head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Verified
Quick answer: A Estonia national visa (Type D) photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. 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 without textures or noticeable gradients. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing, shoulders visible, without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| 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 an Estonian long-stay (D) visa the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for «one color photo (size 35 × 45 mm); the photo must meet ICAO requirements and should not be older than six months; the photo must be glued on the visa application form (not stapled!)». The other documents: a travel document issued within the previous 10 years with at least two blank pages and valid at least 3 months after the visa expires, the completed and signed application form, travel medical insurance valid for the whole visa period (or until the Estonian health insurance starts), proof of financial means with the income of the three months before the application, data on close relatives, biographical data, an additional form 1 (citizens of NATO member states are exempt), documents on the purpose of the journey and a ticket booking. All foreign public documents must be legalised or apostilled and translated into Estonian or English; the D visa may be issued for up to 365 days within twelve consecutive months and is applied for in person in the country of residence at an Estonian representation, or in Estonia at a service point of the Police and Border Guard Board. The page gives no head size or glasses rule beyond «ICAO requirements».
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Estonia national visa (Type D) applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not in colour, not 35 × 45 mm or older than six months | One colour 35 × 45 mm photo from the last six months. |
| A photo that does not meet ICAO requirements | A photo meeting the ICAO requirements. |
| A photo stapled to the application form instead of glued | A photo glued on the application form. |
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.
An Estonian long-stay (D) visa is applied for in person at an Estonian representation in the country of residence (or at a Police and Border Guard Board service point in Estonia) with the form, one glued colour photo of 35 × 45 mm and the documents.
vm.ee — the page links to the list of representations
One colour photo 35 × 45 mm, ICAO, not older than six months, glued to the application form.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia |
|---|---|
| Source | Application for a long-stay (D) visa |
| Verified |
Questions
One colour photo of 35 × 45 mm that meets ICAO requirements, not older than six months, glued (not stapled) to the application form.
Yes — in the country of residence at an Estonian representation that handles visa applications, or in Estonia at a service point of the Police and Border Guard Board.
Foreign public documents must be legalised or apostilled and translated into Estonian or English.
The Estonia national visa (Type D) photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height. Many consulates also require a specific digital file size — see the spec table above for full details.
Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. The background must be evenly lit with no shadow gradients, especially around the head. Consular automated pre-screening rejects photos with any wall texture before the human reviewer ever sees the application.
Visa authorities typically require the photo to be taken within the last three to six months. Submitting an older photo, even one that looks similar to your current appearance, is a frequent cause of immediate consular rejection.
Not always. Tourist, work, student and transit visa categories sometimes specify different dimensions or background rules. Follow the requirements for your specific visa type rather than assuming one photo fits all Estonia visa applications.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is the cause of rejection and you supply the consular rejection notice. We recommend keeping the consular receipt with rejection reason as proof.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. Consular automated checks flag glasses glare even when it is invisible to the human eye. Removing glasses entirely is the safest choice unless a medical exception is documented in your visa application.
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, Schengen visa.