European standards for photography
Size
Most European countries have established uniform requirements. The size of the photo for Schengen should be as follows: width – 35 mm , height – 45 mm .
A number of Schengen countries use their own standards:
- Greece and Italy allow 30 x 45 mm;
- The requirements for photographs at the Finnish Consulate are: width – 36 mm and height – 47 mm;
- Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden allow the photograph to be 35 x 40 mm.
Necessary lighting and background
For a photo for a Schengen visa in 2021, the requirements state that the background should be neutral and light , and its brightness and contrast should be high.
Individual EU countries set their own rules:
- France indicates that the background must be gray or light gray;
- light blue tone - for photos to the embassy of the Czech Republic and Luxembourg;
- Finland requires a blue or gray-blue tint.
A person’s complexion is natural, neutral. Clothes and hair should stand out against the general background.
Photos that are too dark or light are not considered by the consulate.
The absence of any extraneous things in the frame is required.
Photos must be taken in color and on matte paper with a density of 160 g.
Face
It should occupy 75% to 80% of the size.
The distance from a person’s chin to the top of his head is from 32 to 36 mm, and from the eye line to the edge of the chin is 13 mm. The distance between the pupils is from 6 mm to 9 mm. The distance from the upper border is 2 mm.
You want your neck and shoulders to be visible, and your hair to be pulled back.
Photo date
According to general rules, a photograph for a visa is accepted if it is not older than six months .
If you are traveling to Norway, Denmark, Iceland, or Holland, please note that these countries indicate that the photo must not be older than 3 months.
How many photos are needed?
To obtain permission to visit European countries, you must provide 2 photographs .
Photo requirements for a Schengen visa
In 2021, all Schengen countries have the same visa photo requirements. They are published in the appropriate sections on the websites of the consulates of each country.
In the vast majority of cases, only one photo is needed to obtain a visa. But it should be noted that some states (for example, Poland or Italy) may require two photographs from Schengen applicants.
Size
The size of the photo for a Schengen visa should not exceed 35x45 mm. (1.77 x 1.38 inches) and be less than 32 x 26 mm (1.26 x 1.02 inches). Only representative offices of countries such as Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Hungary can accept photos equal to 35x40 mm. Finland also set its own standards - 36x47 mm.
The Schengen visa photo must be the correct size
The photograph must show a close-up of the applicant's head and upper shoulders. The photo for a Schengen visa must exactly meet the following criteria:
- The distance from the bottom line of the chin to the top of the head should be from 32 to 36 mm.
- The face should be placed at 70–80% of the vertical size of the photo.
- The distance from the chin to the eye line can be at least 13 mm.
- The deviation from the top edge of the photo to the beginning of the head line is acceptable within 1–3 mm.
Angle and facial expressions
The face in the photograph is strictly frontal. The eyes are on the same line, looking directly at the camera. Looking over the shoulder, tilting the head to the side, or grimacing is unacceptable. The contours of the face should be clearly visible and not distorted by excessive facial expressions.
The photo should show a face with a neutral expression
Image quality
The photograph must be printed on high-quality paper with high resolution. The following are prohibited in the photo:
- bends;
- scratches;
- stains and ink marks.
It is important that the photographs prepared for the visa application are not too old.
I know that the storage period for visa photographs is no more than six months. But no one requires any documentary evidence of the time the photo was taken. It’s most likely not a matter of when you took the photo, what’s important is how much you have changed lately. Once I had to retake my quite successful photographs, which were only three months old. This happened after dyeing my hair - from very dark to light.
Lighting and background
The image must accurately convey the person's facial features. Therefore, the photo must meet certain criteria:
- complexion - natural;
- brightness and contrast - high;
- background color - light, neutral, plain.
Cast shadows, foreign objects and other people in the frame are not allowed. It is important that clothes and hair contrast with the background.
