head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia — Embassies of Estonia in Ankara and Washington
Verified
Quick answer: A Estonia Schengen visa 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; forehead, chin, and cheekbones must be visible. |
| 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 Schengen visa the embassy in Ankara asks for «one color photograph with size 35×45 mm, no older than 6 months, showing applicant looking directly to the camera, be taken with a plain light-colored background, without head covering, except for religious reasons, but your facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of your face must be clearly shown», and «Photo must be glued to the application form». The embassy in Washington asks for «one color photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm (1.4” x 1.8”)» that «must meet ICAO requirements and should not be older than six months» and «must be glued» on the visa application form — «not stapled!». The application form is filled in online (in Estonian, English or Turkish in Ankara), printed and signed — in point 37 and at the end of the form in Ankara; the passport has at least two free pages, is valid at least three months after the end of the visa and is not older than ten years; the travel medical insurance covers at least EUR 30 000 for the whole stay in the Schengen area. At a visa application centre of VFS Global the applicant follows the instructions of the VFS Global page.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Estonia Schengen visa 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 — Embassies of Estonia in Ankara and Washington publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph older than six months | A photograph taken within the last six months. |
| A photograph stapled or loose where the embassy asks for one glued to the form | A photograph glued to the application form. |
| A photograph on a dark or patterned background, with the applicant looking away, or with a head covering hiding the face (other than for religious reasons) | A plain light-coloured background, looking directly at the camera, the face from chin to forehead and both edges clear. |
| A print that is not 35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm) or does not meet the ICAO requirements | A 35 × 45 mm print that meets the ICAO requirements. |
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 Schengen visa is applied for at an Estonian embassy (directly or at its VFS Global visa application centre), with the application form filled in online, printed and signed, one colour photograph glued to it, the passport and the insurance.
mfa.ee — the page of the embassy for your country
One colour photograph, 35 × 45 mm, within six months, glued to the form.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia — Embassies of Estonia in Ankara and Washington |
|---|---|
| Source | Necessary documents to apply for a Schengen visa (Estonian Embassy in Ankara) |
| Verified |
Questions
The embassies name 35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm), in colour, not older than six months, glued to the application form.
The Ankara page asks for a plain light-coloured background; the Washington page asks that the photo meet the ICAO requirements.
No — the Washington page says the photo must be glued on the visa application form, «not stapled!».
Travel medical insurance of at least 30 000 euros, valid in all Schengen Member States and covering the whole stay.
The Estonia Schengen visa 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; forehead, chin, and cheekbones must be visible. 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, national visa (Type D).