Photo for Ausweiss

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
I need a new picture for my Ausweiss renewal. I went to the store near my office and they want to charge 40 francs. Anyone know any lower priced options? Perhaps I am spoiled but remember only paying about 5 bucks in Chinatown in NYC last time I had them taken. Of course, I am not expecting anything that low but 40 big ones seems a bit hefty.

2
As I was getting my renewed Ausweis I made the comment to the lady helping me that old picture was much better than my new one. She just let me keep the old one. I guess if you havn t changed appearance much then there is no harm in asking.

3
Have they told you that you need a new photo for your ausweis renewal? I've still got my original picture on my ausweis from Baselland, which seemed to be okay for here in Zurich.

A picture from one of those photo machines at the bahnhof should suffice.

4
Thanks My appearance has changed quite alot and my current B Permit has disappeared into the bureacracy a few months ago. I have been walking around with simply a piece of paper saying that my permit is under review by in the Migrationssamt or something like that. So not sure if I show up at the Kreise buro now if they will have the picture.

I will try the photo machine, even if I screw up a couple, it is still much cheaper. Also, I need to renew my US passport at the end of the year. Will the photo from the machine be sufficient for that, I assume so.

5
Try the instant photo machines ( at most big train stations ) .... Don't think that will cost you CHF 40 and the quality is good enough for the ausweis ...

6
The machines in train stations (HB, Oerlikon, for sure) do a perfectly adequate and accepted job, costing about 8 Francs.

7

Be careful. Swiss Passport photos are extremely tight with the regulations...

For example, you cannot smile. The size of your head must be perfect within a millimeter. Lighting, etc. must be right on.

So, please don't waste your money at a photo-machine.

I deliver 6 passport photos for CHF 30.-. CHF 40.- is not too much if you live in a larger city.

bests

8
BTW, they generally just change the second page of your permit when it's renewed. But you still have to take it in and leave it with them.

9
NOT!

ID and Passport photos are tough these days. The machines do not deliver as required.

10

Okay, first I will show up and see what happens, maybe they will let the old picture float, but they were already giving me grief last year, either that or I need to grow my goatee back in the next week.

11
It could be that speaking in German to the folks at the community helped me out. That, and the fact that my wife is Swiss.

I do find it amusing that my Zurich permit has a Baselland stamp on it.

12
I agree. Every Swiss document for which I have needed a photo has accepted a photo from a booth (8 francs for 4 photos). There is a guide on the side of the booth showing you how to pose (obvious stuff: no hat, look straight at the camera, etc.).

My C permit photo has a slight smile which the droid at the Kriesbüro commented on but he let it go.

13
I remember a thread about passport photos from last year.

taking a proper passport photo in Zurich

I personally wasted a lot of money trying to do it on the cheap - I was rejected 3 times and it ended up as a false economy.

My advice is to get it done professionally and it saves a lot of frustration and return visits.

Mind you, my photo was for my first Swiss Passport - maybe they are more fussy about this?

14
The one i used at the train station was good enough for my Ausweiss .

In England if you did not like the photo you ould cancel the photo, and the machine would retake it as many times as you liked until you was happy with your photos

15
I took them myself with a digital camera and a window with clear sky in the background. Of course that took a couple of hours of fiddling around to get it right, which is probably worth more than 40 CHF really.

16

I'll admit, it depends on the mood of the person accepting the photo. If the photo goes further and is rejected at the next office, it is simply returned as not acceptable.

In the last year the requirements are tight. I have been to the local Gemeinde with photos in hand that they had first rejected. I also had the "Schablone" (examples) with me. The photos were correct and they accepted them... obviously the person behind the counter had a bad day or didn't get any the night before.

Your choice, you might get lucky! You might not

17
The auto machine I used here even had an oval on the screen, so could shift about and get your head in exactly the right position before taking the photo, just remember not too smile! It also let you retake the shots if you weren't happy (unhappy?).

18
Yup the machines (in any train station and one by the bus stop near Central) work just fine. I have paid 8 CHF and gotten 4 passport photos. They have always been accepted by the offices no problem.

19
Is this a picture for your PERMIT or your PASSPORT?

If it is a picture for your permit, I had my pictures taken with my digital camera in my apt next to the white wall & printed* it out on my inkjet printer on photograph paper (1/2 A4 size holds 6 or so). I took the page with me, they punched out one of them and pasted it on my permit.

BTW, I have a big tooth flashing smile on mine.... I'm thinking I really, really don't want to live in the German part of the country...

*with only minor photoshop adjustments....

20
I followed all the regulations and had my piccy taken in a local digital photo booth which cost CHF8. The machinery actually talks you through is and lets you sample various alternatives before finalising the pose.

I took these to the local town hall and ordered both a Swiss ID card and Swiss passport. They commented how perfect the colour images were and fitted the template they have there to check if pictures are correct. I paid my CHF130 (or thereabouts) and a few days later they posted a card to say my new documents were ready.

Imagine my surprise to find that the colour pictures were reproduced in black and white in both documents and are very over exposed and far too light. But no one seem to be bothered...