head 68–77 %
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SourceMinistry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Finnish Police and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Finland visa photo size is 36 × 47 mm. Plain light neutral background without shadows. Head occupies 68–77% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 36 × 47 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 68–77% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Plain light neutral background without shadows. |
| Pose | Head straight, no tilt, face and eyes directed directly into the camera. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible. |
| Glasses | Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Even lighting without shadows on face and background, no red eyes. |
| Head covering | Religious, traditional, or medical reasons only; must not cast shadows on the face. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 36 × 47 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.6 × 4.7 cm |
| Inches | 1.42 × 1.85″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 425 × 555 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 850 × 1110 px |
The Finnish visa page of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs asks for one photograph: «include a colour photograph from which you are recognizable» and «please visit the Police website for guidance». The guidance is the Finnish Police passport photograph instructions, which the police say apply to all facial photographs on passports, identity cards and permits: the photograph is no more than six months old, sharp and not manipulated; the head measures 32–36 mm from the crown to the chin, with 4–6 mm above the crown and 7–9 mm below the chin, centred; the expression is neutral with the mouth closed, the eyes open and clearly visible; the background is monochromatic, flat, light and neutral without shadows (light grey is best); lighting even, with no red eye.
The print size, 36 mm wide by 47 mm high, is written on the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) residence-permit form, which sends you to the same police rules; the visa page itself does not name a size.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Finland 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 for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Finnish Police and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A head outside 32–36 mm from crown to chin, or not centred | Keep the head 32–36 mm high, 4–6 mm below the top edge and centred. |
| Shadows on the face or behind it, uneven light, red eye, over- or underexposure | Use even, soft light from the front. |
| A background that is dark, patterned or uneven | Use a monochromatic, flat, light neutral background (light grey is best). |
| A blurred, grainy or retouched photo, or a wide-angle smartphone shot from close up | Use a sharp, unretouched photo taken from a distance with a normal lens. |
| Open mouth, squinting, tinted glasses, glasses frames or hair covering the eyes | Keep a neutral face with the mouth closed and the eyes open and clear; take the glasses off. |
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: 68–77 % of the photo height (32–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 36 × 47 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 and clearly visible
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 | 32 (4 × 8) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Finnish short-stay visa is applied for at a Finnish mission or the visa centre that takes applications for it; the country-specific document lists are on finlandvisa.fi, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs page asks for one colour photograph that follows the Police guidance.
The mission or visa centre that covers you, listed on finlandvisa.fi
One colour photograph; Police guidance: head 32–36 mm, light plain background.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Finnish Police and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) |
|---|---|
| Source | Finnish passport photograph instructions |
| Verified |
Questions
One colour photograph from which you are recognizable, following the Finnish Police guidance: not older than six months, head 32–36 mm from crown to chin, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes open, a monochromatic flat light neutral background without shadows, even lighting and no retouching.
The visa page names no size. The Finnish Immigration Service form for residence permits, which uses the same police rules, gives 36 mm wide by 47 mm high, with the head 32–36 mm from crown to chin; check the list of your mission or visa centre.
Light, neutral, monochromatic and flat, with no shadows. The police say light grey is best, because the laser-engraved picture on the document is greyscale and a very light face or shirt would blur into a white background.
The Police say glasses can always be taken off; if worn, the frames must not cover the eyes and there must be no reflections, and tinted glasses or an eyepatch are allowed only for medical reasons.
The recommended size for the Finland visa photo is 36 × 47 mm. The head occupies 68–77% of the photo height. Many consulates also require a specific digital file size — see the spec table above for full details.
Plain light neutral background without shadows. 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 Finland 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.
Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. 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.
36 × 47 mm = 3.6 × 4.7 cm = 1.42 × 1.85 inches. At 300 dpi that is 425 × 555 pixels; at 600 dpi, 850 × 1110 pixels.
Religious, traditional, or medical reasons only; must not cast shadows on the face. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 36 × 47 mm format and head size apply to: driver's license, EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, ID card, national visa (Type D), passport.