A Schengen visa photo is 35 × 45 mm (about 827 × 1063 pixels at 600 dpi) — a JPEG at 8 KB – 2 MB, head at 70–80% of the photo's height, eyes 52–68% up from the bottom of the photo, on a plain, light-colored background. That's the whole specification, transcribed from the official France-Visas requirements document — read it, check it at the source, then let the maker hit the numbers for you.
WHAT WE HAND YOU: 35×45 mm JPEG at 600 dpi · plain light background
Make my photo → Free compliance check · download for $16.99at CVS; ours is $9.99 if it passes · refunded if the government rejects it
The specification
These are the numbers your photo is measured against, transcribed from Official Schengen visa photo requirements (France-Visas) — verifiable at the source, which is linked under the table:
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm (about 827 × 1063 pixels at 600 dpi)† (derived from official print specification) |
|---|---|
| File size | 8 KB – 2 MB† (derived from official print specification) |
| Format | JPEG† (derived from official print specification) |
| Head height | 70–80% of the photo's height |
| Eye height | 52–68% up from the bottom of the photo† (derived from official print specification) |
| Background | Plain, light-coloured background |
† Derived from the official print specification — the source publishes no digital value for this item.
Already have a photo? Check it against the spec — free
Applying as a family? Check the whole family's photos at once — the official requirements linked below ask for a photo of each applicant.
Who does what
Everything on the left is measurement and file work, which is what the maker is for. Everything on the right happens before the photo exists.
Make my photo →When Per-country systems (VFS Global, BLS International) says no
There is no single Schengen portal. Each member state runs its own form, and most photos are handed in on paper at a VFS or BLS counter.
Much of this corridor no longer collects a printed photo. Norway states you do not need to bring a photo when you apply for a visa, residence permit or travel document, and that this applies to everyone.
What to do. Read the checklist for the state deciding your application before you print. Sweden asks for a photo only if a representative applies for you, and the Netherlands asks for none when you apply through an external service provider.
There is no one Schengen crop. The Netherlands caps the face at 26-30 mm chin to crown inside a 45 mm photo, about 58-67 percent of the height. Bulgaria’s visa page asks for 70-80 percent.
What to do. Crop to the figure used by the state deciding your application. For the Netherlands, measure chin to the top of the head and keep it between 26 and 30 mm, with a face width of 16-20 mm, ears excluded.
The states do not agree. The Netherlands accepts light grey, light blue or white, a German mission asks for a light uncoloured background, and France’s national identity photo standard forbids white.
What to do. Use a plain, evenly lit, single shade of very light grey, which sits inside all three. The French rule here is written for French passports and ID cards, so confirm the visa wording with the centre handling your file.
The Netherlands states this as a requirement, not a preference. The Dutch rules ask for a photo printed on high-quality, smooth photo paper, with a minimum resolution of 400 dpi, and not a reproduction or copy.
What to do. Print on photo paper. Do not photograph or scan an older print and hand that in. If you print at home, check the file is large enough that 35x45 mm comes out at 400 dpi or better.
Two states put this in writing. A German mission checklist requires the photo to be biometric and not retouched. The Dutch rules require it to be unaltered by computer software.
What to do. Turn off any beautify or smoothing mode before you take the picture, and retake it if you are unsure. Cropping and resizing are fine. Changing the shape or texture of your face is not.
Bulgaria says this on its official visa page, which lists non-professional photos, and photos cut out of amateur photos, among those it will not accept.
What to do. Take a picture made for the purpose: plain background, even light, camera at eye level, nothing else in the frame. Zooming in on a holiday photo is the exact thing this rule names.
France’s standard requires lenses that are neither tinted nor coloured and free of reflection, and a frame that is not thick and does not hide the eyes. Bulgaria refuses photos with dark glasses.
What to do. You can keep glasses on in most of this corridor, but the lenses must be clear and free of glare, and the frame must not cross your eyes. Taking them off removes the risk.
The Dutch table answers cap or hat with no. It allows a head covering only for religion or belief, or for hair loss after medical treatment, and then it must be one colour and an even shade.
What to do. Remove hats and hairbands. If you cover your head for religious reasons, keep the covering plain and one colour, clear of your face, with your eyes and the outline of your face visible.
The age limit is not uniform. The Dutch page requires a photo no more than 6 months old at the date of application, and the French standard says less than 6 months. A German checklist asks only for a recent photo.
What to do. Take a new photo for each application. Six months is the outer limit stated on the Dutch and French pages, and the Bulgarian page sets no age limit, so follow the strictest state in your plans.
Rejected by the portal? We refund you.
Email us with your order id and the full amount goes back to your card. No screenshots, no proof — just tell us it was rejected.
30 DAYS FROM PURCHASE · NO PROOF UPLOADS · EVERY MEASUREMENT CHECKED AGAINST THE PUBLISHED GOVERNMENT SPEC BEFORE YOU PAY
Questions
No. We're an independent service that makes and checks visa photos — not affiliated with any consulate or government. The official France-Visas photo requirements page is linked below if you'd rather do it yourself.
35 x 45 mm, which works out to roughly 827 x 1063 pixels at 600 dpi. The finished file is a JPEG between 8 KB and 2 MB.
Not at EU level. The EU guidance fixes only the width at 35 to 40 mm and requires the face to fill 70 to 80% of the frame. The exact 35 x 45 figure comes from member states, with the Netherlands publishing it verbatim.
70 to 80% of the photo height, with your eyes sitting 52 to 68% of the way up from the bottom edge. This is a noticeably tighter crop than the US 50 to 69% band.
A plain, light-coloured background. GOV.UK asks for cream or light grey only on its printed route, so a printed UK photo is not automatically Schengen-compliant.
Six months at most under the Dutch and French rules. The limit is not uniform across member states, so follow the one deciding your application.
The 35 x 45 mm print format is specified across member states, but the crop is not — the Netherlands caps the face at 26 to 30 mm chin to crown — so check the rules of the state deciding your application.
The 35 x 45 mm JPEG at 600 dpi comes with every order. A print-ready 4 x 6 sheet of eight photos, for consulate appointments that ask for prints, is an optional add-on at checkout.
The frame is the same 35 x 45 mm, but the head bands differ (Schengen 70-80%, UK 64-76%) and GOV.UK's printed route wants cream or light grey. One photo does not serve both applications.
You won't be charged. We show you exactly which check failed and how to fix it — move closer, find better light, use a plainer background — so you can retake and try again for free.
We refund you. Email info@readyvisaphoto.com with your order id (it is in your receipt, and on the page your refund link opens) and tell us it was rejected — the full amount goes back to your original card. No screenshots, no forms, no proof. Covers 30 days from purchase.
It’s used only to run the checks, downloadable by you for 30 days, then deleted automatically. No account, no photo library, no reuse.
Your download link stays active for 30 days after purchase.