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Passport, visa and ID photos · Schengen Area (France-Visas and German missions quoted)

Schengen visa photo: check and make yours

Your Schengen visa photo, checked against the official rules, framed and sized, ready to print. Official size: 35 x 45 mm. Background: plain light-coloured (France-Visas); white (German mission in Dhaka). Rules read on france-visas.gouv.fr on 4 November 2026.

  1. Take or choose a photo
  2. We check it against the official rules and frame it
  3. Download the exact file and a print sheet

Free check. Your Schengen visa photo, €6.99, only once it passes: the ready file and print sheet, unlimited retakes for 30 days. Refund if the authority rejects it.

Your photo: 413 x 531 px

Your photo stays on your device: nothing is uploaded, and no face is recognised.

Before you take it

  • Stand a step in front of a plain white wall, with nothing behind you.
  • Face a window or soft light: even light on the face, no shadows on it or behind.
  • Phone at eye level, about 1.5 m away: ask someone, or hold it at arm's length.
  • Glasses only with no tint and no glare on them.
  • A neutral face, eyes open, facing the camera.

Check and make your photo

The first photo loads the face finder and the background outline from this site, about 15 MB, once.

The face finder and the background outline run in this page from files served by this site (sources and licences). They find where a face is in the photo; they never recognise who it is.

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government.

No single EU page gives these numbers: each country's consulate applies them, and some differ slightly. Check the page of the consulate where you apply.

Apply directly, and pay only the official fee

We never apply for you: you apply for the Schengen visa yourself, on the official site.

Open the official site: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Applying for a Schengen visa. There is no single EU application site: you apply to the consulate of the country you will visit, or the visa centre that collects its applications. This EU page links to each country's own site.

Official fee: €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6 to 12, as stated on home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, checked 9 November 2026.

Sites that look official may charge extra for the same form: use only the official site above.

What you need

Tick as you go: the ticks stay on this page and are not saved.

The photo: check it free on this page, then get the exact file the official site accepts, €6.99. Check your photo ↑

The steps on the official site

  1. Find the consulate of the country you will visit: where you will stay longest, or the first country if the stays are equal.
  2. Apply at least 15 days and no more than 6 months before you travel.
  3. Book an appointment if the consulate asks for one.
  4. Hand in your application and documents and pay the fee; your fingerprints are taken.

How long it takes: "The normal processing time for a visa application is 15 days." (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, checked 9 November 2026)

Sources

Official source: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, checked on 9 November 2026.

You must lodge your application for a Schengen visa at the consulate of the country you intend to visit.
Visiting more than 1 Schengen countries: apply at the consulate of the country where you will spend the longest time.
Visiting several Schengen countries (for stays of equal length): apply at the consulate of the first country you will visit.
You must submit your application to the consulate at least 15 days before your intended journey and no earlier than 6 months beforehand.
You may have to book an appointment before lodging the application.
A valid passport. The passport’s expiry date should be at least 3 months after the date of your departure from the Schengen area.
A visa application form.
A photo in compliance with ICAO standards
Medical insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation (including in the event of death).
Supporting documents relating to the purpose of your stay, evidence of financial means and accommodation during your stay, and evidence of your intention to return to your home country after your stay.
Your fingerprints will be collected when you submit your application (exemptions exist for specific categories of applicants).
€90 for adults
€45 for children aged 6-12
An additional fee may apply if you go through visa service centres, which collect applications on behalf of consulates in some cases.
The normal processing time for a visa application is 15 days.
This period may be extended to up to 45 days if a more detailed examination of the application and/or additional documents are required.

Official source: eur-lex.europa.eu, checked on 9 November 2026.

Applicants shall pay a visa fee of EUR 90.
Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years shall pay a visa fee of EUR 45.
The service fee shall not exceed half of the amount of the visa fee set out in Article 16(1), irrespective of the possible reductions in or exemptions from the visa fee as provided for in Article 16(2), (4), (5) and (6).

WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government and never applies for anyone. Fees and steps change: check the official site before you pay.

The rules at a glance

For the Schengen short-stay visa (type C) application photo, ICAO format, as the official rules state them.

Size
35 x 45 mm
The file we make
413 x 531 pixels
Background
Plain light-coloured (France-Visas); white (German mission in Dhaka).
Head size
71% to 80% of the photo's height, chin to top of head
Glasses
Allowed only with no tint and no glare, your eyes clearly visible
Expression
A neutral face, eyes open, facing the camera.
Taken
In the last 6 months
Edits
Background and light only: we never change your face. The official pages quoted don't forbid editing; we limit ourselves to the background and overall light.
All the official rules and sources
Printed size
35 mm wide, 45 mm tall (35 mm x 45 mm (France-Visas: 35–40 mm wide))
This page makes
A 413 x 531 pixel JPEG file (the printed size at 300 dpi)
Head height
71% to 80% of the photo's height, from the chin to the top of the head
Background
plain light-coloured (France-Visas); white (German mission in Dhaka)
Glasses
Allowed only with no tint and no glare, your eyes clearly visible
Expression
neutral, eyes open and clearly visible, facing square on to the camera (ICAO)
Head covering
religious reasons only; facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face clearly shown
Taken
In the last 6 months
Colour
Colour only
  • colour neutral, natural skin tones, appropriate brightness and contrast
  • sharp focus, high quality, no ink marks or creases; printed on high-quality photo paper
  • uniform lighting, no shadows or flash reflections on the face, no red eye
  • no hair across the eyes; not portrait-style or tilted; both face edges visible
  • glasses: no flash reflection, no tinted lenses, frames must not cover any part of the eyes

For: Schengen visa application file at a consulate or external service provider (paper photo).

