Sukat · Visa photo · Schengen

Schengen visa photo size

A Schengen visa photo is 35 × 45 mm — the same ICAO biometric portrait for all 29 Schengen countries, on a plain light-grey or white background with the face at 70–80% of the frame. Most applications need two printed copies at the appointment, though some countries now accept a digital upload. Sukat crops to the exact 35 × 45 mm frame, sets a clean white or light-grey background, and exports a print-ready file (or compresses for a digital portal) — face unedited, all in your browser.

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Last reviewed: July 2026
The spec

Schengen visa photo requirements

The common EU Visa Code / ICAO 9303 standard, shared across all 29 Schengen countries — plus where a member-state consulate can still differ.

One standard, but the consulate has the final say. The 35 × 45 mm size and ICAO biometric rules are the same for every Schengen country — yet the consulate that processes your application decides the background shade, glasses, and whether a digital upload is allowed. White is accepted everywhere (the safest choice); light grey is the classic ICAO Schengen background and passes even strict consulates like Germany and the Netherlands. Most applications are handled at a VFS Global or TLScontact centre and need two printed photos; a few countries (e.g. Germany) now take a digital upload for some visa types. Always check the specific consulate or visa-centre checklist before you print.
Photo size
35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm) — the European format, taller than the US 2 × 2 square
Head height
32–36 mm chin to crown; face fills 70–80% of the frame, centred, shoulders shown
Background
Plain light — white (accepted by all 29 countries) or light grey (the classic ICAO choice); no cream, beige, blue, patterns, or shadows
Copies
Two identical printed photos for most applications; some countries accept a digital upload
Print quality
Photo paper at 600 DPI, colour only (no black-and-white), sharp, no red-eye — about 827 × 1063 px
Editing
Crop and background only — no filters, retouching, or AI edits (biometric scanners flag these)
Glasses
Not allowed — remove them; no glare or frames over the eyes, and sunglasses never
Expression
Strictly neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open, no tilt, facing the camera
Recency
Taken within the last 6 months
How to

Make a Schengen visa photo

Crop to 35 × 45 mm, set a plain white or light-grey background, and export — ready to print as a two-up sheet or upload where a portal allows it.

Upload your photo

Drop a JPG, PNG, HEIC, or WebP onto Sukat's drop zone. Shoot straight-on against a plain wall in even daylight; an iPhone HEIC works directly.

Crop to 35 × 45 mm and set the background

Crop to the frame with the head 32–36 mm chin to crown (70–80% of the photo). Set a clean white or light-grey background if yours isn't already plain. Keep the face unedited — no smoothing or filters, which biometric scanners flag.

Export to print or upload

For a printed application, export at 600 DPI and print two copies on photo paper (a booth or shop prints a 35 × 45 sheet). For a portal that accepts digital, choose JPEG and compress to the portal's limit.

Use cases

Which Schengen application needs this photo

The 35 × 45 mm format covers short-stay, long-stay, and residence applications across the whole area. Here's where it applies.

Short-stay visa (Type C)

Tourism, business, or family visits up to 90 days — the same 35 × 45 mm photo for any of the 29 countries.

Long-stay national visa (Type D)

Study, work, or family reunification — the same 35 × 45 mm biometric photo, set by the member state.

Residence permit

EU residence-permit applications use the same ICAO 35 × 45 mm format and biometric pose.

VFS Global / TLScontact

Most applications are submitted at these centres with two printed photos; the centres also have compliant booths.

Digital upload (select countries)

Germany and a few others take a digital photo for some visa types via the mission portal — compress to their file limit.

One photo for many trips

Because the format is shared, one compliant 35 × 45 mm photo works whichever Schengen country you apply to. Note that the UK and Ireland are separate.

Applying to the UK or Ireland on the same trip? Those aren't Schengen — the UK uses stricter pixel rules on the same 35 × 45 mm format. Need the US 2 × 2 or Canada 35 × 45 visa size? US Visa Photo Size and Canada Visa Photo Size cover those.

Why Sukat

Why Sukat for a Schengen visa photo

Five things this tool gets right that most "visa photo online" sites get wrong.

The exact 35 × 45 frame

Crop to the ICAO frame with the head at 70–80% (32–36 mm), so it isn't cropped too tight or too loose — the most common counter rejection.

