Get Your Schengen Visa Photo Done Right [In 3 Mins]

If you’re a citizen of any of these 106 countries, you’ll need to obtain a European visa to travel freely to any of the Schengen countries.

Along with a number of required documents, you need to attach two printed photos meeting all official guidelines.

Here, you’ll learn everything about the technical requirements for Schengen visa photos as well as finer details about these pictures.

Not sure which visa you should apply for?

Find the answer out in our Schengen visa entry types guide.

Understanding Schengen visa photo requirements

A photo for a Schengen visa application must follow stringent guidelines established by European Union officials. Don’t risk getting your application rejected—familiarize yourself with the following requirements before taking a picture.

Table summarizing the requirements for a Schengen visa photo

Important: Online Schengen visa application is currently impossible—you’ll need to submit two identical photos printed on high-quality paper. This, however, might change as the European Commission is working on introducing an online application system.

The fine details: Schengen visa photo specifications

There are many reasons why your photo may get rejected. To ensure you submit acceptable pictures, follow these specific guidelines.

• Facial expression: Don’t smile or frown. Keep a neutral facial expression
• Pose: Keep your eyes open and mouth closed, looking straight at the camera
• Clothing: Avoid uniforms and colors blending with the background. Plain dark-colored clothes are recommended
• Facial hair: Keep your beard as is if you normally wear it
• Head covering: Wearing headgear (hats, hair bands, etc) is strictly prohibited. You can cover your head only for religious reasons, but your facial features from the bottom of your chin to the top of the forehead and both sides of your face must be clearly visible
• Glasses: You can wear prescription glasses but only if your eyes clearly show through the lenses and no reflections are visible. Avoid tinted lenses
• Hair: Your whole face (including eyebrows) must be clearly visible. Consider tucking your hair behind the ears and tying longer bangs with hairpins

Submitting a photograph that doesn’t comply with any of the requirements listed above will result in rejection. Avoid delays in the application process by attaching fully compliant photos to your Schengen visa application form.

Important: Even though there exist several countries whose requirements for passport photos align with those for a Schengen visa, it’s best to find a provider familiar with Schengen visa photo requirements. Just to be sure the picture you submit is compliant with the right set of rules.

Your visa photo must be 35x45 mm (or 1.38x1.78 inches). Unfortunately, it’s not the only requirement you must follow. Read through these details on Schengen visa photo size requirements to get your picture right.

• A close-up of your head (including the top of your shoulders) must take between 70–80% of the whole photo 
• The length of your head (from the bottom of the chin to the top of your hair) must be between 32–36 mm
• The space from the side of your head to the border of the image must be the same on both sides (your head must be perfectly centered)

Online services for Schengen visa photos

You can easily find a list of locations to take Schengen visa photos in your area by looking up “Schengen visa photo near me” in your preferred search engine. But what if none of the providers nearby offer a compliance guarantee?

No problem—

You can now get a compliant visa photo without leaving your home—like many others who chose to use Passport Photo Online to take their visa photos.

And if you’d like to explore your options first, check out this handy comparison table of the best tools for creating biometric photos at home. We’ve reviewed these 2x2 passport photo apps in detail in this article and even though we tested them for passport pictures, they’ll work for your Schengen visa photos too!

Last update: 9/25/23