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PHOTO GUIDE

Schengen Visa and Photo Guides

Understand what a Schengen visa is, how the photo is checked, and why country or visa-center instructions can change the final photo size.

Before using these guides

Schengen photo rules are not controlled by one universal upload screen. Use these guides as preparation, then check the embassy, consulate, VFS, TLScontact, or BLS page for your actual destination and appointment location.

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All guides

What is a Schengen Visa? What is a Schengen Visa? A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that lets a traveler visit the Schengen Area, a group of European countries that have largely removed border checks between them, for tourism, business, transit, or family visits. For many nationalities, a single uniform visa (Type C) covers the whole area for up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period. Schengen Visa Photo Requirements Summary Schengen Visa Photo Requirements Summary A quick summary of the standard photo specifications for Schengen visa applications. Use this checklist as a general reference. Schengen Visa Photo vs. Passport Photo Schengen Visa Photo vs. Passport Photo Understanding how Schengen visa photos compare to other standard passport-style photos. How to Prepare a Schengen Visa Photo on Your Phone How to Prepare a Schengen Visa Photo on Your Phone Take or choose a recent face photo with good lighting. Use a plain, light background (white, off-white, or light grey). Align your face with the on-screen guide in the app. Crop the photo to the size confirmed for your application route. Export the print-ready sheet or digital upload-ready file. Check the latest official instructions from the embassy or visa center before submitting. Background: Plain, light-colored (white, off-white, or light grey) Background: Plain, light-colored (white, off-white, or light grey) Plain, light-colored (white, off-white, or light grey) Backgrounds with patterns, textures, household objects, or strong color variations. Uneven lighting causing shadows across the face, nose, or background. Glasses / Head Covering Glasses / Head Covering Not recommended. If worn, eyes must be clearly visible with no glare, reflections, tinted lenses, or frames covering the eyes. Only for religious or medical reasons; face must be fully visible Glare or thick frames obscuring the eyes. Removing glasses is highly recommended. Hair covering the eyes, eyebrows, or ears, which can affect facial recognition. Common Schengen Visa Photo Mistakes to Avoid Common Schengen Visa Photo Mistakes to Avoid Many visa applications are delayed or rejected due to minor photo errors. Avoid these common mistakes: Editorial illustration for preparing an Austria visa photo Austria visa photo Austria short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo requirements: 35×45 mm print, head about 2/3 (max 36 mm chin-to-crown), single-colour light ideally grey background, colour, within 6 months. Editorial illustration for preparing a Belgium visa photo Belgium visa photo Belgium short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, plain light background, colour, matching your current appearance. Per the Belgian (Dofi/IBZ) visa photo rules, Belgian mission checklists, and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing a Bulgaria visa photo Bulgaria visa photo Bulgaria short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, full colour, light-coloured background, full-face with the face at 70–80% of the photo. Bulgaria issues uniform Schengen visas from 31 March 2024. Per the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.bg) Visa for Bulgaria page and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing a Croatia visa photo Croatia visa photo Croatia short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, colour, light monochromatic background, head about 2/3 of the photo and no more than 36 mm high. Per the Croatian Ordinance on Visas (Art. 11), the current MFEA Schengen pages, and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing a Czechia visa photo Czechia visa photo Czechia short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, white background, one colour photo matching your current appearance. Per the Czech MFA (mzv.gov.cz) mission checklists and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing a Denmark visa photo Denmark visa photo Denmark short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, plain light background, colour, within 6 months. Per the Danish immigration authorities (nyidanmark.dk) short-stay visa checklists, the Visa Code Handbook photograph rules, and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing an Estonia visa photo Estonia visa photo Estonia short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, plain light-coloured background, taken within 6 months, face 70–80% of the photo. Per the Estonian MFA Schengen visa page (which links the common ICAO-based photograph guidelines) and official application-route checklists. Editorial illustration for preparing a Finland visa photo Finland visa photo Finland short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 36 × 47 mm — Finland's own format — head 32–36 mm, light one-coloured (grey recommended) background, within 6 months. Per the MFA visa page (delegating to the Police photo standard) and official mission checklists. Editorial illustration for preparing a France visa photo France visa photo France short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo requirements: 35 mm width, face 70–80% (32–36 mm chin-to-forehead), plain light-coloured background, recent colour photo. Editorial illustration for preparing a Germany visa photo Germany visa photo Germany short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo requirements: 35×45 mm print, face 70–80% (32–36 mm chin-to-crown), bright plain background, recent photo. Editorial illustration for preparing a Greece visa photo Greece visa photo Greece short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 mm width, face 70–80%, plain light background, within 6 months. Per Greece MFA Annex VII and ICAO guidelines. Illustration of preparing a Hungary visa photo Hungary visa photo Photo requirements for Hungary short-stay Schengen visas (Type C). The Hungarian MFA asks for a colour passport-size photo taken within 6 months and does not publish millimetre dimensions nationally. Check the checklist of the mission that receives your application. Editorial illustration for preparing an Iceland visa photo Iceland visa photo Iceland short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm passport photo. Per the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration (island.is) visa supporting-documents page and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing an Italy visa photo Italy visa photo Italy short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo requirements: 35×45 mm with a white background, face at 70–80%, and a photo taken within 6 months at most Italian missions. The exact size can vary by application location (for example, some US and Canada application locations publish their own formats, and UK London does not publish exact dimensions). Editorial illustration for preparing a Latvia visa photo Latvia visa photo Latvia short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: one colour photograph 35 × 45 mm, not older than 6 months, uniform background, face taking up 70–80%. Per the Latvian MFA documents-required page (updated 2026) and the PMLP photo-quality requirements. Illustration of preparing a Liechtenstein visa photo Liechtenstein visa photo Photo requirements for Liechtenstein short-stay Schengen visas (Type C). One colour photo (good quality, white background) is required, but neither Liechtenstein nor Switzerland publishes millimetre dimensions — the specification is delegated to the ICAO guidelines. Applications are received by Swiss representations. Editorial illustration for preparing a Lithuania visa photo Lithuania visa photo Lithuania short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, colour, very bright monochrome background, within 6 months. Per the Lithuanian Migration Department photo requirements, the MFA visa pages, and the VFS Global (designated provider) checklist. Editorial illustration for preparing a Luxembourg visa photo Luxembourg visa photo Luxembourg short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, head height 32–36 mm on mission checklists, colour, plain light background. Stated by the Luxembourg MFA mission network (mae.lu) and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing a Malta visa photo Malta visa photo Malta short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, face 32–36 mm (70–80%), bright one-colour background, at least 600 dpi. Per the VFS Global (Malta's designated provider) photo specification and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs portal. Editorial illustration for preparing a Netherlands short-stay Schengen visa photo Netherlands visa photo Photo preparation for a Netherlands short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) depends on your application route. When you submit a photo it must be 35×45 mm with the face at 26-30 mm chin-to-crown, a white or light-coloured background, and no more than 6 months old (NetherlandsWorldwide and Dutch government ID photo standards); some external-provider routes capture the photo at the appointment instead. National Visa (Type D) is out of scope. Editorial illustration for preparing a Poland visa photo Poland visa photo Poland short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, within 6 months, face at 70–80%, uniform light background, head covering removed. Per the Polish government portal (gov.pl) visa application pages and ICAO guidelines. Editorial illustration for preparing a Portugal visa photo Portugal visa photo Portugal short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35–40 mm width, face 70–80%, plain light-coloured background, within 6 months. Portugal MFA refers to ICAO. Editorial illustration for preparing a Romania visa photo Romania visa photo Romania short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 × 45 mm, not older than 6 months, head 70-80% of the photo. Stated directly by the Romanian MFA eVisa portal (eviza.mae.ro). Illustration of preparing a Slovakia visa photo Slovakia visa photo Photo requirements for Slovakia short-stay Schengen visas (Type C). The Slovak MFA requires a full-face colour photo conforming to ICAO standards and publishes no millimetre dimensions. The 3×3.5 cm figure applies to national long-stay visas (Type D) only — do not confuse the two. Editorial illustration for preparing a Spain visa photo Spain visa photo Spain short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo requirements: colour photo of the face on a light background, face 70–80% of the image, within the width band and 6-month recency rule below. Editorial illustration of a Sweden visa application appointment with onsite photo capture Sweden visa photo Sweden short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) photo rules: most applicants attending in person have the photo captured digitally at the appointment as biometrics. A printed photo is required only in specific cases (Migrationsverket: representative applications; centre checklists: children and non-attending applicants). Editorial illustration for preparing a Switzerland visa photo Switzerland visa photo Switzerland Schengen visa (Type C) photo: 35 mm width, face 70–80%, plain light background, within 6 months. Swiss FDFA photograph requirements and ICAO guidelines.

