🖼️ Image · Updated November 6, 2026 · 7 min read

Schengen Visa Photo 35x45 mm: Head Size and Framing

A Schengen visa photo is 35 x 45 mm, portrait orientation, in color, with the head filling about 70 to 80 percent of the height, roughly 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain light background. That makes it much tighter than a US 2x2 photo, where the head fills only about half to two thirds of the frame, and slightly different from a UK printed passport photo, which uses the same 35 x 45 mm paper size but a smaller 29 to 34 mm head. This guide explains the Schengen framing rules, compares them with the UK and US, and shows how GrabCast Passport Photo Maker fits a head into the 32 to 36 mm range and saves a 413 x 531 pixel JPG at 300 dpi. Consulates and visa centers publish their own photo lists, so read the one for the country you apply to before you print.

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Finished 35×45 mm Schengen visa photo of an illustrated character on a light background next to the EU preset and a 413×531 px JPG confirmation — A 35×45 mm Schengen visa photo framed to the 32–36 mm head rule and saved as a 413×531 px JPG.

💡 Why the same 35x45 mm size is not the same photo everywhere

Travelers often assume one passport photo fits every application. The paper size may match, but the framing does not: a photo cropped for a US passport leaves too much space around the head for a Schengen visa, and a UK passport photo framed at the low end of its range can fall below what a consulate expects. Visa centers check photos at the counter and can refuse to accept an application until a new one is supplied, which costs time you may not have before a trip. Knowing the head-size target in millimeters, and measuring it rather than eyeballing it, is the simplest way to avoid that. It also saves money, because a retake at a studio near the visa center on appointment day is usually the most expensive and stressful option available.

Schengen visa photo rules at a glance

Schengen countries follow the international passport photo standard, and most consulates publish lists like this one.

Size: 35 mm wide by 45 mm high, portrait orientation.
Head: about 70 to 80 percent of the photo height, which works out to roughly 32 to 36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
Background: plain and light, typically white or light gray, with no shadows or patterns.
Face: centered, looking straight at the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible.
Recency: a recent photo, commonly within the last six months; some visa centers state a shorter period.
Quality: sharp, in color, printed on photo paper, with no digital changes to your appearance.
Head position: centered left to right, with a little space above the hair; the head should not touch the top edge or be cut off at the chin.
Lighting: even across the face, with no shadow on one cheek, no glare on the skin and no red-eye; ears are often expected to be visible, although rules differ by consulate.

Schengen vs UK vs US: same idea, different framing

Switching presets in the tool makes the difference visible on one photo.

EU / Schengen visa, 35 x 45 mm: head about 32 to 36 mm. Auto-fit placed our example at 34.1 mm, 76 percent of the height.
UK passport (printed), 35 x 45 mm: head 29 to 34 mm and a plain cream or light gray background. With the same photo, Auto-fit refitted the head to 31.5 mm, 70 percent of the height. The UK online service takes a digital photo instead of prints.
US passport / visa, 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm): head 1 to 1 3/8 in, about 50 to 69 percent of a square frame, and a white or off-white background.
China visa, 33 x 48 mm, and Canada passport, 50 x 70 mm, have their own presets with different head ranges; Canada also requires prints from a commercial photographer.

Framing a 35x45 photo to the millimeter

The tool works at 300 dpi, so 35 x 45 mm becomes a 413 x 531 pixel image.

Choose EU / Schengen visa — 35x45 mm from the Document menu. The note under it repeats the head size and background rule.
Face detection estimates the chin and top of the head from the eyes and mouth. Our screenshots use an illustrated character, so detection did not fire and we dragged the markers with Adjust markers: orange lines on the top of the hair and the chin, blue line on the eyes.
Before Auto-fit the panel showed a red cross, head 29.3 mm against the 32 to 36 mm range. After Auto-fit it showed a green check at 34.1 mm, with the whole head inside the photo.
Use Zoom and Straighten for small corrections and watch the numbers; the checks update live while you drag the photo.

Printing and submitting your visa photo

A correct file still needs a correct print.

