Estonia residence permit card photo requirements

What the official information confirms

The Estonia residence permit card (elamisloakaart) application requires a document photo in digital format. The numeric contract is governed by the national regulation (Riigi Teataja, Minister of the Interior regulation no. 62, current version in force since 29.04.2019), and the PPA (Police and Border Guard Board) instructions page confirms the same numbers (at least 1300×1600 px, 1–5 MB).

The photo file is submitted by the applicant through the official channels: the PPA self-service portal, e-mail ([email protected]), or a photo booth at a service office (this tool prepares the file only and does not submit it). The Estonia Schengen visa (schengen.estonia.visa-photo, 35×45 mm print) and the long-term (D) visa ("one colour photograph" with no numeric specification) are separate routes, and their values are not inherited or merged into this record.

• The official regulation requires a digital colour photo of at least 1300 x 1600 pixels ("vähemalt 1300 pikslit lai ja 1600 pikslit kõrge" — a minimum only; no upper pixel limit is stated).
• The file must be in .jpg / .jpeg format between 1 MB to 5 MB, as required by the regulation.
• The official PPA page requires the photo to be unedited; scanned photographs and screenshots of a screen are not allowed. The background should be light and of a single colour without extraneous objects or patterns (no specific colour is pinned).
• A photo taken by yourself must not be older than 6 months at the time of applying (regulation § 2(4), matching the PPA page).
• Regulation § 5(2) requires the head and shoulders to be visible, with the face (bottom of the jaw to the lower forehead, right ear to left ear) clearly visible with minimal shadows (the PPA page adds a front view, looking at the camera, a neutral expression, eyes open and mouth closed). No numeric face geometry (mm or occupancy) is stated.
• The tool output adopts the official minimum (1300×1600 px) and guarantees only the 5 MB cap. The 1 MB lower bound required by the official rule is not guaranteed for the generated file; if the output is smaller than 1 MB, verify the requirement on the application side yourself.

How unspecified conditions are handled

The phrase “passport-size” and general photo practice are not converted into a fixed value such as 35×45 mm. In the Tool, enter the dimensions shown by the current application guidance.

Using the web tool

• Keep the application guidance available and enter the output type and dimensions you have confirmed.
• No face guide is shown to fill in an official value that has not been confirmed.
• After editing and review, confirm the accepted format and conditions in the application portal before submitting.