DV Green PassSchengen Visa Photo Requirements (35x45): The ICAO Standard
The Schengen area (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and more) uses the ICAO Doc 9303 biometric standard for visa photos:
- Size: 35x45 mm (413x531 pixels at 300 dpi).
- Head height: chin to crown 32–36 mm — that is 71–80% of the photo height, a noticeably tighter crop than U.S. rules.
- Headroom: leave about 3 mm above the hair; hair must not touch the top edge.
- Background: plain, light (white/light grey), no shadows.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open; glasses cause glare and frame issues — safest without.
Don't mix it up with the US 2x2
The most common mistake is submitting a US-style square photo (2x2 inch, head 50–69%) for Schengen. Both the aspect ratio (7:9) and the head size (71–80%) are different; the same file cannot be correct for both — it must be re-cropped. Our tool sets the crop automatically based on the document you select.
Source: ICAO Doc 9303 ↗
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Information accurate as of 2026-07-03, based on official sources; rules can change. Final acceptance is at the issuing authority's discretion; this is not legal advice.