PHOTO GUIDE

Spain Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo requirements for a Spain short-stay Schengen visa (Type C): the photo size, background, and face-position conditions to meet for the application. A recent colour photo on a light background is required, with the width band and face proportion described below.

Checked: 2026-07-13

Key photo requirements

Print size: 35–40 mm wide. The Spanish MAEC consular Schengen visa template states only 'passport-size' without millimetres; the width follows the EU ICAO photograph guidelines (35–40 mm in width) hosted by the European Commission as the Schengen visa photo standard. This service prepares a 35×45 mm print within that range.
Route-dependent sizes: the width band above is the general EU ICAO baseline Spain's template points to, but specific application routes can differ — for example, the Spain BLS US tourist route requires 2 × 2 inch (51×51 mm) photos, while the San Francisco BLS seamen/transit route uses 35×45 mm. The size can depend on your application location, jurisdiction, and visa category, so confirm the size on the checklist for your specific route rather than assuming one universal size.
Age of photo: a recent photograph matching your current appearance. The Spanish consular template says only 'recent'; the EU ICAO photograph guidelines state no more than 6 months old.
Background and pose: a colour photograph taken against a light background, facing forward, looking straight at the camera with a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible, no shadows.
Glasses and head covering: no dark or reflective glasses, with eyes fully visible; no garments concealing the oval of the face. The Spanish consular template names both rules directly.
Copies and submission: the number of prints and the submission route depend on the office that accepts your application. Confirm the count and steps on the official checklist of the Spanish consular office or visa application centre responsible for your place of residence.

Photo size and shooting rules

These are the photo rules for a Spain short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for short stays. National visas (Type D) for longer stays, residence, work, or study follow a different document list on the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC) portal and are not covered here.

The Spanish MAEC consular Schengen visa template asks for a recent colour photo of the face, taken against a light background, facing forward, with no dark or reflective glasses and no garments concealing the oval of the face, but it states only 'passport-size' without millimetres. The European Commission hosts an ICAO photograph guidelines PDF as the Schengen visa photo standard; under that PDF the format is 35–40 mm in width with the face taking up 70–80% of the photograph and no more than 6 months old. No chin-to-crown millimetre figure is stated in either source, so frame by the 70–80% face ratio. This service prepares the print in exactly that format. The common shooting rules below are drawn from the same template and Schengen/ICAO guidance.

The size can also vary by application route, not only by the EU ICAO baseline. For example, the Spain BLS US tourist route requires 2 × 2 inch (51×51 mm) photos, while the San Francisco BLS seamen/transit route uses 35×45 mm — a visa-category difference within the same provider. Other locations or categories may publish yet another size or none at all. If your application goes through a different location, jurisdiction, or category, confirm the size on that route's checklist rather than assuming the general width band.

The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the office that accepts applications where you live. Spain mainly receives Schengen visa applications through external visa application centres as well as consular sections; confirm the live checklist on the official Spanish consular page for your country of residence before you book or print.

Recency: no more than 6 months old; must look like you today.
Quality: colour, sharp focus, high quality, no creases or ink marks. Digital captures printed on photo-quality paper at high resolution.
Background: plain light-coloured (a plain light grey can work if even). Avoid busy scenes and strong shadows on the face or behind the head.
Lighting: even light, natural skin tones, appropriate brightness and contrast; no flash reflection on skin, no red-eye.
Pose and expression: look straight at the camera; face square-on, not tilted; eyes open and not covered by hair; neutral expression, mouth closed; alone in the frame.
Glasses: eyes fully visible; no tinted lenses; no flash reflection on the lenses; frames must not cover the eyes. Remove glasses if those conditions are hard to meet.
Head covering: only for religious reasons, and the full face from chin to forehead and both edges of the face must still be clear.
Editing: keep brightness and crop adjustments that do not change how you look. Avoid contour reshaping, eye or nose changes, and heavy beauty filters. The photo must remain realistic with natural skin tones.

Photos for children

Children need a photograph that meets the same quality rules: recency, a colour photo, a plain light background, facing forward, and the child alone in the frame. The child-photo wording here comes from the Spanish MAEC consular Schengen visa template itself — 'Photographs of minors must not show any part of the adult holding them' — so the basis is the Schengen visa page rather than a national passport or ID-document standard.

