Passport Photos for Dual Nationality 2026 – What You Need to Know

The international biometric passport standard, ICAO Doc 9303, sets the baseline that all signatory countries follow. This means the core requirements — neutral expression, eyes open and looking directly at the camera, plain background, no glasses, no head coverings (with religious/medical exceptions), and a recent likeness — apply regardless of which country's passport you are applying for.

For dual nationals, this is helpful: you do not need to learn completely different rules for each country. The differences that matter are technical: primarily photo dimensions and, in some countries, specific background colour requirements or submission methods.

Dual or multiple nationality means you hold citizenship of two or more countries simultaneously. Each passport is issued separately by its respective country and requires:

• A separate application submitted to the relevant authority (embassy, consulate, or domestic office).
• A separate photo that meets that country's specific requirements.
• Separate fees and processing times.

The good news: if you take photos in a single session under consistent lighting and framing, the same base image can often be cropped into different formats. For example, a high-resolution photo suitable for a 35×45mm German passport can also be cropped to the 51×51mm square format required by the US State Department.

The most important format difference for dual nationals is between countries that use the ICAO standard 35×45mm portrait format and the US square 2×2 inch (51×51mm) format.

• Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, the Netherlands, and most EU countriesuse the 35×45mm portrait format. Head height is typically 32–36mm within the 45mm frame.
• United States requires a 2×2 inch (51×51mm) square photo with the head occupying 1–1 3/8 inches (25–35mm) of the frame height.
• Canada uses 50×70mm — a larger format than both ICAO standard and the US.
• United Kingdom technically specifies 45×35mm (width × height), which is 35×45mm described differently — the same portrait ICAO dimension.

A photo correctly cropped for a German passport cannot simply be submitted for a US passport application — the dimensions are different and the US system will not accept a 35×45mm photo.

Germany applies the BSI PointID requirement to all Reisepass (passport) and Personalausweis (national ID) applications. Under this rule, the photo must come from an approved, verified source — typically an in-person photo session at a certified photographer or a government office with biometric photo capture.

This requirement applies to all applicants for a German passport regardless of whether they also hold another nationality. A German-Swiss or German-American dual national still needs to follow the BSI PointID process for their German passport, even if their Swiss or US passport was obtained using an online photo tool.

Switzerland does not have an equivalent requirement — online-generated photos are accepted for Swiss passport applications. This means a DE+CH dual national can use an online photo service for the Swiss passport but not for the German passport.

Children with dual nationality follow the same process as adults: a separate application and photo for each country. The same format differences apply.

One practical note: passport photo validity periods for children are stricter in many countries because children's appearances change quickly. Some countries issue passports to minors with shorter validity periods (e.g. 5 years for children under 12 in several EU countries). This means renewal — and new photos — will be needed more frequently.

Some countries do not legally recognise dual nationality. Citizens of those countries who hold a second passport may face legal obligations to travel on the national passport of the country they are entering or exiting. This has no effect on the photo requirements themselves but is worth verifying before travel.

Always verify current dual nationality rules and travel requirements with the relevant embassies or consulates.