head 70–80 %
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14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceHellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Greek embassies and consulates (mfa.gr)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Greece Schengen visa photo size is 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 | Sunglasses and heavily tinted glasses prohibited; eyes must be fully visible. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | No headwear. |
| 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 |
Greek embassies and consulates write their own photo line for the Schengen visa. The Embassy in Japan asks for «one passport size high quality colour photo taken in 6 months with white background», with «the entire face, which must take up 70–80 % of the photo, clear from the jaw to the forehead and from one ear to the other, without hair covering the eyes, the eyebrows or any part of the face, any shadings and light reflection»; «sunglasses and myopic glasses with coloured lenses are prohibited», and «please do not staple or glue the photo to the application form». Greece in the USA says only «a recent photograph conforming to ICAO standards», and the Embassy in Pakistan asks for three recent passport-sized photographs in colour, taken within the last 6 months — «no side pose, no hat, no veil, no Photoshop». Fingerprints are collected if they have not been registered in the VIS within the previous 59 months.
None of the pages names a size in millimetres, so use the ICAO passport size, 35 × 45 mm, with the face at 70–80 %, and take the number of photos from the list of your mission.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Greece 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 Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Greek embassies and consulates (mfa.gr) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not in colour, not on a white background, or taken more than six months ago | A recent colour photo within six months on a white background. |
| Hair over the eyes, the eyebrows or the face, shadows or light reflection, sunglasses or coloured lenses | The whole face clear from jaw to forehead and ear to ear, even light, clear lenses or none. |
| A side pose, a hat or veil, or a retouched photo | A frontal, unretouched photo without hat or veil. |
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 Greek Schengen visa is applied for at a Greek embassy or consulate (or its visa centre), with the form, the passport, a photo as the mission lists it, fingerprints and the supporting documents.
mfa.gr — the visa page of the Greek mission that covers your country
Colour photo within six months on a white background, face 70–80 %; the number of photos depends on the mission.
Authority page| Authority | Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Greek embassies and consulates (mfa.gr) |
|---|---|
| Source | Schengen visa requirements — recent photograph conforming to ICAO standards |
| Verified |
Questions
A recent passport-size colour photo within six months on a white background, the whole face clear from jaw to forehead and from ear to ear taking 70–80 % of the photo, no hair over the eyes or eyebrows, no shadows or reflections, no sunglasses or coloured lenses; the exact line depends on the Greek mission.
One on the Embassy in Japan's list and three on the Embassy in Pakistan's list — follow your own mission.
The pages read name «passport size» and ICAO standards rather than millimetres; the ICAO passport size is 35 × 45 mm with the face at 70–80 %.
No: the Embassy in Japan asks you not to staple or glue the photo to the application form.
The recommended size for the Greece Schengen visa photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 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 Greece 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.
Sunglasses and heavily tinted glasses prohibited; eyes must be fully visible. 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.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: national visa (Type D), visa.