Photo requirements guide
Finland Working Holiday residence permit photo requirements
The electronic photo requirements from the police photograph instructions. Paper photos and retrieval codes follow separate rules.
Checked: 2026-08-28
Photo requirements at a glance
- A photograph submitted electronically must be exactly 500×653 pixels. Deviations as small as one pixel are not accepted.
- The file must be saved in JPEG format (not JPEG2000; extension .jpg or .jpeg) and be at most 250 kilobytes.
- For residence permit applications (including working holiday), the official guidance allows two paths: uploading the photo file to Enter Finland yourself, or using a photograph retrieval code from a photo shop or police service that submits the image directly.
- The photo must be no more than six months old, with a monochromatic, flat, light and neutral background (light grey is the best colour). Both black-and-white and colour photos are accepted.
- Millimetre sizes such as 36×47 mm apply to paper photographs and are a separate rule from the electronic pixel requirements.
Face photo requirements
For a Finland residence permit application (working holiday included), the passport photo must comply with the police "Passport photograph instructions" (poliisi.fi). A photograph submitted electronically must be exactly 500×653 pixels, saved in JPEG (not JPEG2000), at most 250 kilobytes, and taken no more than six months ago. The background must be monochromatic, flat, light and neutral (light grey is the best colour), and both black-and-white and colour photos are accepted.
Upload and retrieval code: two submission paths
There are two official submission paths: (1) you upload the photo file to Enter Finland yourself, or (2) a photo shop submits the image directly to the police photograph server and you use the issued retrieval code in the application. This tool prepares the upload file for path (1) and does not issue codes. Millimetre sizes such as 36×47 mm belong to paper photographs, and the Finland Schengen visa (short-stay) photo requirements are a separate route. For the electronic submission, the pixel values on this page are the requirements to meet.
From creation to submission
- Choose or take a photo and generate the upload-ready file: 500×653px, JPEG, within 250KB.
- Download the JPEG and attach it to Enter Finland yourself (the tool does not submit on your behalf).
- If you use the retrieval-code route where a photo shop submits the image directly, this tool output is not used; the code is issued by the photo shop or police service.
- Before submission, confirm the attachment conditions currently accepted by Enter Finland.
Create your photo in the browser
Prepare the photo for Finland Residence Permit Photo (Enter Finland) directly in your smartphone or computer browser. Creating and reviewing are free.
Open the web toolWhat this tool creates
- the required face photo (for digital upload)
Official information
The photo conditions on this page are based on the official guidance.
Check the latest official portal guidance before applying.
Frequently asked questions
What photo size is required for a Finland working holiday residence permit?
A photo submitted electronically must be exactly 500×653 pixels. The police photograph instructions state that deviations as small as one pixel are not accepted. Residence permit applications — working holiday included — ask for a photo complying with these police photo guidelines.
What file format is accepted?
The photo must be saved in JPEG format (not JPEG2000). The file extension can be either .jpg or .jpeg.
How large can the file be?
An electronically submitted photograph must be at most 250 kilobytes. Photos straight from a phone can exceed this, so the tool outputs a JPEG within the 250KB limit.
Can I upload the photo myself?
Yes. For residence permit applications (working holiday included), you can attach a photo file complying with the police photo guidelines to Enter Finland yourself. This tool prepares that upload-ready photo file.
What is the photo retrieval code?
If a photo shop or police service submits your image directly to the police photograph server, you receive a photograph retrieval code and use the code in the application instead of a file. The code is issued by the photo shop or police service; this tool does not generate codes. If you upload the file yourself, no code is needed.
Is 36×47 mm the digital photo size?
No. 36×47 mm is the paper photograph specification. The digital photo submitted online follows the pixel requirements — exactly 500×653 pixels, JPEG, at most 250KB — which is a separate rule from the millimetre paper sizes.