Ukraine Passport Photo Requirements — Two 3.5 × 4.5 cm (35 × 45 mm) Photos
For pasting photographs into a citizen's passport of Ukraine, and for the photo update at ages 25 and 45. Ukraine's rule is unusually short: it fixes a print size and an age-match condition, but publishes no background colour, no pixel size and no head ratio. Verified against the State Migration Service of Ukraine (dmsu.gov.ua), September 2026.
| Photo size | 3.5 × 4.5 cm — the same rectangle as 35 × 45 mm |
| Number of photos | Two |
| Image | Must correspond to the age the person has reached |
| Background | Not published by the official source |
| Pixel size | Not published by the official source |
| Head ratio | Not published by the official source |
| Cost of pasting | Free of charge |
| Processing | 5 working days from the application; may be extended by up to 30 calendar days if additional checks are needed |
The official wording is “дві фотокартки розміром 3,5 х 4,5 см із зображенням, яке відповідає досягнутому особою віку” — two photographs 3.5 × 4.5 cm in size, with an image that corresponds to the age the person has reached.
3.5 × 4.5 cm is the same frame as 35 × 45 mm
These are one rectangle written in two units. Ukrainian-language pages, applications and photo studios quote centimetres — 3,5 × 4,5 cm — while English-language guidance and the printing trade usually quote millimetres — 35 × 45 mm. 3.5 cm is 35 mm and 4.5 cm is 45 mm, so a studio asked for either number is being asked for exactly the same print. Ukrainian-language users tend to search in centimetres and English-language users in millimetres, but the crop is identical. It is one of the standard portrait formats, shared with much of continental Europe, so a printer that already works in millimetres just needs 35 × 45 mm. The full size chart lists the formats this site supports.
The condition that gets photos refused: the image must match the person's current age
The phrase that decides acceptance is not a measurement at all. Ukraine requires an image that corresponds to the age the person has reached — “із зображенням, яке відповідає досягнутому особою віку”. In practice that rules out reusing an old photograph: a picture from an earlier passport, or one where the applicant was a child, does not match the person applying today. This matters most at the 25 and 45 updates, where the temptation is to hand in a leftover photo from years ago. A photo that no longer looks like the holder is a reason to refuse it, however well it is framed and printed. If a photo has already been rejected, work through the rejection reasons guide.
How many photos are needed
Two. The specification names two photographs at 3.5 × 4.5 cm, and the document checklist for the pasting service repeats the same count. The materials are: an application for the pasting of photographs, the passport itself (the 1994-design booklet), and two photographs 3.5 × 4.5 cm.
Pasting at 25 and 45: free, in person, and no e-queue
A citizen's passport of Ukraine carries a photograph that is pasted in at two points in the holder's life — at 25 and at 45. The service is free: “Вклеювання фотокарток до паспорта громадянина України здійснюється безкоштовно”. Two official conditions are easy to miss:
- It is submitted in person. The official wording is “Подається заявником особисто” — the applicant submits it personally.
- No electronic queue booking is needed. “записуватися до електронної черги НЕ ПОТРІБНО” — you do not have to reserve a slot in the e-queue for this service.
How long photo pasting takes
The service is processed within 5 working days from the application. Where the authority needs additional checks, that period may be extended by up to 30 calendar days. Photo pasting is a short process, but it is not instant, so leave room in your travel plans rather than expecting it the same week.
The wartime rule: Resolution No. 1202
Постанова КМУ від 21.10.2022 № 1202 — a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 21 October 2022 — sets out a wartime carve-out. Passports that expired on or around 24 February 2022 or later, and passports that do not carry the 25 / 45 photograph, remain valid identity documents. The duty to exchange such a passport, or to have the photo pasted in, is deferred: it must be completed within 30 calendar days of martial law ending. In other words, wartime does not invalidate the document, but the deadline to exchange it or paste the photograph restarts when martial law ends.
Frequently asked questions
What size photo does a Ukraine passport need?
Two photographs 3.5 x 4.5 cm - the same rectangle as 35 x 45 mm.
Does Ukraine publish a background colour, pixel size or head ratio for the photo?
No. The official State Migration Service page publishes only the print size and the age-match condition; it does not publish a background colour, a pixel size or a head-to-frame ratio. Do not guess one - follow the studio's standard handling of the 35 x 45 mm format.
Can I reuse an old photo for a Ukraine passport?
No. The official wording requires an image that corresponds to the age the person has reached, so a photo from an earlier passport, or one that no longer resembles the applicant, can be refused. This matters most at the 25 and 45 updates.
How much does it cost to have the photo pasted into a Ukrainian passport?
Nothing. The pasting service at ages 25 and 45 is free of charge, is submitted in person, and does not require an electronic queue booking.
How long does photo pasting take?
Five working days from the application, extendable by up to 30 calendar days where additional checks are needed.
Related: Ukraine's 3.5 × 4.5 cm format belongs to the same 35 × 45 mm family used across much of Europe and beyond — compare it with the Taiwan passport photo, which uses the same 35 × 45 mm footprint with a published head band. Every format the site supports is in the full size chart; check a finished file with the passport photo checker, crop it with the image cropper, and read the digital file requirements guide.