Sweden Passport Photo — Taken at the Police Office
Sweden is one of the countries where you do not bring a photo at all. The Swedish Police state plainly that photographs are taken at the passport office, and that everyone applying for a passport or national ID card — including children and adolescents — must personally come to the police passport office. Because the image is captured on site, Sweden publishes no applicant-supplied photo format: there is no size, background or head-height for you to meet. Verified against the Swedish Police (polisen.se) passport and national ID card page, September 2026.
How the Swedish photo works
| Photo | Taken at the passport office (not supplied by the applicant) |
| Applicant-supplied size | Not published (not applicable — no self-supplied format) |
| Background / head height / dpi / px | Not published (not applicable) |
| Attendance | All applicants in person, including children and adolescents |
| Issuing authority | The police passport offices, to Swedish citizens |
| Fees | Passport SEK 500 · national ID card SEK 400 · temporary passport SEK 980 |
The Swedish Police state:
“Photographs will be taken at the passport office. All who apply for passports and national ID cards must personally come to the police passport office, including children and adolescents.”
“The police passport offices issue passports and national ID cards to Swedish citizens.”
There is no photo you need to bring — or match
Most countries on this site publish a format you have to meet: a rectangle in millimetres, a background colour, a head height. Sweden does not. Because the photograph is captured at the passport office, the Swedish Police publish no applicant-supplied specification — no size, no background, no head-height, no pixel or dpi figure. That is why this page has no format table to copy.
It also means the common claim that “a Swedish passport photo is 35 × 45 mm” is not a published Swedish requirement for applicants. Do not size a photo for that format and bring it: the published process takes the picture for you. Treat any specific number you see on an unofficial site as unverified for Sweden.
Who must attend in person
The published rule is universal: all who apply for a passport or national ID card must personally come to the police passport office, and the Swedish Police explicitly include children and adolescents. It is not a by-post or drop-in-a-photo process, so plan for the applicant — whatever their age — to be present.
What it costs
The published fees are SEK 500 for a passport, SEK 400 for a national ID card and SEK 980 for a temporary passport. Fees and rules can change, so confirm the current figure on the Swedish Police page before you go.
60-second Sweden check
- ☐ Attend the police passport office in person (children and adolescents too)
- ☐ The photograph is taken at the office — no self-supplied photo format applies
- ☐ Bring no 35 × 45 mm photo: that is not a published Swedish applicant requirement
- ☐ Office issues passports and national ID cards to Swedish citizens
- ☐ Passport SEK 500 · national ID SEK 400 · temporary passport SEK 980
Frequently asked questions
Does Sweden take the passport photo for me?
Yes. The Swedish Police state that photographs will be taken at the passport office, so you do not supply the image yourself.
Do children have to attend in person?
Yes. All who apply for passports and national ID cards must personally come to the police passport office, including children and adolescents.
Is there a photo size I need to meet?
No applicant-supplied format is published. Sweden does not ask you to bring a photo with a particular size, background or head height — the photo is captured on site.
Can I bring my own passport photo?
The published process has the photograph taken at the passport office, and no applicant-supplied photo format is published.
How much does a Swedish passport cost?
The published fees are SEK 500 for a passport, SEK 400 for a national ID card and SEK 980 for a temporary passport.
Who issues Swedish passports?
The police passport offices issue passports and national ID cards to Swedish citizens.
Source note: the statement that photographs are taken at the passport office, that all applicants including children and adolescents must attend in person, and the SEK 500 / SEK 400 / SEK 980 fees are from the Swedish Police, polisen.se/en/services-and-permits/passport-and-national-id-card/ (checked October 2026). No applicant-supplied photo format is published there.
Related: for the formats you do have to meet, see the size chart, set the background with the backgrounds guide, and check a finished file with the passport photo checker. If a photo has been refused, the rejection reasons guide covers the common causes.