Technical glitch in the town hall: biometric passport photos impossible for the time being!

Technical glitch in the town hall: biometric passport photos impossible for the time being!

Technical difficulties in the town hall of the municipality of Ried are currently leading to considerable problems in the creation of biometric passport photos for sovereign purposes. Loud Ried community Citizens are forced to turn to nearby photo studios or drugstores to take the necessary passport photos. A secure electronic transmission method is mandatory, as printed photos will no longer be accepted from now on. It is therefore advisable to check in advance whether the selected store has the necessary infrastructure.

With these changes, many citizens are facing new challenges. From August 1, 2025, a digital photo will be required to apply for a passport or ID card. This is part of a broader regulation aimed at preventing counterfeiting and manipulation, as also stated in a report by NDR is explained.

Information about digital passport photos

Since May 2025, numerous passport photo machines have been introduced in Lower Saxony, which enable the creation of digital passport photos on site. These photos are transmitted via the cloud to the relevant citizens' offices to prevent manipulation. However, there are difficulties in using these machines. Young children in particular have a hard time with this because they have to sit still for long periods of time and carry out special movements. Therefore, citizens' offices recommend parents to seek out professional photographers to avoid the challenges. Older people in particular need additional staff to help operate the machines.

The new regulations stipulate that from May 2025 only digital passport photos will be permitted. The aim of this initiative, adopted in autumn 2020, is to combat counterfeiting, particularly through techniques such as morphing. Digital photos must be sent directly to the office or from a certified photo studio via a secure transmission channel. When taking a photo, those affected receive a QR code for identification, which enables the authorities to retrieve the image and check whether it complies with biometric requirements. daily news reports that people without smartphones or internet can also be photographed at the passport office for a small fee.

Future developments and challenges

The switch to digital passport photos is not without hurdles. In addition to the difficulties with the machines, there are also regional differences in the equipment of the citizens' offices. Some municipalities have not yet purchased the necessary devices, while others rely on handheld devices or smartphones. This means that access to digital passport photos is not guaranteed equally for all citizens. Smaller communities in particular could avoid purchasing their own equipment in order to support local photographers, which could be beneficial for the community.

Overall, the developments towards digital passport photos show that digitalization in the area of ​​sovereign documents is making important progress, but also needs to be adapted in order to meet the needs of all citizens. The current technical problems at the Ried town hall illustrate the challenges that still need to be overcome so that the transition goes smoothly.