Schengen Passport Photo Maker
Official 35 × 45 mm for visa and national passports in the Schengen Area — cropped correctly, then 6 copies on one printable sheet.
A photo of your face never leaves your deviceDrop your photo here
or click to browse — a phone selfie against a plain wall works
JPG · PNG · WebP · HEIC from iPhone
Requirements change. Confirm with the consulate of the country you are applying to before printing — official specification.
Three steps
No account at any point, and the photo never leaves your device.
Add your photo
A phone photo against a plain light grey or off-white works. HEIC straight from an iPhone is fine — it is converted here.
Match 32–36 mm chin to crown
Drag and zoom until your chin and the top of your head sit on the two dashed lines. That range is what the consulate of the country you are applying to measures, and getting it wrong is the usual reason a photo comes back.
Print 6 at once
Download a 4 × 6 sheet holding 6 photos at 35 × 45 mm, then cut along the guides. One cheap print instead of a booth.
Schengen requirements at a glance
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm |
| Head height | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| At 300 dpi | 413 × 531 pixels |
| Background | Plain light grey or off-white, uniform, no shadow. |
| Glasses | Best avoided. Strongly discouraged, and rejected outright by several member states. If you must wear them, the frames cannot cover any part of your eyes and there can be no reflection. |
| Expression | Neutral only. Neutral, mouth closed, looking straight at the camera. This is harmonised across the area under EU biometric standards. |
| Authority | the consulate of the country you are applying to |
| Per 4 × 6 sheet | 6 photos |
What makes the Schengen Area different
One specification covers a great deal of ground here. The same 35 × 45 mm photo works for a Schengen visa at any of the member consulates, and for most national passports within them — Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Poland and the rest.
What catches people out
- The same 35 × 45 mm format covers Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Poland and the rest of the area, for both Schengen visas and most national passports.
- Individual countries add their own details for national documents, so check the specific consulate for anything other than a Schengen visa.
- Germany's national ID has additional biometric checks beyond the visa standard.
Consulates are notably strict about the head filling the frame correctly — too small a head is the most common reason a Schengen visa photo comes back, more so than background or expression.
Where the photo goes
You submit printed photos at the consulate or visa centre of the country you are travelling to, or the one where you will spend the most time. Some centres also capture a photo on site.
Printing 6 for the price of one
At 35 × 45 mm, 6 photos fit on a single 4 × 6 inch print — the cheapest product at any kiosk or online print service, against a booth that charges for a set of four.
Print at actual size and turn off "fit to page", "scale to fit" and borderless printing. Each of those resizes the image by a few percent, which is enough to push the head outside the 32–36 mm chin to crown that the consulate of the country you are applying to requires.
Our main passport photo page covers the general advice on lighting, distance and expression that applies wherever you are applying. The rules above are the ones specific to the Schengen Area.
Common questions
What size is a Schengen passport photo?
35 × 45 mm, with the head measuring 32–36 mm chin to crown. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels.
Can I wear glasses in a Schengen passport photo?
Strongly discouraged, and rejected outright by several member states. If you must wear them, the frames cannot cover any part of your eyes and there can be no reflection.
Can I smile?
Neutral, mouth closed, looking straight at the camera. This is harmonised across the area under EU biometric standards.
What background colour is required?
Plain light grey or off-white, uniform, no shadow.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The cropping happens inside your browser using your own device. A photo of your face is never transmitted, which is also why there is no account and no watermark.
Other countries
The rules genuinely differ — background colour, glasses and expression are not the same everywhere.