Free Schengen Visa Photo Online — Make a 35×45 mm Biometric Photo

Need a Schengen visa photo? Upload a recent portrait and IDPhotoBy sizes and crops it to the common Schengen 35×45 mm biometric standard — your face filling 70–80% of the photo height on a plain, light-coloured, shadow-free background — with the Schengen Visa document already selected. You get a print-ready file for the biometric photo you submit with a Schengen (short-stay) visa application. It is free — no payment required.

A Schengen visa photo is a printed photo you bring in person to the consulate of the country you intend to visit — not uploaded online. It never touches your face; only the size, crop and background are prepared.

The Schengen visa photo standard has a single supranational basis: the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 13(2)) requires the photo to meet ICAO Document 9303 Part 1, 6th edition, and the European Commission's own applicant guidance asks for “a photo in compliance with ICAO standards”. IDPhotoBy checks your photo against that specification. Here is what it asks for:

• Size 35×45 mm — 35 mm wide by 45 mm high (3.5×4.5 cm), a portrait biometric photo. The EU guidance itself states a width of 35–40 mm; 35×45 mm is the ICAO/ISO portrait size that member-state consulates converge on within that range.
• Face 70–80% of the height — measured from the chin to the top of the head (the crown), which is about 32–36 mm, with your head centred and straight — neither tilted nor turned, facing square on to the camera.
• Plain, light-coloured background — an even, single colour (white or a light/neutral grey) that contrasts clearly with your face and hair, with no shadows, reflections or pattern.
• Neutral expression — look straight into the camera with your mouth closed, no smiling.
• Eyes open and clearly visible — not covered by hair or by your glasses frames.
• Glasses — allowed only if they do not reflect, are not tinted and do not cover your eyes; sunglasses are not accepted.
• Bareheaded — head coverings are permitted only for religious reasons, and your face must be clearly shown from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face.
• Colour photo — colour-neutral, with accurate, natural skin tones and no red-eye.
• Recent — the photo must be no more than 6 months old and still look like you.
• Print quality — printed on high-quality photo paper at high resolution (at least 600 dpi).

The Schengen visa photo size is 35×45 mm — that is 3.5×4.5 cm, or about 1.38×1.77 inches — a portrait biometric photo with your face at 70–80% of the height (about 32–36 mm from chin to crown). This is the common Schengen biometric size, so the same 35×45 mm applies across the member states, whether you apply directly at a consulate or through a visa application centre such as VFS or BLS.

IDPhotoBy outputs an 827×1063 px file at 600 dpi, which prints at exactly 35×45 mm on photo paper — that figure is our output size, not a number you have to hit yourself. A US 2×2 inch passport photo is not the right size for a Schengen visa; the Schengen photo is 35×45 mm.

A Schengen visa is applied for in person at the consulate (or external visa service provider) of the country you intend to visit, in the country where you legally reside. Your photo is a document you print and bring:

• You submit a recent 35×45 mm biometric photo — many consulates ask for two identical copies — together with your application form, passport and the other required documents.
• At the appointment your fingerprints are collected on site; the photo is brought with you, not captured there.
• There is no common online photo-upload step for the photo itself — the biometric photo is a physical print you hand over.

IDPhotoBy formats your photo to 35×45 mm and gives you a print-ready file, plus a printable sheet so you can print two identical copies. Because the standard is the common EU/ICAO one, the same photo works for whichever Schengen country you are applying to — but exact details (such as the number of copies or the exact background shade) can vary slightly by consulate, so follow the consulate of your main destination country.

• Upload a recent, well-lit portrait with the tool on this page — the Schengen Visa document is already selected.
• IDPhotoBy resizes and crops your photo to 35×45 mm with your face at 70–80% of the height, and prepares the plain, light-coloured, shadow-free background the specification requires.
• Preview the result — check the face size and position, the plain background, and that your eyes are open and clearly visible.
• Download the finished photo, free, and use the printable sheet to print your 35×45 mm biometric photo on photo paper to bring to your appointment.

This free Schengen visa photo maker doubles as a size checker and resizer for a photo you already have. There is no app to download — it runs online in your browser.

IDPhotoBy sizes and crops your uploaded photo to the 35×45 mm ICAO biometric standard and prepares the plain, light-coloured, shadow-free background the rules require. It does not retouch, beautify or otherwise edit your face — the ICAO standard rejects retouched and filtered photos, so your face is left exactly as it is.

We also make no acceptance promise, and there is no “200% refund” gimmick here. No online tool can promise a visa photo will be accepted — your file is prepared to the published EU/ICAO requirements, and the consulate where you apply makes the final decision. And it stays free: no paid plan and no per-photo charge.

You do not need a studio — you can take a Schengen visa photo at home with a phone. Stand about 60 cm in front of a plain, evenly lit wall in a light, single colour (white or light grey), face the camera straight on with a neutral expression, mouth closed and both eyes open, and hold the phone at eye level. Fill the frame with your head and the top of your shoulders, then upload it here and let IDPhotoBy crop it to the exact 35×45 mm size.

The same works for a baby or child's visa photo — a child who needs a Schengen visa needs their own biometric photo. Lay an infant on a plain, light sheet and photograph from directly above, then crop to size. Take the photo within the last 6 months so it reflects your current appearance.

• A busy or shadowed background. It must be a plain, light colour — white or light grey — with clear contrast to your face and hair, and no patterns or objects.
• An edited or “beautified” photo. Retouching and filters are rejected under the ICAO standard; use a straight, unedited photo and let the tool handle only the size, crop and background.
• Reflective, tinted or eye-covering glasses. If your glasses reflect, are tinted or hide your eyes, take them off — sunglasses are never allowed.
• Smiling or an open mouth. Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed, looking straight at the camera.
• The wrong size. The photo must be 35×45 mm with your face at 70–80% of the height — a US 2×2 inch photo is the wrong size. IDPhotoBy sets this for you, and either matte or glossy 600 dpi photo paper is fine.

Requirements and channels can change — check the official rules (the European Commission's Schengen visa guidance and the consulate of your destination country) before you submit; the consulate makes the final decision on your photo.