What size is a Schengen visa photo?

A Schengen and most EU visa photos are 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall, which is 413 by 531 pixels at 300 DPI. This follows ICAO portrait standards, though individual consulates can add small extra rules, so verify with the embassy you are applying to.

How big should the head be in the frame?

The head, measured from chin to crown, should fill about 70 to 80 percent of the photo height, roughly 32 to 36 mm. That is larger than a US 2 by 2 photo, where the head fills about 50 to 69 percent, so a US photo is usually too small for Schengen.

What background colour does a Schengen visa photo need?

A light grey or off-white background, evenly lit with no shadows behind the head. The tool removes your current background and swaps in a clean light background privately in your browser. Check the result against your consulate's sample if one is published.

Can I reuse a US passport photo for a Schengen visa?

Usually not without reframing. A US photo places the head smaller in the frame, while Schengen wants the head at 70 to 80 percent of the height. You can resize and reposition it with this tool, but confirm the result meets the specific consulate's rules.

Is my photo uploaded anywhere?

No. The sizing, background swap, and export all run in your browser, so your photo never leaves your device. The tool prepares a photo that commonly meets Schengen specs, but it cannot judge your pose or expression or guarantee acceptance by the consulate.

Schengen visa photo maker

A Schengen or EU visa photo is 35 by 45 mm with a light grey or off-white background and a head that sits larger in the frame than a US photo. This tool sizes your image to 35 by 45 mm, swaps in a light background, frames the head per the guide, and evens the exposure, all in your browser so the photo never leaves your device. It commonly meets the specs below, but each consulate can have small extra rules, so verify with the embassy of the country you are applying to before you submit.

Drop a photo, or click to choose

A clear, front-facing head-and-shoulders shot works best. JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC.

The background remover downloads a one-time model the first time you use it. Your photo itself never leaves your device.

Files never leave your device
Runs in your browser
Free, no signup

The 35x45 mm spec and why the head is larger than a US photo

Schengen and most EU visa photos are 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall. At 300 DPI that works out to 413 by 531 pixels. This is the standard size across Schengen member consulates and follows ICAO portrait standards, the same international rules used for passports and many travel documents.

The head size is where Schengen differs most from a US visa or passport photo. Here the head, measured from chin to crown, should fill about 70 to 80 percent of the photo height, which is roughly 32 to 36 mm. A US 2 by 2 inch photo puts the head at about 50 to 69 percent of the frame, so the face is noticeably smaller. If you reuse a US photo for a Schengen application, the head will usually look too small and may be rejected.

Because the head fills more of the frame, you cannot simply crop a wide snapshot down to 35 by 45 mm and expect it to pass. The face needs to be positioned and sized deliberately, which is what the on-screen guide is for. If you also build US-style photos, our passport photo maker handles the smaller-head 2 by 2 layout separately.

The light grey background and the private in-browser swap

Schengen and EU visa photos call for a light grey or off-white background that is evenly lit with no shadows behind the head. A plain white wall is often accepted too, but light grey is the most widely cited safe choice, and a busy or coloured background will be rejected.

This tool removes your current background and drops in a clean, even light background so there are no shadows or gradients. The whole swap happens in your browser. Your photo is never uploaded to a server, which matters for a document that shows your face and will sit in a visa file. If you specifically need a plain white result for a consulate that asks for white, use passport photo white background, and to recolour any portrait you can use change photo background.

After the swap, check the result in good light. The background should read as a single flat tone with your face clearly separated from it. The tool can produce an even background, but it cannot guarantee how a specific consulate will judge the exact shade, so compare it against that country's published sample if one exists.

Positioning the larger head with the on-screen guide

The maker shows a 35 by 45 mm frame with a guide that marks where the head should sit. Line your chin and the crown of your head up so the head fills about 70 to 80 percent of the height. Keep your face straight to the camera, eyes open and clearly visible, with a neutral expression and your mouth closed.

Center your head left to right and leave a small even margin above the crown. Because the head is large in a Schengen photo, small tilts and off-center framing are more obvious than they would be in a smaller US-style portrait, so take a moment to align it carefully against the guide.

The tool helps you size and place the head to match the guide, but it cannot judge your pose or expression for you. It does not decide whether your tilt, gaze, or smile meets the rules. Treat the guide as a layout aid and use your own eye, or the consulate sample, to confirm the pose looks correct.

Recent photo, expression, and head-covering rules the tool cannot fix

Your photo should be recent, normally taken within the last six months, and it should look like you do now. You need a neutral expression with eyes open and your face straight toward the camera. Glasses that hide your eyes, heavy reflections, or anything that obscures your face will usually cause a rejection.

Head coverings are generally not allowed except when worn for religious reasons, and even then your full face from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead must be visible with both edges of the face clear. Hats and non-religious head coverings should be removed.

These are things to get right in the camera, because no editor can fix them after the fact. The tool can resize, place, and rebackground your photo, but it cannot make an old photo recent, open closed eyes, change an expression, or remove a covering that hides your face. Start from a good capture and use the tool for layout and background only.

Per-consulate variation and digital versus printed photos

While 35 by 45 mm, a light background, and a 70 to 80 percent head are the common Schengen requirements, individual countries' consulates can add small rules of their own. Some specify an exact background shade, some require a particular file size for online uploads, and some have their own sample images. The official source is always the consulate or embassy of the country you are applying to, alongside the European Commission visa policy pages.

For an online application that asks for a digital file, you may need to keep the image under a size limit. After exporting, you can shrink the file with compress image to KB size without changing the 35 by 45 mm dimensions. If you are printing, a 300 DPI 35 by 45 mm photo prints at the correct physical size on standard photo paper.

Always confirm the final requirements with the specific consulate before you submit. This tool prepares a photo that commonly meets Schengen and EU specs, but it cannot promise acceptance, and the deciding authority is the consulate, not the editor.

Applying through the right country and biometrics

For a Schengen visa you apply through the country that is your main destination, or your first point of entry if you are visiting several equally, and that country's consulate sets the final photo rules. Two consulates can both follow the 35 by 45 mm ICAO standard yet differ on the exact background shade or the accepted file format, so a photo that passed for one trip is not guaranteed to pass for another. Always read the current requirement for the specific consulate handling your application.

Many Schengen appointments also capture your fingerprints and a live facial image for the biometric visa, which sits alongside the printed or uploaded photo rather than replacing it. The photo still has to meet the standard, because it is stored with your application and can be printed on the visa sticker. The maker prepares a photo to the common 35 by 45 spec, but the biometric capture and the final decision happen at the consulate or visa centre, not here.