Official and submission sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Schengen visa photo requirements?

The most common requirement is a 35 × 45 mm photo, taken within 6 months, against a plain light background, with your face centered and occupying 70–80% of the image, neutral expression, and eyes open. However, the exact size can vary by destination, application country, jurisdiction, and provider — the app confirms the spec for your route.

What size is a Schengen visa photo?

The most common physical size is the standard format, but the exact size depends on your destination, application country, jurisdiction, and provider. For example, Finland specifies its own size, and the Spain BLS US tourist route requires its own square format. For digital uploads, pixel requirements vary by portal.

Is 35 × 45 mm always required for Schengen visas?

The standard size is the most common format, but it is not universal. The size depends on your destination, application country, jurisdiction, and provider. For example, the Spain BLS US tourist route requires its own square format, and Finland specifies its own size. The app confirms the size for your route.

Do all Schengen countries use the same photo requirements?

Most routes use the common size and ICAO rules, but the exact spec depends on destination, application country, jurisdiction, and provider. Some routes differ — for example, Finland (its own size) or the Spain BLS US tourist route (its own square format) — and some routes take the photo at the appointment. Digital upload specifications also vary by portal.

Is this an official Schengen visa app?

No, shoumei.org is an independent helper tool. It is not affiliated with any government, embassy, consulate, or official visa application center like VFS Global, TLScontact, or BLS International.

Does shoumei.org guarantee acceptance?

No. shoumei.org helps format your photo based on published specifications, but acceptance is determined by the embassy, consulate, or visa center. Requirements may change, so always check the latest official guidance.

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Create photo files for common Schengen visa requirements using your iPhone. Formatted for printing or digital export.

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