Photo (JPG) saves the single 413 x 531 px image with 300 dpi recorded in the file, for an online form or a single print.
The 4x6 print sheet button arranges as many 35 x 45 mm copies as fit on a 4 x 6 inch print, with cut lines; eight fit on one sheet.
Print at 100 percent or actual size, borderless, on photo paper, then check with a ruler that each copy is 35 mm wide.
Glasses rules differ between consulates; removing them is the safest choice, and the tool's checklist says the same.
Keep a spare copy with your travel papers in case the visa center keeps more photos than expected.
If you apply for visas for a whole family, frame each person separately; children have smaller heads, so markers placed by hand and a fresh Auto-fit matter even more for them.

If a portal rejects the file, reducing its size in KB often solves it, and iPhone users can try converting HEIC to JPG.

Step-by-step

1Take a straight-on head-and-shoulders photo against a plain light wall, with even light and no glasses.

Document menu set to EU / Schengen visa — 35×45 mm with the note head about 32–36 mm, 70–80% of the height, plain light background — Choose EU / Schengen visa — 35×45 mm; the note under the menu lists the head size and background rules for that document.

2Open Passport Photo Maker, add the photo and choose EU / Schengen visa — 35x45 mm.

Portrait-format 35×45 mm frame with orange top of head and chin markers and a blue eye marker placed on the illustrated face — Drag the top-of-head, chin and eye markers onto the face; hair counts as part of the head.

3Check or drag the top-of-head, chin and eye markers, then click Auto-fit until the head size shows a green check between 32 and 36 mm.

Auto-fit result for the Schengen visa size: head measured at about 34 mm, around three quarters of the 45 mm height, with a green check for the 32–36 mm range — Auto-fit scales the head to the middle of the 32–36 mm range and centers it in the 35×45 mm frame.

4Download the 413 x 531 px JPG or the 4x6 print sheet and print at actual size on photo paper.

Same photo switched to UK passport (printed) — 35×45 mm: the head is refitted smaller, about 31.5 mm, to suit the 29–34 mm UK range — Switch to the UK printed preset and the head is refitted to the smaller 29–34 mm range; same paper size, different framing.

Common mistakes to avoid

⚠️Reusing a US 2x2 photo cropped down to 35 x 45 mm, which leaves the head far too small for a Schengen application.

⚠️Framing to the UK range and assuming it also satisfies a consulate that expects 32 to 36 mm.

⚠️Measuring the head from the hairline instead of the top of the hair, so the printed head comes out oversized.

⚠️Printing with the printer's fit to page option on, which changes the physical size of every copy.

Pro tips

✓Leave generous space above the head and around the shoulders when you shoot; the tight Schengen crop needs room to zoom in without white gaps.

✓Switch between the EU and UK presets to see how the same photo is reframed; it is a quick way to understand the rules.

✓Look at the percentage shown next to the head size; 70 to 80 percent is the target for Schengen photos.

✓Save the JPG under a name that includes the country and date, so you can find it for the next application.

✓If a visa center publishes a sample photo, compare your print with it side by side before your appointment, paying attention to how much space sits above the hair.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a Schengen visa photo?

35 x 45 mm in portrait orientation, with the head about 70 to 80 percent of the height, roughly 32 to 36 mm from chin to top of head.

Is a UK passport photo the same as a Schengen photo?

The paper size is the same, 35 x 45 mm, but the UK uses a 29 to 34 mm head range and a cream or light gray background, so framing can differ.

Can I use my US passport photo for a Schengen visa?

No. A US photo is 2 x 2 inches and the head fills a smaller share of the frame. Reframe the original picture to 35 x 45 mm instead.

How many pixels is a 35x45 mm photo?

At 300 dpi it is 413 x 531 pixels, which is what the tool saves. Online forms may ask for other pixel sizes, so check the form.

How many 35x45 photos fit on a 4x6 print?

Eight. The print sheet button lays them out on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at 300 dpi with thin cut lines. Small gaps separate the copies, which makes trimming each one easier with a ruler and craft knife.

📌 Bottom line

Frame a Schengen visa photo at 35 x 45 mm with the head filling 70 to 80 percent, about 32 to 36 mm, on a plain light background. Measure it with the guides and Auto-fit, compare with the consulate's own list, and print at actual size.

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