Schengen Visa Photo — ICAO 9303 Compliant Online Generator
All 29 Schengen Area countries — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and the rest — use the same 35 × 45 mm photo specification derived from ICAO Document 9303. The face must occupy 70 to 80 percent of the frame, with the head measuring 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, against a light grey or light blue background. SnapPhoto auto-frames to the exact head-height band and normalizes the background, so the output passes at any Schengen consulate.
Schengen Area Visa Photo requirements
- Dimensions
- 35 × 45 mm, portrait
- Face coverage
- 70–80% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown)
- Background
- Light grey or light blue, uniform
- Eyeglasses
- Not recommended; rejected by most consulates
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes visible
- Resolution
- At least 300 DPI for printed submission
- Recency
- Taken within the last 6 months
Common rejection reasons
- Face too small in the frame — the 70–80% rule is strictly enforced.
- Pure white background instead of the required light grey or blue.
- Glasses (even without reflections) — most Schengen states reject them outright.
- Hair covering part of the face or eyebrows.
- Low-resolution printout (below 300 DPI) for applications that require a physical photo.
How to make your Schengen Area visa photo online
- 1
Pick your destination
Select the country you are applying to — the tool auto-loads that embassy’s photo specification.
- 2
Upload a recent photo
Upload any clear, recent photo of yourself from your phone or laptop. HEIC files from iPhone are converted automatically.
- 3
Let the biometric check run
Face alignment, eye openness, head tilt, expression, and shoulder level are validated against ICAO rules. You see errors before you pay.
- 4
Background is normalized and the photo is framed
The background is replaced with the country’s required color and the image is auto-cropped to the exact required size and head position.
- 5
Download your compliant photo
Download a single digital photo sized to embassy spec, or a 4×6″ print sheet with cutting guides for any photo kiosk or printer.
Schengen Area Visa Photo — FAQ
Yes. All Schengen Area states use the same 35 × 45 mm ICAO 9303 specification, so one SnapPhoto output is accepted at French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek, and all other Schengen consulates.
The EU specification calls for a uniform light grey or light blue background. SnapPhoto normalizes to a neutral light background automatically. Plain white is usually accepted but light grey is the safest option.
Most Schengen consulates reject photos with glasses outright, even without reflections. We strongly recommend removing glasses before taking the photo.
Yes. The 35 × 45 mm ICAO 9303 specification applies to short-stay (type C) and long-stay (type D) national visas across all Schengen states, so one SnapPhoto output covers every Schengen application.
A single digital photo is $3.99 and a 4×6″ print sheet (multiple photos per sheet, ready for home or kiosk printing) is $4.99. You only pay after the biometric validation passes.
Every photo is validated against the destination country’s official ICAO biometric specification — head size, eye openness, expression, shoulder level, and background — before you pay. If it fails validation we tell you exactly why and you can retry for free.