Schengen Visa Photo Size and Requirements (35x45 mm)
Create a compliant 35x45 mm Schengen visa photo in your browser. Correct 70-80% face height, light background and a printable sheet. Your photo never leaves your device.
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Requirements at a glance
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm (413 × 531 px at 300 DPI) |
|---|---|
| Head height, chin to crown | 32.0 mm – 36.0 mm (71% – 80% of height) |
| Background | Plain light grey or cream, evenly lit |
| File | JPEG |
Source:home-affairs.ec.europa.eu· last checked 2026-09-03
Why photos get rejected
- Face fills less than 70% or more than 80% of the frame height
- A pure white background, which several consulates read as overexposed
- Head tilted or turned rather than square to the camera
- Hair covering the eyes or the outline of the face
- Reflections or heavy frames if glasses are worn
- Photo older than six months
The rule that decides it: 70 to 80 percent
Every Schengen consulate works from the same photo format, 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall, and the same central requirement: your face must fill 70% to 80% of the frame height. In millimetres that is a head between 32 mm and 36 mm measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, hair included.
That band is narrower than it sounds. A crop that looks reasonable to the eye frequently lands at 60% or 85%, and either one is grounds for rejection. It is the most common reason Schengen photo submissions come back.
Why not a white background
The published requirement is a light, uniform background that contrasts with the face. Plain white technically satisfies “light”, but in practice a white background photographed with a bright flash loses the outline of light hair and shoulders, and several consulates treat that as overexposed. Light grey or cream is the safer read of the same rule, so this tool defaults to light grey.
How this tool works
Upload any reasonably front-facing photo. The tool locates your chin, crown and eye line, then computes the crop that lands your head at 34 mm, the middle of the permitted range, giving the widest possible margin for measurement error. The background is replaced with an even light grey.
If your source photo is cropped too tightly to produce a compliant result, the tool tells you which edge is short rather than cropping in further and handing you a photo that fails. Retake it standing further from the camera.
All processing happens in your browser through WebAssembly. Nothing is uploaded.
Printing
A 35 x 45 mm photo tiles eight to a 4 x 6 inch print, four across and two down. Download the sheet, have it printed as an ordinary photo, and cut along the guide lines. Most consulates ask for two identical photos, so one sheet covers four applications.
Common questions
- What size is a Schengen visa photo?
- 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall. At 300 DPI that is 413 x 531 pixels.
- How much of the photo should my face fill?
- Between 70% and 80% of the height, which works out to a head between 32 mm and 36 mm from chin to crown.
- Should the background be white?
- Prefer plain light grey or cream. The requirement is a light, uniform, contrasting background, and a pure white one can be read as overexposed.
- Does one photo work for every Schengen country?
- The 35x45 mm format and the 70-80% face rule are common to all of them, but individual consulates add their own notes. Check the consulate you are applying to.