White or light-grey background

Set the plain background Schengen expects: light grey is the classic ICAO choice that passes strict consulates like Germany and the Netherlands, and white is accepted everywhere. The face is left unedited.

Print-ready or upload-ready

Export at 600 DPI to print two copies on photo paper, or compress to a portal's limit where digital upload is allowed.

iPhone HEIC handled

Drop an iPhone HEIC in and Sukat exports a clean JPEG — no separate converter needed.

Private, in-browser

The photo never leaves your device — no account, nothing uploaded to a third-party server. Fitting for a visa document.

Before you submit

Common reasons for rejection

Consulates reject Schengen visa photos at the counter under the Visa Code. These are the faults that cause it.

Incorrect dimensions

Not 35 × 45 mm, or a head outside 32–36 mm (face not at 70–80% of the frame). Cropping too tight or too loose is the most common counter rejection.

Improper background

Cream, beige, light blue, patterned, or shadowed backgrounds. Use plain white or light grey, uniform, with your clothing not blending into it.

Shadows

Shadows on one side of the face or on the wall behind you, usually from side lighting. Face a window in even daylight and stand back from the wall.

Low image quality

A blurry, low-contrast photo, one printed on plain paper instead of photo paper, or one with filters, retouching, or an AI-altered background — all flagged by biometric scanners.

Incorrect facial expression

A smile, raised eyebrows, an open mouth, glasses, or a tilted head. Keep a strictly neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open, no eyewear.

Questions

FAQ

What size is a Schengen visa photo?
35 × 45 mm, with the head 32–36 mm from chin to crown and the face at 70–80% of the frame, on a plain white or light-grey background, in colour, taken within the last 6 months. The same specification applies to all 29 Schengen countries.

White or light-grey background?
Both are accepted. White is accepted by all 29 countries (the safest choice); light grey is the classic ICAO Schengen background and passes strict consulates like Germany and the Netherlands. Cream, beige, and blue are rejected.

Do I need printed photos or a digital upload?
Most applications need two identical printed 35 × 45 mm photos, submitted at a VFS Global, TLScontact, or consulate appointment. Some countries (e.g. Germany) now accept a digital upload for certain visa types — check your consulate's checklist.

Is the photo the same for every Schengen country?
The 35 × 45 mm size and ICAO biometric rules are shared across all 29 countries, but the consulate processing your application has the final say on the background shade, glasses, and digital file rules. One compliant photo generally works for any of them.

Can I wear glasses?
No. Glasses have been banned from Schengen visa and EU passport photos since 2016–2018 — remove them. Glare or frames over the eyes cause rejection, and sunglasses are never allowed.

Can I edit the photo or remove the background?
You can set a plain white or light-grey background, but don't retouch your face — no smoothing, filters, or AI face changes, which biometric scanners flag. Sukat sets size and background only, never your appearance.

Can I take the photo myself?
Yes, if it meets the specs. Stand about a metre from a plain wall in daylight facing a window, hold the camera at eye level, then use Sukat to crop to 35 × 45 mm and set the background before printing on photo paper.

Does Sukat upload my photo anywhere?
No. Cropping, resizing, and compression all run in your browser. The photo never reaches a server, and there's no account or email — switch to airplane mode after the page loads and it still works.
Related tools

Keep going

Passport Photo 35×45mm — The shared frame — Schengen, UK, India, Australia, and more.Passport Photo Compressor — The all-country tool — every portal's KB ceiling and pixel ratio.Canada Visa Photo Size — Also 35 × 45 mm, with IRCC's digital-upload rules.US Visa Photo Size — The 2 × 2 inch square, for a DS-160 or DV Lottery.Convert HEIC to JPG — Turn an iPhone HEIC into a JPEG before you print or upload.Image Size Guide — Full passport / ID / visa file-size reference.Crop and Compress — Crop to an exact frame and hit a file-size target in one pass.Compress Image to 100KB — Hit a 100 KB target — a common ID and upload ceiling.Compress HEIC — Shrink an iPhone HEIC to a KB target, in the browser.Passport & Visa Photo Size Guide — Every country and visa photo size in one place.

Get your Schengen visa photo to spec.

Free, in-browser, nothing uploaded. Crop to 35 × 45 mm, set a white or light-grey background, and export to print two copies or upload where allowed.

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