Tramilisto

Photo for your NIE / TIE in Spain

Spain's foreigner identity card asks for a recent colour photo, white background, passport size. Crop yours here without uploading it anywhere.

1 · Photo

2 · Document

32 mm high × 26 mm wide, white background.

4 · Download

  1. Face forward, light wall

    Take it in daylight, with no shadows, about a metre in front of a plain white wall. Look at the camera with your mouth closed.

  2. Fit the guide

    Put the top of your head on the upper line and your chin on the lower one. The oval helps you centre your face.

  3. Download

    A JPG to upload to a form, or a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) sheet with several copies and cut lines to print.

Everything runs in your browser. Your photo is never uploaded to any server.

Which photo do you need for the NIE and the TIE?

The foreigner identity number (NIE) is just a number. You need the photo for the foreigner identity card (TIE), the physical card that carries your NIE.

For the TIE, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior asks for a “recent colour photograph, on a white background, passport size”. It gives no millimetres. In practice the same photo as for the Spanish DNI is used, 32×26 mm, which is what this tool produces.

Requirements can vary between immigration offices and police stations. If your appointment states another size, choose “Custom size” and type it in.

How to take the photo at home so it gets accepted

  • Background: stand about a metre in front of a plain white wall, with no pictures, doors or shadows. This tool does not change the background: if the wall is coloured, find another one.
  • Light: from the front, from a window in daylight. Avoid direct flash and light from above, which casts shadows under the eyes.
  • Camera: at eye level, at arm's length or more. It is better if someone else takes it: a close-up selfie distorts the nose.
  • Pose: head straight, looking at the camera, mouth closed, eyes open and no hair covering your face.
  • Glasses: sunglasses are not accepted. If you wear prescription glasses, avoid reflections and make sure your eyes are clearly visible.
  • Adjust: if the background looks grey, raise the brightness a little in “Brightness and contrast” until it looks white.

Private by design

Most online tools upload your files to their servers. Not here: everything is processed in your own browser and nothing is ever sent anywhere. That's why you can safely use it with your ID, passport, payslips, medical reports or contracts.

How to print the 4×6 sheet

  1. Download the sheet as a JPG if you are printing it at a photo shop or kiosk, or as a PDF if you are printing at home.
  2. Ask for a 4×6 in print (10×15 cm, the standard photo size) with no cropping or borders.
  3. At home, use 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo paper and print at 100% or “actual size”. If the printer scales the page, the photos won't be the right size.
  4. Cut along the grey lines. Each line matches the edge of a photo.

The sheet is made at 300 dpi, the usual resolution for photo labs. Check one photo with a ruler before cutting them all. The sheet is 100×150 mm, so on paper that is exactly 4×6 in (101.6×152.4 mm) there will be a thin extra margin.

Sizes by document

  • Spanish DNI: 32×26 mm (32 high, 26 wide), in colour, plain white background, facing forward with the head uncovered. Source: Royal Decree 255/2025 (article 6.2.d).
  • Spanish passport: 32×26 mm with a plain white background, taken from the front. Source: Royal Decree 896/2003 (article 4.1.c).
  • TIE (the NIE card): “passport size” (tamaño carné), in colour with a white background. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior gives no millimetres: here we use 32×26 mm, the ID photo size of Spanish documents.
  • Custom size: choose “Custom size” and type the width and height you have been given, in millimetres.

These presets follow Spanish rules only. For another country's passport or visa, check that country's official requirements and enter the size with “Custom size”: this tool only crops to the size you set, it does not check the photo against other countries' rules.

No Spanish rule sets how much of the photo the head should fill. The guide uses 70 to 80% of the photo's height, the proportion ICAO recommends for travel documents.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded to a server?

No. Everything is processed inside your browser. Your files never leave your device.

Is it free?

Yes. No sign-up, no watermark and no usage limits.

What size is the TIE photo?

The Ministry of the Interior asks for “passport size” without giving millimetres. The 32×26 mm size used for the Spanish DNI is the usual one. If your office gives a different size, choose “Custom size”.

Do I need a photo to get an NIE?

The photo is for the TIE card. It is not normally required for the certificate with your NIE number, but check what your appointment says.

Does the tool remove or change the background?

No. Automatic background replacement often leaves odd edges around the hair and can get the photo rejected. Take it in front of a plain white wall and, if it looks grey, raise the brightness a little.

What is the maximum file size option for?

Some online forms limit the file size. Tick “Maximum file size”, enter the limit in KB and the photo is adjusted to stay under it, first by lowering the quality and, if that's not enough, the pixels.

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