Schengen visa photo photo requirements

Every Schengen member state applies the ICAO photo standard to short-stay visa applications: a recent colour photo 35 mm wide by 45 mm high with the head filling 70–80 per cent of the height (about 32–36 mm from chin to crown), a plain light background, neutral expression and the face looking straight at the camera. Two identical prints are usually required, and a growing number of consulates and VFS centres also take a digital file at the appointment or in the online form.

Make and check a Schengen visa photo Free checker; files from A$6.99.

Can I take it myself? Yes

Yes. No Schengen consulate requires a professional photographer; the photo simply has to meet the ICAO standard. Consulates do differ on background colour, with Germany and the Netherlands preferring light grey and others accepting white, and on whether a digital background replacement is tolerated. The light-grey rule is the safe default and the tool checks for it. Background replacement is offered as an opt-in for this document because several consulates accept it, but shooting against a plain wall remains the better route.

How to take the photo

1. Use a plain light-grey or white wall. Stand half a metre in front of it so no shadow falls behind your head; a shadow is the most common reason a VFS clerk sends you to the booth.
2. Light from a window in front of you, no flash. Even illumination on both sides of the face.
3. Someone else takes the photo from 1.5 metres at eye level with shoulders in frame and space above the head.
4. Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible. Hair off the face and eyebrows.
5. Glasses are allowed without glare, tint or thick frames, but removing them avoids a query. No hats; religious coverings must show the full face.
6. Print two identical copies on photo paper at 35×45 mm with no border from our 6×4 sheet.

Why Schengen visa photos get rejected

1. Head too small (face under 70 per cent). Keep chin-to-crown between 32 and 36 mm; use the head-size control.
2. Shadow behind the head. Step away from the wall and light from the front.
3. Background colour not accepted by that consulate. Light grey is accepted everywhere; check the consulate if you shot on white.
4. Photo older than six months or reused from an earlier visa. Take a new photo. Consulates compare against prior applications.
5. Glare on glasses. Remove them.
6. Smiling or head tilted. Neutral expression, head level; tilt under 3 degrees.
7. Low-quality home print. Print at a kiosk on photo paper; no inkjet on plain paper.

Infants and children

Children need their own photo and their own form. For babies, lay the child on a plain light sheet and shoot from above; expression and gaze are not enforced, but the face must be fully visible with no hands, dummies or other people in frame. Consulates accept some head tilt for infants.

Step by step: Consulate or VFS online application

1. Fill in the Schengen visa form online for the consulate of your main destination; some portals ask you to upload a photo, most ask for prints at the appointment.
2. If the portal takes a digital photo, upload the 600 dpi file (or the 300 dpi one if the portal caps the size).
3. Print two identical 35×45 mm photos and bring them with the printed form to the VFS centre or consulate appointment.

What it costs

VFS centres and photo booths charge €8–15 for a set. Our Single licence is €4.49 for the digital files and print sheets for 30 days; the same crop prints for every Schengen consulate.

Retailer pages: Boots , Tesco .