EU / Schengen photo — 35×45 mm , free.
35 × 45 mm to the ICAO 9303 biometric standard. Same format as a Schengen visa photo. Use this preset for Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Poland, and most Schengen countries.
35 × 45 mm @ 300 DPI = 413 × 531 px · Some Schengen states (e.g. Germany) require light grey
Drop a photo
PNG, JPG, WebP, BMP, HEIC · or paste with Ctrl+V
How it works
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Drop a photo — JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP, or iPhone HEIC.
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EU / Schengen is pre-selected. Drag the crop box if you want to fine-tune.
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Download the JPG at 35 × 45 mm.
Official EU / Schengen passport photo spec
- Print size
- 35 × 45 mm
- Background
- light grey
- Head share
- 76% of frame
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- Glasses
- Default banned across Schengen consulates — universal rule of thumb is 'no glasses' unless your local consulate explicitly allows clear lenses without glare.
Source: ICAO Doc 9303 (PDF) — always double-check the latest requirements before applying.
Where to print in EU / Schengen
Typical cost: €8–15 for four prints
- Local Fotograf / Photo studio — most EU cities have walk-in photo studios
- Rossmann / dm-drogerie photo kiosks (Germany, Austria, Hungary)
- Photo-Me booths — train stations and shopping centres across the EU
- DM Foto Service / Snipes Foto / Saturn Foto
- Print at home: A4 photo paper, 35×45 mm crops fit several per sheet
Common reasons EU / Schengen passport photos get rejected
- Background isn't light grey (Germany, Belgium, Netherlands all require it)
- Face fills less than 70% or more than 80% of the frame height
- Photo older than 6 months
- Smiling or non-neutral expression
- Glasses (default banned across Schengen)
- Print on inkjet paper instead of photo-grade paper
How to take your EU / Schengen passport photo at home
- Light grey background. ICAO 9303 and several Schengen states (Germany in particular) require a uniform light grey, not white. A plain pale wall in open shade works.
- Diffuse front light, no flash. Even illumination from the front. Avoid the single-window shadow — Schengen reviewers reject uneven backgrounds and any facial shadow.
- Head fills 70–80% of the frame. A larger head share than the US or UK. Sit closer or zoom in; the EU preset fits chin-to-crown to roughly 75% of the 45 mm height.
- Neutral face, glasses off. Most Schengen states ban glasses entirely. Mouth closed, looking straight ahead, ears and jaw visible.
- Check your specific member state. Schengen is a baseline — Germany wants light grey, France forbids white (see the dedicated France page). Confirm your country's portal before printing.
New to this? Read the full guide to taking a passport photo at home that won't get rejected .
EU / Schengen visa photo
Schengen visas use the same 35 × 45 mm format. Most consulates require TWO identical printed copies — one for the application form, one for the Visa Information System. Check your specific consulate's instructions.
Privacy: why no upload matters
Most online passport-photo tools (PhotoGov, PhotoAID, Snap2Pass, 123PassportPhoto) upload your photo to their servers, run cropping there, and send back the result. Even when they're trustworthy, your face is sitting on someone else's infrastructure for some period of time. This tool runs the crop entirely in your browser — your EU / Schengen passport photo never leaves your device.
Frequently asked
Which EU countries does this preset cover?
Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania — basically all Schengen states that follow ICAO 9303. France and Spain have their own dedicated presets because their official specs differ slightly.
Is the EU passport photo the same as the Schengen visa photo?
Yes — both use the same 35 × 45 mm format under ICAO 9303. Most Schengen consulates ask for two identical printed copies of the photo when you file a visa application.
Why does Germany want a light grey background?
Several EU passport authorities (Germany Bundesdruckerei, Belgium FOD Buitenlandse Zaken, Netherlands IND) interpret ICAO's 'plain background' as light grey to maximise contrast against the printed page. Pure white can fail edge detection during automated scanning.
How recent does the photo need to be?
Within 6 months. ICAO's standard is 'must reflect current appearance' which most Schengen consulates interpret as ≤6 months old.
Can I wear glasses in an EU passport photo?
Not safely. Most Schengen consulates have aligned with the no-glasses rule used by Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. Even where it's technically allowed, glare or frames covering the eyes are a frequent rejection reason. Take them off.