What size is a Schengen visa photo?
Schengen visa photos follow the ICAO passport photo format: 35 to 40 mm wide, usually 35 x 45 mm, with the face 32 to 36 mm from chin to forehead (70 to 80% of the photo). Check the consulate or visa centre for your destination for its background and age rules. FixDoks crops to 35 x 45 mm and makes a print sheet.
Schengen Visa Photo at a glance
| Size | 35 × 45 mm (35 to 40 mm wide) |
|---|---|
| Face height | 32 to 36 mm, chin to forehead, excluding hair |
| Processing | In your browser; your files are not uploaded |
| Price | Free to use, no watermark |
| Download | First download free, then ₹49 for 2 months of unlimited downloads (US$3 outside India) |
| Files at once | 1 free, up to 30 with a plan |
| Works on | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone |
How to use Schengen Visa Photo
- Take a photo against a plain wall in even light, facing the camera, or pick a recent one.
- Click Select your photo. The size for this document is already chosen.
- Move and zoom the frame so the head fits the dashed oval. Use Make background white if the wall is not plain.
- Click Create passport photo and download the photo or the print sheet.
One format, but no single rulebook for every detail
France-Visas, the official French visa site, says the picture must be recent and conform to reality, that the photo should be between 35 and 40 mm wide, and that the face should measure 32 to 36 mm (70 to 80% of the picture) from chin to forehead, excluding hair. It does not give a number of months for "recent", so check the photo section of the consulate or visa centre you are applying through before you print.
What German missions ask for
The German Federal Foreign Office publishes visa photo guidance that works as a detailed checklist. The face must take up 70 to 80% of the photo, which is 32 to 36 mm, and it must be centred. The face has to be sharp, rich in contrast and evenly lit, with no reflections, shadows or red eyes. The background should be one colour and bright, ideally neutral grey, with no pattern and no shadows. For light hair a medium-grey background suits, and for dark hair a light-grey one. Only the person being photographed may appear, with no other people or objects.
Print quality matters too. The guidance asks for high-quality paper with a print resolution of at least 600 dpi, especially when the photo was taken with a digital camera, no creases or impurities, neutral colours and natural skin tones.
Pose, glasses and headwear
Keep your head straight, neither angled nor turned, with a neutral expression, mouth closed, looking directly into the camera. Your eyes must be open and clearly visible, and not covered by hair or spectacle frames. If you wear glasses, reflections, tinted lenses and sunglasses are not permitted, and the rim of the glasses or the frame may not cover your eyes. Headwear is generally not permitted, with exceptions possible especially for religious reasons. In that case the face must be visible from the lower tip of the chin to the forehead, with no shadows on it. The guidance also says no parts of uniforms may appear in the photo. With voluminous hair, make sure the whole head is shown without making the face smaller than 32 mm.
These details come from a German mission's guidance. Another country's consulate may set its own background colour or other details, so treat the consulate you apply to as the final word.
Source: France-Visas: FAQ and German Federal Foreign Office: Requirements for visa photos, checked October 2026.
Schengen Visa Photo requirements at a glance
| Size | 35 × 45 mm (35 to 40 mm wide) |
|---|---|
| Face height | 32 to 36 mm, chin to forehead, excluding hair |
| Standard | ICAO biometric photo format |
| Background | Plain and light; check the consulate for its colour rule |
Rules checked on the official website in September 2026. Requirements can change, so confirm on the official page before you apply. Source: France-Visas: FAQ (photo format).
One format, many consulates
Schengen countries all use the ICAO biometric photo standard, so the size and face proportions are the same everywhere. Details such as the exact background colour and how recent the photo must be are set by each country's consulate or visa centre. For example, German missions ask for a plain, light background, ideally neutral grey. Read the photo section of the consulate you apply to before printing.
Getting it right
Face the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open and visible, and the whole face in focus. Use even lighting with no shadows on the face or background. Head coverings are generally accepted only for religious reasons.
How this tool helps
The tool crops your photo to the exact size above at 300 DPI, so a print comes out at the right physical size, and it can fill a 4 × 6 inch sheet with copies and cut lines for a photo shop. For online applications it makes a file with the exact pixel size and file size the form asks for. It cannot judge whether your expression, lighting or pose meets the rules, so check the photo against the list before you submit it.
FixDoks is an independent tool and is not affiliated with any government. You submit your application yourself on the official website.