Official source: france-visas.gouv.fr, checked on 4 November 2026.

The picture must be recent and conform to reality. The photo should be between 35 and 40 mm wide. The size of the face should be 32 to 36 mm (70 to 80% of the picture) from chin to forehead (excluding hair) and comply with the ICAO standard.
On the other hand, an identity photo in ICAO format must always be present in the file.

Official source: france-visas.gouv.fr, checked on 4 November 2026.

no more than 6-months old
35–40mm in width
close up of your head and top of your shoulders so that your face takes up 70–80% of the photograph
be taken with a plain light-coloured background
be taken with uniform lighting and not show shadows or flash reflections on your face and no red eye
the photograph must show your eyes clearly with no flash reflection off the glasses, and no tinted lenses (if possible, avoid heavy frames— wear lighter framed glasses if you have them)
are not permitted except for religious reasons, but your facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of your face must be clearly shown.
Photographs taken with a digital camera must be high quality colour and printed on photo-quality paper.

Official source: dhaka.diplo.de, checked on 4 November 2026.

One recent biometric passport sized photograph (35x45mm, white background, 70% - 80% face coverage); Head coverings are only accepted for religious reasons.

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government. Rules change: check the official page before you apply.

How to use it

  1. Stand facing the camera in front of a plain, light wall, with even light on your face.
  2. Tap Take the photo and follow the outline and the tips on screen, or choose a photo you have. The page finds your face and frames it to the rules.
  3. Fix anything the page lists, each with its own tip. Adjust the framing if you need to, and move Top of head if the dashed line is not at the top of your head.
  4. Tick what only you can confirm.
  5. Save the file, or the print sheet to print at 100% on 4 x 6 inch photo paper.

Questions

What size is the Schengen visa photo?
Printed, 35 x 45 mm. The head takes 71% to 80% of the photo's height, from the chin to the top of the head. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026. This page makes a 413 x 531 pixel JPEG file (the printed size at 300 dpi).
What background does the Schengen visa photo need?
Plain light-coloured (France-Visas); white (German mission in Dhaka).
Can I wear glasses in my Schengen visa photo?
Yes, but only with no tint and no glare, and with your eyes clearly visible.
Can I smile in my Schengen visa photo?
Neutral, eyes open and clearly visible, facing square on to the camera (ICAO).
Can I wear a head covering in my Schengen visa photo?
Religious reasons only; facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face clearly shown.
How recent must my Schengen visa photo be?
Taken in the last 6 months. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.
Can I take my Schengen visa photo at home?
The official rules, as checked on 4 November 2026, ask for no photographer or studio, so a photo taken at home can meet them if it meets every rule on this page.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The photo is read and checked in your browser, and any file is saved on your device. The page tells our server only that a photo was checked, that it passed, or that a file was saved; never the photo, your face or any measurement. It finds where your face is in the photo; it never recognises who you are.
How is the head measured?
The page finds your chin and eyes in the photo and estimates the top of your head from your forehead, since hair hides it: the dashed line shows the estimate. If it is not at the top of your head, move it with Top of head and the checks follow.
Will my photo be accepted?
Only the issuing authority decides. A photo that passes every check here meets the published size, head and background rules as checked on 4 November 2026; you confirm the rest, such as glasses, expression and how recent the photo is.
How do I print it?
Save the print sheet: a 4 x 6 inch (10 x 15 cm) photo at 300 dpi with as many copies as fit and thin lines to cut along. Have it printed at 100% (actual size) on 4 x 6 inch photo paper at a photo lab or shop, then cut out the copies you need.
What does buying your Schengen visa photo add?
Your Schengen visa photo, €6.99: the exact 413 x 531 px file, the 4 x 6 in print sheet, the acceptance report, the Detail check, unlimited retakes and the whole family's photos for this document for 30 days. Pay only once your photo passes. Refund if the authority rejects it. Paid once, with no subscription. In the Detail check our AI model, run in the EU, checks glasses, expression, shadows and more if you choose to send it the photo. Without buying you can check any photo and save a small preview with a watermark.
What is the official Schengen visa website?
The official site is European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Applying for a Schengen visa, at https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en. There is no single EU application site: you apply to the consulate of the country you will visit, or the visa centre that collects its applications. This EU page links to each country's own site.
How much does the Schengen visa cost?
€90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6 to 12, as stated on home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, checked on 9 November 2026. A visa centre may add a service fee. EU law caps a visa centre's service fee at half the visa fee.