Schengen visa photo: why there is no single EU size

What does EU law say about the photo?

The Visa Code is the EU regulation every Schengen consulate applies. Article 10 says you must present a photograph that meets the standards in Article 13, or in the regulation on the visa sticker.

Article 13 names no size. It says the photograph's technical requirements follow ICAO Doc 9303 Part 1, the aviation body's standard for travel documents. We searched the whole consolidated text, and it contains no millimetre figure for the photo.

The same article says that at a first application you appear in person, and the photograph is "scanned or taken at the time of application". So EU law allows the consulate to take the photo itself.

What do the consulates ask for?

A Schengen visa is issued by the member state you apply to, so its consulate's rule is the one that counts. We read three countries' own pages and documents on 26 September 2026.

The sources are the Visa Code, France-Visas' photo document, the German embassy in Kuwait's visa page and sample chart, and NetherlandsWorldwide's checklist.

France-Visas' own site refuses automated requests, so we read its photo document in the Wayback Machine's copy of 12 May 2026. Check it on the site before you rely on it.

Is a Schengen visa photo 35 x 45 mm?

Often, but check. Germany and the Netherlands both say 3.5 x 4.5 cm, which is 35 x 45 mm. France's document gives only a width, 35 to 40 mm, and states no height at all.

A 35 x 45 mm photo fits all three. If you print it yourself, it is 413 x 531 pixels at 300 DPI. The tool to resize an image to 35 x 45 mm saves that DPI in the file, so it prints at size.

Should the background be white or grey?

It depends on the consulate, and even one consulate can disagree with itself. The German embassy in Kuwait asks for a white background on its visa page.

The sample chart that same page links to asks for one bright colour, ideally neutral grey. France asks for a plain light colour, and the Netherlands for white or light coloured.

Plain white, evenly lit with no shadow behind you, meets the words of all three. Where a consulate names one colour on its own page, follow that page.

Do you need to bring a photo at all?

Not always. The Netherlands says that if you apply through its external service provider, you do not need to submit a photo, because a digital photo is taken at your appointment.

The German embassy in Kuwait still asks for a printed photo with the form. The checklist from the consulate or visa centre you book with is the only place that answers this for your application.

Can I use my passport photo?

Maybe, but a passport rule is not a visa rule. Your own country's passport photo may be a different size, and a Schengen state's passport rule applies to its own citizens, not to your visa.

The passport photo sizes by country on this site are passport rules, each cited from the authority. Use them to compare, and use the consulate's visa checklist to decide.

Will the online Schengen visa take an uploaded photo?

The EU adopted a regulation in 2023 to move Schengen visa applications online, on a platform called the EU Visa Application Platform. It starts on a date the European Commission sets by decision, and we found no such decision yet.

Its amended rules say your face is taken live, with a photograph presented only where an exemption applies. A member state may also stay off the platform for up to seven years after it starts.

How do I make the photo?

Read your consulate's checklist first, then take the photo against a plain light wall, lit evenly from the front. Crop it so your face fills 70 to 80 percent of the height.

For a print, resize it to 35 x 45 mm and print it at actual size. Several copies fit on one sheet with the passport photo print sheet. Background rules for passports are in passport photo background colour by country.