One size, 27 countries
A Schengen visa photo is 35mm wide by 45mm tall, with the head - chin to crown - measuring 32 to 36mm. Unlike passport photos, which vary country by country even within Europe, this specification is standardised across all 27 Schengen member states: the same photo, made once, is valid whether you're applying through a French, German, Italian or any other Schengen country's visa centre. A canvas that's the exact right size with a head outside that 4mm window is still rejected, which is why the guide lines here matter more than the outer crop.
Not the same as a passport photo, even at the same size
35×45mm is also the canvas size for several countries' domestic passport photos, including the UK's - but the head-height range isn't automatically the same. UK passport photos want 29–34mm; the Schengen visa standard wants 32–36mm. Don't assume a photo made for one purpose satisfies the other just because the outer dimensions match - select the Schengen preset specifically if that's what you're applying for, and this tool's guide lines switch to the correct range for it.
What Schengen visa photos specifically require
- Background: plain and light-coloured - light grey is the safest choice, though some visa centres also accept plain white.
- Glasses: current guidance does not allow glasses in the photo - take it without them if you normally wear them.
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open and clearly visible, facing the camera directly.
- Contrast and focus: sharp focus with strong contrast between you and the background - blurry or low-contrast photos are a common rejection reason.
- Recency: taken within the last six months and resembling your current appearance.
This tool gets the canvas size and head placement right, which covers the most common technical rejection reasons. It can't judge your specific lighting or background quality - that part is on the photo itself, and requirements can be checked or interpreted slightly differently between individual visa centres, so confirm with yours if anything is unclear.
Taking the photo yourself
A phone camera works if the technique is right. Avoid taking a selfie at arm's length - the short distance distorts facial proportions in a way that can look wrong and occasionally fails automated checks used by visa processing systems. Have someone else take the photo from roughly two metres away with a standard lens rather than an ultra-wide one.
Stand a little forward of your background to avoid casting a shadow on it, and use soft, even light from the front - daylight through a window works well, or two lights angled from either side. Harsh direct flash tends to create shadows under the chin and glare that reduces the sharp contrast Schengen guidance specifically asks for.
Resolution and printing
300 DPI is the default here and works for both a digital upload and a physical print, producing roughly 413×531 pixels for the 35×45mm frame. If your visa centre wants a printed photo rather than a digital file, use the print sheet option to lay several copies out on a 4×6 inch sheet with cut lines, printable cheaply at most pharmacies or photo kiosks.
Everything runs in your browser using the canvas API - the photo is never uploaded to a server. There's no account, no sign-up, and no file size limit beyond what your device can handle.