Schengen visa photo requirements

Getting the right photo matters for your Schengen Visa.

The passport photo you submit plays a significant role when applying for a Schengen Visa. It needs to meet certain specifications, and a small mistake can lead to problems with your application.

We've created a guide to explain the visa photo requirements. Let's get started.

Guidelines for Schengen Visa photos

We recommend having your passport photo taken by a professional photographer. A passport photo for a Schengen Visa application must meet the following specifications.

• Recent photo: Your photo should have been taken within the last six months to show how you currently look.

• Photo dimensions: The photo should be 35mm x 45mm. Your face should cover 70-80% of the photo. Digital photos should be 600 x 750 px. The image should be between 50 KB and 10 MB.

• Quality: The photo must be in color, clear, and in focus. It must also be printed on high-quality photographic paper with a print resolution of at least 600 dpi. Your natural skin tone should be accurately shown in the picture.

• Background: Use a plain, light-colored background with no patterns or shadows. Neutral colors like white, off-white, or light gray are preferred.

• Head position: Look directly at the camera without tilting your head. Your head should be level and centered in the frame. Both sides of your face must be visible.

• Facial expression: You should have a neutral expression with your eyes open and clearly visible and your mouth closed.

• Lighting: Make sure the light is even and doesn’t cast shadows or create glare on your face or in the background.

• Eyeglasses: If you must wear glasses, they should not block your eyes. Your eyes should still be clearly visible, and there must be no glare on the lenses. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are not allowed.

• Head coverings: These are only allowed for religious reasons as long as they don’t create shadows on your face. Your face should still be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of your head, as well as the edges of your face.

• Hair and clothing: Wear regular clothes that contrast with the background. Religious clothing is permitted only for those who wear it daily. If you have voluminous hair, your entire head, including the hair, should be visible in the image without changing the size of your face. There should be no hair covering your eyes.

Passport & visa photos for infants and children

Taking photos for infants' and children's travel documents requires special attention. While the basic criteria for photo quality, background, and how recent the photo must be are the same as for adults, some of the other guidelines are flexible.

• Face positioning: For children aged 9 and under, the face should occupy 50-80% of the photo, with the face measuring between 22-36mm from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin.

• Eyes visibility: The child's eyes should be open and visible. For infants, capturing them with their eyes open might take a bit of time and patience. Glasses should be avoided unless medically necessary. They should not cover the eyes, and there must be no glare on the lenses.

• Facial expression: Children aged 5 and under don’t need to have a neutral expression or look directly at the camera. However, aim to photograph them looking calm with their mouths closed. In addition, their heads don’t have to be centered in the photo. Babies who are less than one year old don’t have to have their eyes open for the picture.

• Clothing: Dress your child in simple, everyday outfits that don’t hide their face. Accessories like hats and pacifiers are not allowed, but religious head coverings are acceptable as long as they reveal the child’s entire face.

• No visible support: When photographing infants or young children who need support, make sure no hands or supporting objects are visible in the photo. ​

• Focus on the child: The photo should only feature the child, without other people or props.

For infants unable to sit or stand, a photo can be taken from above while they lie on a plain light-colored background or placed in a car seat covered with a plain light-colored cloth.

Learn more about applying for a Schengen Visa

If you’d like the most up-to-date information about applying for a Schengen Visa, please visit the European Commission website.