The face in the photo should look clear, sharp and contrasty
Clothing and hats
The most important requirement for a photo is the ability to fully see the face of its owner. Therefore, clothing should not contain high collars or hoods that cover parts of the face.
It is also not allowed to wear hats during filming. The exceptions are:
- medical indications;
- religious beliefs.
But even in these cases, the face from chin to forehead should be open. Features should be clearly visible.
Head covering is only permitted if the face remains visible
Accessories
It is necessary to remove from the photograph everything that may distract from determining the owner’s appearance. Massive earrings and piercings on the lips and nose are prohibited.
Glasses are allowed, but for medical reasons - when they are worn constantly. But in this case, glasses should not:
- cover part of the face with a bulky frame;
- cast a shadow over the eyes or hide them;
- give glare when shooting.
Photography with tinted glasses is not permitted.
The eyes must be clearly visible in the photo.
Photos of children
Children's faces have proportions that differ from adults, so the main conditions for photographs are:
- size - 35x45 mm;
- The face takes up 70–80% of the photo.
It is prohibited to wear hats. The presence of various toys and other foreign objects in the photo is unacceptable. The child must be alone in the photograph.
Photos of babies and children under 6 years old allow some concessions to head position and facial expression
Additional requirements
Quality
It is required that the photo for a Schengen visa be clean, clear and have a natural color scheme:
- Dark, gloomy, dull or light photographs are not pasted in.
- Shooting must be done so that no shadow is visible in the frame.
There should be no additional marks, frames or corners.
The man himself is located in the center from the front, and not from the side. His gaze is straight, not up, down or sideways.
Facial expressions
The photograph for a Schengen visa must have a neutral expression on the face of its owner. Grimaces or smiling are not allowed here.
Clothing and additional accessories
One of the main requirements is that a person's face be fully visible . Therefore, you cannot be photographed wearing a hood or other headdress.
Clothing should be chosen so that it does not cover the face and does not have a collar that is too high.
Muslim women are allowed to be photographed according to their religious beliefs wearing a headscarf or hijab. But the face should be free from the chin to the forehead.
It is allowed to take photographs wearing a headdress only if there are medical indications.
Photo requirements for a Schengen visa in 2021 stipulate that facial piercings and massive earrings in the ears are prohibited in the photo.
There is no need to wear glasses when taking photographs, unless they are required to be worn at all times for medical reasons.
In this case:
- When taking a photo, there should be no glare from the lenses of the glasses and cast a shadow on the face.
- It is not allowed to wear lenses that have tinting or wide frames.
Photo processing
For processing, you need to create an image with the required image size for a visa.
Then export and scale it to the size required for the visa.
For this, there are simple programs or ready-made templates that can be downloaded on the Internet.
Visual instructions on how to take and process your own photo for a Schengen visa in the following video:
Examples of good photos
An example of a good photo for a visa stamp would be the following image: on a light background, where most of the image is occupied by the head of the person depicted with a calm expression, open eyes and closed mouth. The face is turned frontal, the hair does not hide his features, without glasses or a headdress. Clothing in dark shades, no foreign objects, no red eyes.
Please note that the face should not be shot too close: the ideal option would be when the shoulder line is visible.
Rules for taking photographs for biometrics
There are the following photo requirements for a Schengen visa:
- You cannot be photographed wearing hats;
- high collars and too bright colors are not allowed in a person’s clothing;
- the background behind is plain and there should be no shadow from the head;
- put hair behind;
- there should not be too long bangs on the face;
- minimal amount of facial makeup and jewelry;
- no red eye effect.
It is not allowed to take pictures with glasses, only photos with lenses are allowed.
Compliance with restrictions
Before you start preparing photos for the consulate, you need to have a good understanding of how to avoid making mistakes:
- Headgear is not permitted. Their presence in the picture can be considered justified only if the religious beliefs of the citizen depicted in the picture require it.
- A hairstyle that covers part of the face is not allowed.
