Photo Size for Schengen Visa: Make a 35 × 45 mm Photo Online

The photo size for a Schengen visa is 35 × 45 mm (about 1.38 × 1.77 inches), in color, with your face 32–36 mm tall against a plain, light background. Upload a photo above and the tool crops it to that size, positions your head, checks the background and gives you a file you can print. The preview and the check are free.

Schengen Visa Size Photo at a Glance

Every Schengen country uses the same photo standard. The EU Visa Code (Article 13) requires a photo with every application, and consulates apply the international ICAO photo rules to it.

How to Make a Schengen Visa Photo Online

1. Keep "Schengen visa" selected. The tool produces a 35 × 45 mm photo with a 630 × 810 pixel file.
2. Upload a photo. Use a recent, front-facing photo taken in even light against a plain white or light gray wall. Your browser re-saves it before uploading, which also removes hidden metadata such as GPS location.
3. Wait a moment. Processing can take up to a minute. Keep the page open until your result appears.
4. Check the result. The result page shows the head size, eye line and background check, so you can compare them with the rules below before you print.
5. Print at actual size. Print the photo with no scaling so it measures exactly 35 × 45 mm. The print tool puts several copies on one 4 × 6 inch sheet.

The photo is uploaded over an encrypted connection, because face detection and background checks run on a server. Your result page expires after 7 days.

Photo Requirements for Schengen Visa

Consulates and visa centers reject photos for small mistakes, such as a face that's 2 mm too small. The specifications below come from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the German consulate's biometric photo sheet, which both apply the shared Schengen standard.

Schengen Visa Photo Dimensions

The photo must be 35 mm wide and 45 mm tall. That's the standard European passport size, also written as 3.5 × 4.5 cm.

Size in mm, cm and Inches

U.S. stores and printers work in inches, and none of them offer 1.38 × 1.77 inches as a preset. Ask for "35 × 45 mm" or "EU visa size" by name.

Size in Pixels

Printed photos don't have a fixed pixel requirement, but they need enough pixels to print sharply:

• 300 DPI: 413 × 531 pixels, the minimum for a sharp print.
• 600 DPI: 827 × 1063 pixels, for extra detail.
• This tool: 630 × 810 pixels, which prints at about 457 DPI at 35 × 45 mm.

If your consulate or visa center asks for a digital upload, follow the pixel and file-size limits on its portal. They can differ from country to country.

Head Size and Position

Your face must be 32 to 36 mm tall, measured from the bottom of your chin to your hairline. That's about 70–80% of the photo's height. The Czech ministry also asks for at least 13 mm from your eyes to the bottom of your chin.

• Center your face, with your nose on the vertical center line.
• Keep your head straight, not tilted or turned.
• Look directly at the camera, with both eyes level.
• Show both edges of your face.

A face that's too small is the most common size problem. It happens when someone crops a photo taken from too far away, or trims a U.S. passport photo down.

Background and Lighting

Use a plain, light, single-color background with good contrast against your face and hair. White and light gray are both safe choices.

• No patterns, objects, doors or other people behind you.
• No shadows on the wall or on your face.
• Even light from the front, with no glare, reflections or red eye.

A window in daylight, facing you, gives soft, even light. Stand about 2 feet in front of the wall to keep your shadow off it.

Expression, Glasses and Head Coverings

Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed. Don't smile. Keep your eyes open and visible, not covered by hair.

Glasses: German consulates allow clear, non-reflective glasses when the frames don't cover your eyes. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are never allowed. Because glare is hard to avoid, remove your glasses if you can.

Head coverings: Hats aren't allowed. Head coverings worn for religious or medical reasons are accepted when they don't hide your face or cast shadows on it.

Photo Age and Number of Photos

The photo must be recent and show how you look today. Many consulates ask for a photo taken in the last six months, and some ask for a newer one. If your appearance has changed, such as a new beard or glasses, take a new photo.

The number of photos depends on the consulate. The Czech Consulate in Chicago asks for one per applicant, including each child. Others ask for two identical photos. Bring the number your checklist asks for, plus a spare.