The Spanish consular template and the EU ICAO photograph guidelines do not publish a separate, age-based face-size table for children (unlike some other Schengen states). Treat the face-ratio rule above and the light-background rules as applying to children as well, unless the office that accepts your application tells you otherwise. Minors need their own photograph under the same quality rules.

Fingerprint and live-photo capture rules for children (for example, that under-12s are exempt from fingerprints, and prints taken within the last 59 months may be reused) are part of the application process rather than the photo specification. The office that accepts your application can confirm the current biometric procedure for children.

Illustration of preparing a child visa photo

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These are the mistakes to avoid with a Spain visa photo, and how to fix them.

Spain-specific risks: a width outside the stated band; the face under 70% or over 80% of the image; a dark or patterned background (the template asks for light); a half-length portrait or a tilted head; shadows on the face or behind the head; dark or reflective glasses; garments concealing the oval of the face; a photo older than 6 months or that no longer matches your current appearance; a low-resolution print.

Watch for the child rule too: an adult's hand, arm, or body appearing in a minor's photo is explicitly disallowed by the Spanish template. Retake with the child alone in the frame.

Head cut off or tilted: retake with more distance, face square-on to the camera, both edges of the face visible.
Uneven colour, shadows, or blow-out on the background: use a plain light background and even light so the face and the back of the head stay free of hard shadows.
Glasses glare: remove glasses if practical, or use clear lenses and lighting that shows the pupils fully.
Old photo: replace any portrait older than six months or that no longer matches your appearance.
Heavy beauty filters: start again from a natural image; do not change face shape or skin texture.
Pixelated print: export a high-resolution colour file and print on photo-quality paper.

Illustration of common visa photo mistakes

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Check before you apply

Photo requirements can change. Before you submit, re-check the Spanish MAEC consular Schengen visa page and the checklist of the Spanish consular office or visa application centre that will accept your application. The Spanish template states 'passport-size' without millimetres; the stated width band, the face-ratio rule, and the 6-month recency follow the EU ICAO photograph guidelines PDF and the Schengen/ICAO common standard.

shoumei.org helps users prepare photo files based on publicly available requirements. It does not submit visa applications, and it is not an official government service, Schengen authority, embassy, consulate, VFS Global, TLScontact, or BLS International service. Please verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or visa application center before submitting.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What size is a Spain Schengen visa photo?

The Spanish MAEC consular template states 'passport-size' without millimetres. The EU ICAO photograph guidelines PDF, which the European Commission hosts as the Schengen visa photo standard, sets the width band and face proportion of the guidelinesh. This page prepares a print in that 35×45 mm range. Note that some application routes differ — the Spain BLS US tourist route requires 2 × 2 inch (51×51 mm), while the San Francisco BLS seamen/transit route uses 35×45 mm — so the size can depend on your application location, jurisdiction, and visa category. Confirm the live checklist of the office that accepts your application before you submit.

Is a specific face height (chin-to-crown) required?

No fixed chin-to-crown millimetre figure is stated. The Spanish consular template gives only 'passport-size', and the EU ICAO photograph guidelines PDF states a proportional face size rather than a millimetre height. Frame by that ratio together with the light-background rule.

Can I reuse a photo from another application?

Only if it already meets every rule: 35–40 mm width with the face at 70–80%, a plain light background, a colour photo taken within 6 months, matching your current appearance, no dark or reflective glasses, and no garments concealing the oval of the face. Matching the outer size alone is not enough, and the photo must still look like you today.

What background colour is required?

The Spanish MAEC consular template asks for a photo 'taken against a light background', and the EU ICAO photograph guidelines PDF says a 'plain light-coloured background'. White is not required as long as the background is plain, light, and even; white is the safest choice. Avoid dark, coloured, or patterned backgrounds and remove any shadows.

May I wear glasses?

The Spanish template rules out dark or reflective glasses. If you wear clear glasses, the eyes must be fully visible with no flash reflection on the lenses and no frames covering the eyes. Otherwise remove the glasses for the photo.

Can I take the photo with a smartphone?

The Spanish consular template does not name a required camera. If you use a smartphone, the final print must still meet every rule: 35–40 mm width, the required face proportion, sharp focus, even lighting, plain light background, and natural colour printed on photo-quality paper.

Do the same rules apply to children?

Yes for quality. The Spanish template states that photographs of minors must not show any part of the adult holding them, and minors need their own photograph under the same recent, colour, light-background, facing-forward rules. The Spanish and EU ICAO sources do not publish a separate age-based face-size table for children.