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Health card – 2026 update

Photo for the German Health Insurance Card 2026 – Requirements & DIY

Updated on 19.10.2026

Every German statutory health insurer needs a photo of you for the electronic health card (elektronische Gesundheitskarte, eGK). The good news: the rules are much looser than for an ID card. A biometric passport photo is not required, and you may take the picture yourself.

The new rule since May 2025 (only digital photos from certified providers) applies to passports and ID cards, not to the health insurance card. A self-made photo is still allowed here.
Create health card photo Read the requirements
Mandatory from
Age 15
Biometric?
Not required
Size (by post)
35 × 45 mm
Submit
Online or by post

Why does the health card have a photo?

The photo is meant to stop people from seeing a doctor with someone else's card. The obligation is set out in the German Social Code: under § 291a (5) SGB V the electronic health card must carry "a photo of the insured person". Your insurer will therefore write to you and ask for a photo before issuing the card.

Not affected by the passport photo reform: Since May 2025, German passport and ID card offices only accept digital photos from certified photographers or the photo booth at the office. This rule does not apply to health insurers. Barmer even states explicitly that you may take the photo with your phone.

Who needs a photo, and who doesn't?

The law has only two exceptions to the photo requirement:

  • From age 15, every insured person needs a photo on the card, including family members covered by someone else's insurance.
  • Children under 15 receive a card without a photo. According to Barmer, this card stays valid until a new one is issued anyway. The insurer then gets in touch and asks for a photo.
  • People who cannot take part in having a photo taken, for example people in need of care who cannot leave home, receive a card without a photo. Let your insurer know, preferably in writing.

Requirements for the health card photo

There is no statutory photo standard for the health card like the one for passports. The insurers name similar minimum requirements, though. This list sums up the rules of AOK and Barmer:

  • No biometric passport photo needed. A current, clearly recognisable portrait is enough. AOK recommends a photo no older than six months.
  • Taken from the front, with the face clearly visible and evenly lit.
  • The head is centred and fills 70 to 80 percent of the picture.
  • Eyes open and visible, also with glasses. No tinted lenses.
  • No headwear and no caps. Exception: religious reasons, as long as the face stays uncovered.
  • Neutral background without shadows or distracting objects, no other people in the picture.
Most common mistake: Many phone photos are taken from too far away. If the face is only a small part of the picture, it is hard to recognise on the card. Crop the picture so the head takes up 70 to 80 percent of its height.

How to send the photo to your insurer

You usually get a letter from your insurer with your access details. The large insurers offer these options:

  • Upload online: at TK with the 10-digit one-time password from the letter or in "Meine TK", at AOK through the "Meine AOK" portal, at Barmer on lichtbild.barmer.de with the order number from the letter and your date of birth, at KKH online or in the "Meine KKH" app.
  • By post: a printed 35 × 45 mm passport-size photo together with the reply form from the letter.
  • In person: Barmer also accepts the photo at its branches.
Not by email: For security reasons, AOK does not accept photos by email or on USB sticks and CDs. Use the upload or the post.

How to take the health card photo yourself

You don't need a photo studio. With a smartphone and a light-coloured wall, the picture is ready in a few minutes:

1
Stand in front of a light, plain wall with daylight from the front. Clean or remove your glasses, take off any headwear.
2
Have someone take the photo from about 1.5 metres away or use the self-timer. Look straight into the camera.
3
Upload the photo to our passport photo generator. It crops the picture to 35 × 45 mm, sizes the head correctly, replaces the background and checks the result.
4
Upload the single photo to your insurer's portal, or print the template for a few cents at a drugstore and send it by post.
File: You get the single photo as an image file of 413 × 531 pixels (35 × 45 mm at 300 DPI) and a 10 × 15 cm print template. Your insurer's upload portal states its exact file requirements.
Do I need a generator?: No. A phone photo is enough if framing, light and background are right. The generator does the cropping and the background for you and checks the photo before you submit it.
Create health card photo

When do you need a new photo?

Your insurer stores the photo and contacts you when it needs a new one. Typical occasions:

  • You turn 15 and get your first card with a photo.
  • The stored photo is too old. Insurers may keep it for ten years at most.
  • You switch insurers. The old insurer must delete your photo no later than three months after your cover ends, and the new one asks for its own.
Lost your card?: You usually don't need a new photo for a replacement card. Insurers may use the stored picture for replacement and follow-up cards (§ 291a (6) SGB V).

Create your health card photo

Upload a phone photo and we crop it, replace the background and check it. Then upload the picture to your insurer or print it.

Create health card photo

Frequently asked questions about the health card photo

Does the health insurance card photo have to be biometric?

No. TK, AOK and Barmer state explicitly that no biometric passport photo is needed. The photo must still show you from the front and clearly recognisable, with the head filling 70 to 80 percent of the picture.

Can I take the photo with my phone?

Yes. Barmer explicitly allows phone photos, and the other insurers also offer an upload. Make sure the light is even, the background is calm and the framing is right.

Does the May 2025 passport photo reform apply to the health card?

No. The requirement for a digital photo from a certified provider only applies to passports, ID cards and residence permits. For the health insurance card you may still submit a photo you took yourself.

From what age is a photo required on the health card?

From age 15. Younger children get a card without a photo. People who cannot take part in having a photo taken, such as people in need of care who cannot leave home, are also exempt.

Can I use the photo from my ID card?

Yes, if it is current. A passport photo meets the insurers' requirements. AOK recommends a photo no older than six months.

How long does the insurer store my photo?

For as long as you are insured, ten years at most. After you switch insurers, the old one must delete the photo within three months. This is set out in § 291a (6) SGB V.

Conclusion

The rules for the health insurance card are simple: mandatory from 15, no biometric photo, phone photos allowed. What matters is a frontal view, a calm background and the right framing. With our passport photo generator, the picture is ready in a few minutes, for uploading or printing.

Sources and legal basis

This information is based on the German Social Code and the insurers' information pages (as of October 2026). Individual insurers may have different requirements; the letter from your insurer is binding. Passbild-SelberMachen.com is a private provider and is not affiliated with any health insurer.

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