beard are not included in the head size.
What background colour does Finland require?
Light grey is best, but the key is that your face, hair and clothes stand out from it. It must be monochromatic and flat, light and neutral, with no shadows.
Does the face width matter?
No — there is no specific measurement for the width of the face. If the head length complies, the width needs no attention.
Can I wear glasses?
Your eyes must be clearly visible with no reflections; frames partly covering the eyes are rejected. Tinted glasses are allowed only for medical reasons.
How is the photo submitted?
The photographer usually sends it directly to the police electronically and it is linked to your application by a photo retrieval code. You can also use a paper photo if you apply at a police service point.
Related: Finland's exact-pixel requirement differs from the mm-based formats on the size chart. Resize to exact pixels with the image resizer, cap the file with the image compressor, and check the general digital file requirements.