🇪🇺 Schengen Visa Photo Maker
One 35×45 mm ICAO standard for all 27 Schengen states, but there is no single background colour, so always defer to the destination consulate.
Output
35×45 mm
413×531px · 300 DPI · Plain light background, confirm the destination consulate
🔒 Your photo is processed entirely on your device and never uploaded. The compliance check catches common mistakes but does not guarantee acceptance, always confirm against the official requirements below.
How to make a compliant schengen visa photo
A schengen visa photo must be 35×45 mm, that is 413×531 pixels at 300 DPI, on a plain light background, confirm the destination consulate. The editor above handles the cropping, sizing and checking for you, and every step runs on your own device:
- Add your photo. Click the frame or drop in a clear, front-facing shot with a neutral expression, both eyes open and nothing covering the face. The image never leaves your browser.
- Position the head. Drag and zoom until the face sits inside the on-screen guides, centred, level and looking straight at the camera.
- Check the background. Use a plain light background, confirm the destination consulate that is evenly lit and free of shadows; the built-in checker flags a wrong-coloured or uneven background and poor exposure before you export.
- Export to spec. Download as JPEG, sized to 413×531 px with 300 DPI embedded so it prints at the correct physical size.
These requirements are set by European Commission, Visa Code (EC) No 810/2009 and can change over time, always confirm against the official source linked below before you submit your application.
✅ Do
- ✓35×45 mm, taken within the last 6 months
- ✓Neutral expression, facing the camera, both eyes open
- ✓Plain, uniform, light background with even lighting
- ✓Two identical prints if the consulate asks
- ✓Full face clearly visible, ears preferably shown
🚫 Don't
- ✕No glasses unless medically required
- ✕No headgear except for religious reasons (face fully visible)
- ✕No smiling or shadows
- ✕Do not assume white, French-run consulates forbid it, others prefer grey
- ✕No digital editing or filters
Official specification
- Print size
- 35×45 mm
- Pixels @ 300 DPI
- 413×531
- Background
- Plain light background, confirm the destination consulate
- Format
- JPEG
- • There is no pan-Schengen pixel or file-size rule. It is a print standard; each consulate/VFS adds its own digital limits.
- • Background colour varies by destination state: white is broadly accepted, but France-run consulates forbid white and Germany wants light grey.
Verified source
European Commission, Visa Code (EC) No 810/2009
Official requirements ↗● Last verified 2026-07-10
Government rules can change. If the official page differs from what you see here, the official page wins, tell us and we'll update it.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a schengen visa photo?
35×45 mm, which is 413×531 pixels at 300 DPI.
What background does a schengen visa photo need?
A plain light background, confirm the destination consulate, evenly lit with no shadows or objects behind you. The built-in checker flags a non-uniform or wrong-coloured background.
What file format and size should it be?
JPEG. This tool exports exactly to spec and embeds 300 DPI so print size is correct.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. Every step, cropping, the compliance check and the export, runs on your own device using your browser's canvas. Your photo is never sent anywhere, which matters for a document photo.
Does this guarantee my photo will be accepted?
No tool can guarantee acceptance, the issuing authority decides. This editor produces the correct dimensions and catches common, detectable mistakes (background, exposure, head position), but always confirm against the official European Commission, Visa Code (EC) No 810/2009 requirements linked on this page.