Schengen Area — Passport Photo

Use the crop preset alongside the specification table and the issuing authority’s instructions. Print and online applications can differ; the final photo must meet the requirements for your application.

Schengen Area passport photo specifications

Printed size

35 × 45 mm · 413 × 531 px

Head height (chin to crown)

32 – 36 mm

Background

Background: plain light colour (cream or light grey)

Photo age limit

Taken within 6 months

Glasses

Allowed if eyes are clearly visible

Prints to submit

2 identical prints

Rules specific to Schengen Area

• Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open and looking straight at the camera.
• The width is a range of 35–40 mm, not a single fixed value.
• Frame a close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders so that your face takes up 70–80% of the photograph.
• Use a plain light-coloured background with uniform lighting — no shadows or flash reflections on your face, and no red eye.
• Face square on to the camera: no portrait-style turn over one shoulder, no tilt, and both edges of your face clearly shown.
• Glasses are allowed provided your eyes are clearly visible, the lenses do not reflect the flash, and they are not tinted. The guidance even suggests wearing lighter frames if you have them.
• Frames must not cover any part of your eyes.
• Head coverings are permitted only for religious reasons, and your features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, plus both edges of your face, must be clearly shown.
• You must be alone in the frame — no chair backs, toys or other people visible.

Why passport photos get rejected

• Check framing, lighting and the current application instructions. A correctly sized crop alone does not guarantee acceptance.

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