Schengen Visa Photo

About Schengen Visa Photo

A Schengen visa photo is 35×45 mm - 413×531 pixels at print resolution - with the face filling roughly 70–80% of the frame, 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, on a light grey or light blue background. The format is defined by the EU Visa Code and is the same across all 27 Schengen countries, so one correctly sized photo works for any of them. This tool crops and sizes your photo to exactly that in your browser, with a head-position oval as a guide. Because the face must fill 70–80% of the frame, Schengen photos have a noticeably larger head than a casual portrait; use the zoom and the oval to get the head up to size. Two identical prints are usually required, so print the exported image twice. The defining Schengen rule is how much of the frame the face fills - 70 to 80 per cent, noticeably more than a casual portrait - because the photo feeds a biometric face-matching system that needs the features large and clear. Consulates usually ask for two identical prints, so run the exported image through your printer twice. A light grey or pale blue background reads better to the matching software than stark white, and neutral lighting with no reflections is essential. Everything runs in this tab - your photo is cropped, sized and handed back without being uploaded, which for a document photo is exactly right. Important: this tool sizes and frames the photo to the exact 35×45 mm dimensions and shows a head-position guide, but it cannot certify that your photo meets every official rule. Always check the result against the official guidance before you submit it.