2 min read
Drugstore or online? German passport photos are digital only
Since May 2025 a German passport or ID card photo must reach the office digitally, from the Bürgeramt or certified photographer. An online photo does not work.
Why this is not a comparison any more
Many people in Germany get their passport photo at a drugstore. For a German passport or identity card the rules changed on 1 May 2025: the photo now reaches the office only digitally, either from a photo terminal at the Bürgeramt or from a certified photographer who sends it there. Self-made or printed photos cannot be used, according to stuttgart.de. A photo from an online service such as ours is not accepted either.
So we do not sell a German passport or ID card photo.
What to do
- Use a drugstore photo service that sends the photo to the office digitally; dm offers this.
- Or have the photo taken on the terminal at your Bürgeramt, if it has one.
- For the driving licence a paper photo is still asked for; check with your Führerscheinstelle.
More on our Germany passport photo page.