Schengen visa photo, 35 x 45 mm

What the EU and the consulates ask for

The European Commission’s visa page lists the documents for every Schengen visa: a valid passport, the application form, a photo in compliance with ICAO standards, travel medical insurance and supporting documents. Fingerprints are taken when you apply, but the photo is still required. You apply at the consulate of the country where you will spend the longest time, at least 15 days and no earlier than 6 months before the trip.

The detail is left to each country, so the photo rules on its checklist are the ones to follow. Four official sources show how they line up:

Framing the face at 70 to 80%

The ICAO guide says the face should take up 70 to 80% of the photograph, and German missions in India ask for 70 to 80% face coverage. We read that as the height of the face: on a 45 mm photo, the face from the chin to the top of the head then measures 31.5 to 36 mm. That millimetre range is our conversion, not a figure a consulate states. We aim for the middle, about 34 mm, and leave a little more room under the chin than above the head, as official sample photos usually do.

In pixels, a 35 x 45 mm photo is 413 x 531 at 300 DPI, so the face spans about 372 to 425 pixels; at 600 DPI the photo is 827 x 1063 and the face 744 to 850 pixels. The Czech rule of at least 13 mm from the eyes to the bottom of the chin is about 154 pixels at 300 DPI, and a face sized to the ICAO range normally clears it.

Glasses, head coverings and expression

The ICAO guide allows glasses if your eyes show clearly, with no flash reflection on the lenses and no tinted lenses; it suggests lighter frames over heavy ones and asks that frames do not cover any part of the eyes. Czech consulates rule out sunglasses except for blind applicants.

Head coverings are only for religious reasons in the ICAO guide, which asks that the face from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of the face, are clearly shown. Czech consulates also allow them for health reasons, as long as the covering does not stop them identifying you. You must be alone in the photo, looking at the camera with a neutral expression and your mouth closed.

Printing and handing it in

Consulates want printed photos, and the ICAO guide asks for prints at high resolution on high quality paper, with no ink marks or creases. A 4 x 6 inch print holds 8 photos of 35 x 45 mm, so one print from a photo shop or kiosk covers the application with spares; an A4 sheet holds 30.

Count what your consulate’s checklist asks for: the German mission in Doha asks for 1, for example, and says not to stick or staple it to the form. Visa service centres collect applications for some consulates, so read the checklist for the place where you hand yours in.

Official sources

We read each page on 13 October 2026. Rules change, so open the official page before you apply.

• European Commission: Applying for a Schengen visa (updated 2 December 2025)
• European Commission: ICAO photograph guidelines (PDF)
• German Embassy Doha: Schengen visitor visa checklist
• German Missions in India: Schengen visa checklist for tourism
• Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs: visa photo