A Schengen visa photo is 35 x 45 mm with the head measuring 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown. The format is shared across the area, but the final say belongs to the consulate or visa centre handling your appointment, and their instructions can be stricter than the general standard.
This is the shared Schengen standard. Treat it as the baseline rather than the final word — see the section below on why your appointment matters.
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 35 x 45 mm |
| Head height | 32-36 mm (chin to crown) |
| Background | Plain white or light grey |
| Minimum resolution | 300 DPI for a printed photo |
The Schengen area shares a photo standard, but it does not share an application process. Your application is handled by one country consulate, often through an outsourced visa centre, and that centre publishes its own instructions on printing, photo age and how many copies to bring.
Those instructions can be stricter than the general standard, and they are what your application is judged against. Read the appointment confirmation before you print anything.
This tool helps you crop and prepare a photo. It does not guarantee acceptance by any government, embassy, consulate, airline or application service, and it cannot check the things that get photos rejected in practice — lighting, expression, glare on glasses, or whether the image has been retouched.
Photo rules change, and they can differ by document type, application method and applicant age. Check the consulate or visa centre handling your application before you submit: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/5bb16566-c8c2-4afb-b038-530f488cb72a_en?filename=icao_photograph_guidelines_en.pdf
Last reviewed: August 2026. Requirements can change after that date — the official page above is the authority, not this one.
35 x 45 mm, the same rectangle used for most European passport photos, with the head occupying roughly 70 to 80 per cent of the height.
The photo standard is shared, but the application process is not. Individual consulates and the visa centres acting for them publish their own instructions, and those are what your application is judged against.
Often yes, since both use 35 x 45 mm with a similar head band. Check the head-height figure for the specific document, since the acceptable range differs by a few millimetres between authorities.
A plain white or light grey background, evenly lit, with no shadow behind the head and no objects in frame.
Recent enough to reflect your current appearance. Many centres ask for one taken within the last six months, and reusing a photo from a previous application is a common reason for refusal.