Print Quality

• Print in color on photo-quality paper, matte or glossy.
• Print at actual size, with no "fit to page" scaling.
• Don't retouch or filter the photo, or change how you look.
• Cut along the edges cleanly, without creases, stains or staple marks.

Schengen Visa Photo Specifications by Country

You might see different photo rules for France, Germany or Italy. The size stays the same everywhere; only the paperwork details change.

What Stays the Same

Every Schengen consulate asks for a 35 × 45 mm color photo, a face that fills 70–80% of the frame, a plain light background and a neutral expression. A photo that meets these rules works for any Schengen country.

What Can Differ

• Number of photos: one or two.
• Photo age: "recent" can mean six months or less, depending on the consulate.
• Background shade: some consulates prefer light gray, others accept white.
• Digital upload: some visa centers scan your printed photo, and others ask you to upload a file with their own pixel limits.

Always follow the checklist from the consulate or visa center where you apply. Many consulates in the U.S. take applications through outside visa centers, such as VFS Global or BLS International, which publish their own checklists.

Schengen Visa Size Photo vs. U.S. Passport Photo

A U.S. passport photo doesn't meet the Schengen standard.

Can you trim a 2 × 2 photo down to 35 × 45 mm? Rarely. The head in a U.S. passport photo can be as small as 25 mm, well under the Schengen minimum of 32 mm. Trimming doesn't make the face bigger, so the photo still fails. Make a new 35 × 45 mm photo from your original picture instead. If you also need U.S. photos, use the 2x2 photo maker.

Schengen Visa Photo Near Me: Where to Get One in the U.S.

Most U.S. photo counters set up for the 2 × 2 inch U.S. size by default. Wherever you go, ask for a 35 × 45 mm Schengen (EU) visa photo and check the result before you leave.

Pharmacies, Shipping Stores and Photo Studios

Many pharmacies, shipping and print stores and local photo studios take passport photos. Some can switch to 35 × 45 mm, but not every location can. Call ahead and ask:

• Can you print a 35 × 45 mm photo, not a 2 × 2 inch one?
• Will the face measure 32–36 mm from chin to hairline?
• Can you use a plain light gray or white background?

Visa Application Centers

Some visa application centers have a photo booth on site. It's convenient if your photo fails at the counter, but it usually costs more than making the photo yourself. Check your center's website before you rely on it.

Make It Online and Print It Locally

The cheapest option is often to make the photo yourself:

1. Make your photo with the tool on this page and check the result.
2. Use the print tool to put several 35 × 45 mm copies on one 4 × 6 inch sheet.
3. Order a standard 4 × 6 print at any pharmacy photo kiosk or online photo service, or print at home on photo paper.
4. Cut out the photos and measure one with a ruler: 35 mm wide and 45 mm tall.

Before your appointment, you can run the photo through the free photo checker as a second look.

Common Reasons Schengen Visa Photos Get Rejected

• Wrong size. A 2 × 2 inch U.S. photo, or a 35 × 45 mm photo printed with scaling turned on.
• Face too small or too large. The face falls outside 32–36 mm.
• Shadows. Shadows behind your head or across your face from overhead lights.
• Busy or dark background. A colored wall, a pattern or objects behind you.
• Glare from glasses. Reflections that hide your eyes.
• Smiling or tilted head. Anything other than a neutral, straight-on pose.
• Edited photo. Beauty filters or retouching that change how you look.
• Old photo. A picture that no longer matches your appearance.

The tool checks the size, head height, eye line and background. It can't judge your expression, lighting or clothing, and it isn't an official check: the consulate decides whether your photo is accepted.

Who Needs a Schengen Visa Photo in the U.S.?

U.S. citizens don't need a Schengen visa for short trips. According to the Czech Consulate in Chicago, they can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without one, as long as they don't work.

You need a Schengen visa photo if you live in the U.S. on a foreign passport that requires a visa for Europe. That includes many green card holders and people on student or work visas, such as F-1 or H-1B. You apply at the consulate or visa center for your main destination, and you bring proof of your legal status in the U.S.