- It is forbidden to take pictures with glasses, especially sunglasses. The use of this accessory is only permissible if the visa applicant wears them constantly in everyday life. If the photo is still taken with glasses, then you should choose a model with thin frames that will not distort or hide facial features, with transparent lenses without glare. A blindfold may only be worn if the applicant has undergone medical intervention.
- You cannot wear uniforms, and it is also not recommended to wear things in yellow, red, orange or pink shades.
- Red-eye effect is unacceptable.
- In some countries, filming with hearing aids or Bluetooth headsets is prohibited. The exception is the US Consulate, which makes some concessions for people with poor hearing.
The picture cannot be too light or, conversely, too dark. The area occupied by the face should not be less than 70-80% of the entire image. An online visa photo is subject to the same restrictions, subject to the requirements listed above. It is especially important to remember this when it comes to consulates that accept photos only in electronic form, for example, American.
Child photo
For children, the same rules apply as for adults, but with some nuances:
- standard Schengen visa photo size – 3.5 x 4.5 cm;
- there must be one child in the frame, without an adult or toys;
- The photo needs to be clear and of good quality;
- the background is plain and light;
- facial expression without emotion, mouth closed.
To take such a picture, it is recommended to sit the child on a chair and hold it with your hands from below.
There should be someone standing near the photographer who will attract attention so that the child looks into the lens.
There are some concessions for children's photographs. Discrepancies in body position are allowed due to differences in body proportions in childhood.
Where can I take photos?
In large cities of the country there are photo studios that accept orders for frames for any documents.
Photographers know all the requirements for photography for a Schengen visa.
The photo can be taken at the visa application center, embassy or consulate. They have machines in the booths for self-photographing.
After the procedure is completed, you receive six images.
The price of a photo for a Schengen visa varies from 200 to 500 rubles for four photos.
How many photos do you need?
How many photos are needed for a Schengen visa depends on the specific country. For Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, you must submit 2 photo cards, one is pasted into the documents, the second must be submitted separately.
You can get acquainted with the requirements for Schengen photos and their number on the Internet portal of the consulate of the state you plan to enter.
It is not recommended to send a form with a photo to Schengen, where the photo does not comply with the rules, since with almost 100% probability a visa permit will be refused. And if you receive a negative answer from one consulate, most likely it will be difficult to obtain permission to other countries.
When applying for biometric data, it is best to submit your Schengen photo separately, directly at the embassy. How many photos you need for biometric data depends on the country you plan to enter.
The format of the entry permit photo card does not always comply with the rules for internal passport photos. If you do it in a photo salon, you need to say about the purpose of photographing and indicate the required number of products.
How to take a photo yourself?
To take a photo yourself, you need to have minimal skills in working with any photo editor and have access to a color printer.
You must be able to resize the image, change exposure, contrast and brightness.
To take photos at home:
- Find a light tone, turn on the lights, or install multiple light sources.
- Turn off the flash, as using it may create unwanted glare in the photo, and take a photo.
- Then you need to create a blank image in a file on your PC and transfer the image there.
- Adjust the image so that the size and proportions comply with all the rules of the Schengen zone. The minimum image resolution is 600 pixels.
- Take matte paper and print out the photo, at least in two copies, this is how many photos you need for a Schengen visa.
Remember, when processing a photo, you cannot change the proportions, improve the appearance or otherwise further modify the frame (do retouching and artistic processing).
Correct and incorrect photos
When applying for a visa to a Schengen country, you need to take into account that the photo must comply with current requirements.
To make sure your photo is suitable, check out examples of correct and incorrect photographs. They will help you avoid mistakes, save money and time.
The photo requirements for a Schengen visa correspond to the standard model adopted by the ICAO. The rules apply in the territory of 52 countries that took part in the Chicago Convention. They were adopted to ensure the safety of citizens.
Failure to comply with the standard entails a refusal to issue an entry permit to the Schengen countries, since a package of documents without the correct photo is considered incomplete.
