head 70–80 %
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SourceMinistry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia and VFS Global (Croatian visa centres)
Verified
Quick answer: A Croatia visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinting or reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
For a Croatian visa the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs asks for a «face photograph: in colour, 35x45 mm», with a neutral facial expression, the eyes open, the mouth closed and a pale background; a person who wears a head cover for religious or medical reasons must show the cheeks, the chin and the forehead. The age differs by page: the embassy page for India adds «recent (not older than 3 months)», while VFS Global, which takes Croatian visa applications in many countries, writes «not older than 6 months».
VFS Global also spells the picture out: colour, printed on normal photographic paper, passport-sized 45 mm × 35 mm, the face covering 70–80 % of the photograph, a full-face straight view with 30–36 mm from the chin to the head, a white background, no sunglasses, hat or cap, spectacles without toned or reflecting glasses — and for the online application you scan and upload a 35 × 45 mm face photograph. A photo that satisfies all of this is a recent colour 35 × 45 mm photo, taken within three months, on a plain white background, with the face filling 70–80 %.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Croatia visa photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia and VFS Global (Croatian visa centres) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not 35 × 45 mm or not in colour, or a face outside 70–80 % | Use a colour 35 × 45 mm photo with the face filling 70–80 %. |
| A photo older than three months (embassy page) or six months (visa centre) | Take a new photo within three months before applying. |
| A dark or patterned background, or an expression that is not neutral, eyes closed or mouth open | Use a plain pale or white background, neutral expression, eyes open and mouth closed. |
| Sunglasses, a hat or cap, or glasses that are toned or reflect light | Remove them; a religious or medical head cover must still show the cheeks, chin and forehead. |
How to take it
Background: plain light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Croatian visa is applied for with the online form on the Ministry's visa portal and then at a Croatian embassy or consulate or at a VFS Global visa centre, where the face photograph is scanned and uploaded or handed in printed.
mvep.gov.hr — visas; the page of the embassy or VFS centre for your country
Colour face photograph 35 × 45 mm, pale or white background, within 3 or 6 months.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia and VFS Global (Croatian visa centres) |
|---|---|
| Source | Croatian visa photograph requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
A colour face photograph of 35 × 45 mm with a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed and a pale background; VFS Global adds not older than 6 months, face 70–80 %, a white background and no sunglasses or hat, and the New Delhi embassy page says not older than 3 months.
35 × 45 mm in colour (VFS Global writes 45 mm × 35 mm), with the face covering 70–80 % of the photograph.
The Ministry writes «pale background» and VFS Global writes a white background; a plain white background satisfies both.
The VFS Global page says the face photograph (35 × 45 mm) and the passport photo page are scanned and uploaded for the online application; the paper application takes the printed photograph.
The Croatia visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height.
Consulates usually ask for a photo taken within the last six months, sometimes within three. Take a new one that looks like you today.
Often yes, but not always: tourist, student, work and transit visas can have different size or background rules. Compare the requirements of each Croatia visa — if they match, one photo will do.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the consulate’s rejection notice.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinting or reflections. If you keep them on, tilt them slightly downwards by lifting the arms a little above your ears: this usually moves reflections of a window or lamp off the lenses.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: driver's license, ID card, national visa (Type D), Schengen visa.