Schengen visa photo requirements
Not yet re-checked
A Schengen visa photo is 35 × 45 mm; background rules depend on the consulate. German adult guidance targets 32–36 mm from chin to top of skull, excluding hair. Glasses are allowed only with no glare. Rules differ between consulates, so check yours. Source: Schengen consulates in the U.S., read September 28, 2026.
Sources: germany.info and consnewyork.esteri.it, read September 28, 2026.
These rules have not been re-checked in full against current consulate requirements. Consulates and visa categories differ; check your own checklist before using this setting.
The rule
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Print size | 35 × 45 mm |
| German adult head height | German adult guidance target: 32–36 mm, chin to top of skull, hair excluded |
| Background | German missions: bright, contrasting color; see the note for other consulatesCan you change the background of a passport photo? |
| Glasses | Allowed with no glare |
| Expression | Neutral |
| Head coverings | No head coverings except for religious reasons. |
| Other rules |
|
Sources: German Missions in the US, Sample photos (opens in a new tab) (germany.info); Print size and other rules: German Missions in the US, Schengen visa General Information / checklist (opens in a new tab) (germany.info). Read ; not yet re-checked.
Notes
Rules differ by consulate
The 32–36 mm head range shown here is the German missions’ recommended adult target, measured from chin to the top of the skull, excluding hair. Their adult photo guidance gives a 27–40 mm tolerance, so the target is not the sole acceptance threshold. Their sample board gives separate exceptions for children; check your consulate’s own requirements for the applicant.
Schengen consulates in the U.S. don’t all ask for the same background. The Italian Consulate General in New York asks for white. The German missions ask for one bright color that stands out from your face and hair, ideally a neutral gray. White alone does not ensure the contrast their guidance requires.
The German checklist and Italy’s New York page both ask for a recent photo without giving a fixed month limit. Follow your consulate’s own checklist for photo age and submission requirements.
Sources: Consolato Generale d’Italia a New York, Tourism and transit visa, checked September 30, 2026; German Missions in the US, Sample photos, checked September 30, 2026; German Missions in the US, Schengen visa General Information / checklist, checked September 30, 2026.
What we check, and what we can’t
On your device, we measure the head size and where it sits, the eye line, the wall behind you, the light on your face, the pose and the sharpness against this rule, and we crop the photo to its size. We level, resize and crop it, and nothing else.
We can’t tell how recent the photo is, whether it still looks like you, or what the office’s own reviewer will see on the day. Your consulate decides whether to accept it.
Why a real photo matters
The Schengen visa rule on editing
The German visa checklist and Italy’s New York visa page don’t give a written editing rule. The German BMI photo examples for identification documents mark retouching and filters as unacceptable; check your consulate’s own requirements.
We read German Missions in the US, Schengen visa General Information / checklist, BMI/Bundesdruckerei Photo examples: biometric photo requirements for identification documents and Consolato Generale d’Italia a New York, Tourism and transit visa.
Start with your original camera photo. Check the document’s rules, including whether your head is 32–36 mm from chin to top of skull, hair not counted.
We don’t generate your photo. We level, scale and crop your original pixels to 35 × 45 mm, then show you the head height and the margins before you pay.
Our guides cover AI and passport photos and changing a photo’s background.
The files
studioless-schengen-visa-print-4x6
.jpg Print it as a regular 4 × 6 in photo at any drugstore kiosk, then cut on the lines.
1800 × 1200 px at 300 dpi, 6 photos at 35 × 45 mm
studioless-schengen-visa-print-5x7
.jpg The same photos on a 5 × 7 in sheet, printed and cut the same way.
1500 × 2100 px at 300 dpi, 9 photos at 35 × 45 mm
The application asks for one photo. Paper: photo paper. Your check results come with the files, and everything is deleted 7 days after your order.
Sources
- German Missions in the US, Schengen visa General Information / checklist (opens in a new tab)germany.info
- German Missions in the US, Sample photos (opens in a new tab)germany.info
- BMI/Bundesdruckerei Photo examples: biometric photo requirements for identification documents (opens in a new tab)germany.info
- Consolato Generale d’Italia a New York, Tourism and transit visa (opens in a new tab)consnewyork.esteri.it
Changes to this page’s rule
- Document pages now show a short list of key facts, each naming its source authority and record date, before the complete rule table.
- Schengen photo guidance: corrected the German missions’ adult head measurement to chin to top of skull, excluding hair, and linked the head, pose and glasses facts to the sample board that states them.
- Checked 10 documents against official pages. U.S. State Department pages were read from Wayback snapshots because the live site blocked automated access.
Every document’s rules in one table: passport and visa photo sizesEvery change to the rules we check
Questions
Can I use ChatGPT or an AI app for my Schengen visa photo?
Start with an original camera photo, rather than a generated or retouched portrait. The German visa checklist and Italy’s New York visa page don’t give a written editing rule. The German BMI photo examples for identification documents mark retouching and filters as unacceptable; check your consulate’s own requirements. Confirm permitted edits with the issuing authority; a chatbot’s answer does not establish acceptance. We only level, scale and crop the photo you take.
Can I wear glasses in a Schengen visa photo?
Only with no glare, no tint and your eyes fully visible. Taking them off is the safest choice.
What do I get for $9.95?
You get printable 4 × 6 in and 5 × 7 in sheets you can print at any drugstore. The application asks for one photo.
Where do I get my files?
On your order page after you pay, with no account to make.
