Why This Document Matters
Photos must meet ICAO standards (biometric). Rejected photos mean rescheduling your appointment — delays of 2-4 weeks. Professional passport photo studios in India often make mistakes on Schengen specs.
Passport Photographs
SchengenAll
SchengenAllPassport Photos for Schengen Visa — Exact Specifications
Wrong photos are the #2 reason for immediate Schengen application rejection at VFS counter (before officer even looks at your file). Specifications are precise and strictly enforced.
Not sure about something on this page?
Ask a licensed consultant on WhatsApp — whether your employer's wording is acceptable, which format your country wants, what to do when a standard line does not apply to you. No obligation, and you will get a straight answer today. Want the document itself read and checked against the rest of your file? That is the paid check further down.
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At a Glance
- Document
- Passport Photographs
- For
- Schengen
- Visa Type
- All
- Mistakes
- 4 to avoid
Need the whole Schengen file done, not just this passport photographs?
We prepare and file Schengen all applications from anywhere in India: documents, VFS slot, embassy filing, with published fees and one licensed office in Patiala. This passport photographs is one of the pieces we check before anything is submitted.
Format & Requirements
Size: 35mm × 45mm Background: Plain WHITE (not off-white, cream, or light blue) Head size: 32-36mm from chin to crown Face: Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open No glasses, no head covering (except religious — must not hide face) Printed on photo paper, matte finish preferred Quantity: 2 identical photos Date: Taken within 3 months
Sample / Template
Get your passport photographs checked by a licensed consultant — ₹999
Document Review — send us your own document and a licensed consultant tells you what an officer would question, and what to change. Credited in full if you go ahead with filing.
Get it checkedThe sample below stays on this page to read. What you are paying for is the finished document with your own details in it — and a person who has read refused files checking it.
sample-passport-photos-schengen-visa.pdf
Reliable photo studios for Schengen specs:
• Kolkata: Studio 21, Central Photo
• Delhi: Classic Photos CP
• Mumbai: PhotoStop, Vasant Studios
• Bangalore: Focus Photo, Snapshots
Request explicitly: 'Schengen/EU biometric photo 35x45mm'
At home/mobile apps:
• Passport Photo Maker apps (free)
• Upload to Instaprint for delivery
Crucial checks:
• No shadows on face or background
• No reflections on glasses (remove glasses ideally)
• Hair not covering face edges
• Neutral expression (no smile, no teeth visible)
• Shirt collar visible, not casual t-shirt
A question about this passport photographs? Ask a licensed consultant on WhatsApp
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✓ The ₹499 report is fully refundable · our refund promise
Do's and Don'ts
Do
- ✓35x45mm exactly (not 4x6 inch)
- ✓White background only
- ✓Face fills 70-80% of photo
- ✓Taken within 3 months
- ✓Professional matte photo paper
Don't
- ✕Don't wear spectacles with glare
- ✕Don't smile or show teeth
- ✕Don't wear white shirt against white background (disappears)
- ✕Don't use selfies printed at home
- ✕Don't accept off-white or cream backgrounds
Common Mistakes That Cause Rejections
1
Wrong size (passport size 4x6 instead of Schengen 35x45)
2
Off-white background
3
Hair covering ears/face
4
Photo taken over 3 months ago
Stop guessing. Get your passport photographs reviewed by experts.
We've prepared thousands of visa files. One mistake in your document can cost you a rejection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to submit passport photographs for Schengen visa?+
Yes. Photos must meet ICAO standards (biometric). Rejected photos mean rescheduling your appointment — delays of 2-4 weeks. Professional passport photo studios in India often make mistakes on Schengen specs.
What is the correct format for passport photographs?+
Size: 35mm × 45mm Background: Plain WHITE (not off-white, cream, or light blue) Head size: 32-36mm from chin to crown Face: Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open No glasses, no head covering (except religious — must not hide face) Printed on photo paper, matte finish preferred Quantity: 2 identical photos Date: Taken within 3 months
What are common mistakes to avoid in passport photographs?+
Wrong size (passport size 4x6 instead of Schengen 35x45) Off-white background Hair covering ears/face Photo taken over 3 months ago
Can SureshotVisa help me prepare my passport photographs?+
Yes. Our experts review and prepare every document in your visa file — including passport photographs — to embassy standards. Talk to us on WhatsApp to get started.
Send us the letter before you submit it.
A licensed consultant will check it against every point above — what is missing, whether the dates agree with the rest of your file, and whether the contact details would survive a verification call. If it is already fine, we will tell you that.
Ready when you are
The template is free. The checking is what you are missing.
Everything above costs you nothing, and you are welcome to it. What a template cannot do is read itself against the rest of your file — and that is where applications actually fail: a date that does not match the ticket, a salary that does not match the bank statement, a signatory the company cannot verify on a call. You are about to spend an embassy fee, a visa-centre fee and a trip on this application. Having a licensed consultant read the paperwork first costs a fraction of any one of them.
What you just read
Free
The format, the sample and the mistakes to avoid. Yours, no strings.
What it cannot do
One-Document Check — ₹999
One document, answered the same working day. Credited in full if you book filing. A licensed consultant reads your actual file and tells you what an officer would question.
See what's includedFiling it yourself? That is genuinely fine — most straightforward cases do not need anyone. If it comes back refused, bring us the letter. Reading the actual refusal ground is how a case gets recovered, and it is the work we do most. How refusal recovery works