What size is a Schengen visa photo?

35 mm wide and 45 mm high. The EU Visa Code asks for an ICAO-standard photo where the head, from chin to crown, takes up 70–80% of the photo height, about 32–36 mm.

What background color should it have?

A plain, light background. Germany's embassies prefer light grey, France and the Netherlands accept white or light colors. The tool uses plain white, which all three accept.

How recent does the photo need to be?

Most consulates want a photo taken in the last 6 months. Germany asks for one no older than 3 months.

Yes, if your eyes are clearly visible, the lenses are not tinted and there is no glare. Taking them off is the safest choice.

Do I need a printed photo or a digital one?

Most visa centers want printed photos glued to the form. Some, including many VFS centers, take a new digital photo at your appointment. The export gives you both the digital file and print sheets.

How much does it cost?

The preview and photo check are free. The HD photo with the print sheets costs 200 credits from a credit pack or subscription; the smallest pack covers two exports.

Schengen Visa Photo Maker

Turn a phone picture into a 35 × 45 mm Schengen visa photo. We size your head to the EU rule (70–80% of the photo, chin to crown), clean the background and check the photo. Preview free; the HD download costs 200 credits.

200 credits
Free preview, no sign-up
Pay only to download

1 · Document

Size: 35 × 45 mm · 413 × 531 px
Head: 70–80% of the height, chin to top of head, hair not counted
Background: White

2 · Your photo

Face detection and the preview run in your browser. Your photo is only uploaded when you export.

Preview and photo check are free. The HD download costs 200 credits.

Made to the official rules we checked on 2026-10-08. Final acceptance is up to the issuing authority. Official requirements

Ordinary phone photo with the passport frame marked

Finished Schengen visa · 35 × 45 mm photo

4 × 6 in print sheet with cut lines — 4 × 6 and A4 print sheets included

Example · Schengen visa · 35 × 45 mm

Real example: an everyday phone photo, framed and exported by this tool. Add yours to see your free preview.

Schengen visa photo requirements

The tool frames and exports your photo to these rules. They come from the official page linked below.

Size: 35 × 45 mm
Digital file: 413 × 531 px (300 dpi of the print size) · JPEG
Head: 70–80% of the height, chin to top of head, hair not counted
Background: White
Glasses: Allowed if your eyes are clearly visible, no glare or tint
Taken within: The last 6 months

Checked against the official rules on 2026-10-08.Official requirements

Pixwhim is not affiliated with any government agency. Final acceptance is up to the passport office or embassy.

Photo rules for other documents

Real results from everyday phone photos

Each one started as an ordinary picture and was framed, cleaned up and exported by this tool. Pick one to see it in the workbench.

How it works

1
Add a photo
Face the camera in even light. Your photo stays in your browser while you check it.
2
Check the frame
We size your head to 32–36 mm on the 45 mm photo and replace the background with white.
3
Download and print
Get a 35 × 45 mm photo at 300 dpi plus 4×6 in and A4 print sheets with cut lines.

Why people use it

Measured the EU way

Schengen rules measure from the chin to the top of the head, not the top of the hair. The tool measures it the same way.

Free check before you pay

See the framed photo and the checklist first. You only pay when you download the HD files.

Print sheets included

Six photos on a 4×6 in sheet and thirty on A4, ready for a photo counter or a home printer at 100% size.

Private by design

Face detection and the preview run in your browser. The photo is uploaded only when you export and deleted a day later.

The Schengen visa photo rules

All Schengen states follow the EU Visa Code, which asks for a photo that meets the ICAO standard for travel documents. In practice that means a 35 × 45 mm color photo with a plain light background, a neutral expression with your mouth closed, both eyes open and visible, and your head centered and facing the camera. Annex VII of the code sets the head size: from the bottom of the chin to the crown it should take up 70–80% of the photo height.

The crown is the top of the skull, not the top of your hair. German embassies spell this out, and it's where a lot of homemade photos go wrong: with full hair, a photo framed to the top of the hair can end up with a head that's too small. The tool estimates the top of your head separately from your hair and frames to that.

Where the rules differ between countries

The size and head rules are the same everywhere, but a few details vary by consulate:

Recency: 6 months is common; Germany asks for 3 months.
Background: Germany prefers neutral light grey; France asks for a plain light color; the Netherlands accepts white or light colors. White passes all of them.
Where you apply: many applications go through external providers such as VFS, which often take a digital photo on site. Check your appointment letter before you print.

Tips for a photo that passes

Stand a step away from a plain wall in daylight, with no shadows on your face or behind you.
Look straight at the camera with a neutral face. Smiling with your mouth closed is risky; neutral is safest.
Pull your hair back from your eyes and face.
Ask someone else to take the photo at eye level from about 1.5 m. Selfies at arm's length distort your face.