Schengen Visa Photo Size
All 29 Schengen states take the same photo format for a short-stay visa, so one correctly cropped 35 × 45 mm print works whether you apply at a German, Italian or Spanish visa center. Upload a photo and the tool frames your head at 32–36 mm on a light grey background.
Passport Photo
or drop JPG, JPEG, JFIF … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Quality is lowered until the photo is at or just under this size; tiny files are padded up to the spec's minimum.
300 DPI is the print standard for passport photos; a 35×45 mm photo is then 413×531 px.
Place several copies on a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo print or an A4 page, ready for a photo kiosk or home printer.
How many photos on the sheet. A 4×6 in print fits 6 photos of 2×2 in or 6 of 35×45 mm; an A4 sheet fits more.
How to use this tool
- 1
Take a front-on photo with space around you
Leave room above the hair and below the shoulders. The crop needs that margin to scale your head to 32–36 mm without cutting anything.
- 2
Keep the Schengen preset
Country & document is set to the Schengen 35 × 45 mm spec, Background to Light grey, and the Head-size guide shows the chin-to-crown band.
- 3
Print two copies
Most consulates want one or two prints. Choose the 4 × 6 in Print layout, press Make, and order it as a normal photo print.
Schengen visa photo size in mm, pixels and inches
| Size | Pixels | cm | in | DPI | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35×45 mm | 413 × 531 | 3.5 × 4.5 | 1.38 × 1.77 | 300 | Print for the application form |
| 35×45 mm | 827 × 1063 | 3.5 × 4.5 | 1.38 × 1.77 | 600 | Higher-resolution file for a photo lab |
| Head | 378–425 tall | 3.2–3.6 | 1.26–1.42 | 300 | Chin to crown inside the 45 mm frame |
| 4×6 in | 1200 × 1800 | 10.2 × 15.2 | 4 × 6 | 300 | Sheet with six 35 × 45 mm copies |
The format comes from the EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, which asks for a photograph that meets ICAO standards, the same portrait rules used in machine-readable passports. That is why the Schengen photo is identical in size to most European passport photos, and why the head band of 32–36 mm matches Germany's official photo template.
What the preset does: it fixes the 35 × 45 mm frame at 300 DPI, scales your face so chin and crown land inside the band, centers the nose on the vertical axis and replaces the wall with Light grey. What it cannot do is fix a tilted head or a squint, so retake those rather than crop around them.
Schengen visa photo requirements consulates reject on
Head too small
Usually a cropped holiday photo or a 2 × 2 print trimmed by hand. Below 32 mm the officer asks for a new one.
Shadow behind the head
A lamp to one side throws a dark halo on the wall. Face a window and step a meter away from the wall.
Glare on glasses
Reflections over the eyes fail the ICAO check. Take them off or tilt the frames slightly down.
Open-mouth smile
The expression should be neutral with the mouth closed; a broad smile changes the face geometry.
Hair over the eyes
Both eyes and the face edges must be visible. Pin back long fringes before you shoot.
Printed on plain paper
Home prints on office paper blur and curl. Use photo paper or a photo lab.
Paper photo or digital Schengen visa
Schengen visa photo questions
How big should the head be in a Schengen visa photo?
From chin to the top of the head, 32–36 mm on the 45 mm tall print, which is 70–80% of the photo height. A face smaller than 32 mm is the most common fault on photos that were cut down from a larger print.
Is a white background accepted for a Schengen visa photo?
Most consulates accept plain white or light grey. France's own identity photos follow ANTS rules that reject pure white, and some French visa centers apply the same habit, so light grey is the color that passes at every consulate. It is the default here.
Can I wear glasses in a Schengen visa photo?
The ICAO standard behind the format allows clear lenses with no glare and frames that do not cover the eyes. Many consulates still advise taking them off, and doing so removes the most common reason for a second appointment.
Does one photo work for Germany, France, Italy and Spain?
Yes for the Schengen short-stay visa, because the format is shared. National long-stay visas can add local rules, so check the Germany visa photo size and France visa photo size pages if you are moving for work or study.
How recent must a Schengen visa photo be?
No older than six months on the day you apply, and it should still look like you. A new beard, a large weight change or new glasses means a new photo even inside that window.
Can I use a US 2 × 2 photo for a Schengen visa?
No. A 51 × 51 mm square trimmed to 35 × 45 mm leaves the head too small and off-center. Upload the original picture again and let the Schengen preset rebuild the crop.
- Germany Visa Photo SizePhoto for a German Schengen visit visa: 35 × 45 mm print, head 32–36 mm, light grey background, brought to the VFS, TLScontact or consulate appointment.
- France Visa Photo SizeFrance visa photo size: 35 × 45 mm, head 32–36 mm chin to crown, light grey background, taken within six months. Make it for France-Visas, VFS or TLScontact.
- Visa Photo MakerMake a visa photo to the right size for the US, Europe, Dubai, China, Japan or India: print size, pixels and KB limit per visa. Crop yours online.
- UK Passport Photo RequirementsUK passport photo rules: 45 × 35 mm print, head 29–34 mm, cream or light grey, taken in the last month; digital 600 × 750 px, 50 KB–10 MB.
- Passport Size Photo MakerMake passport size photos online: crop to 35 × 45 mm, 2 × 2 in or 25+ country specs, swap the background and print six copies on a 4 × 6 in sheet.
- Australia Visa Photo SizeAustralian visa photo size: 35–40 mm wide, 45–50 mm high, face 32–36 mm, white or light grey background. Make a 35 × 45 mm JPG for ImmiAccount or print.