head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceDirectorate of Immigration of Iceland and the island.is portal
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Iceland visa photo size is 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. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | No tinting or reflections; eyes must be fully visible. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No shadows on the face or background. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing, without unnecessary 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 a visa to Iceland the government portal island.is lists «applicant's passport photo (35 × 45 mm)» among the basic supporting documents — with the note that «these are only the basic requirements» and the complete list is on the website of the embassy or consulate that takes your application. The Directorate of Immigration's tourist visa checklist (United Kingdom) gives the rest in one line: «one recent original passport-size colour photograph with white background», «not older than six months».
The portal asks as well for a passport not older than ten years, valid at least three months beyond the planned stay and with two blank pages, and travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000. The two pages give no face share, head size or file rule, so use the ICAO passport rules: a sharp colour photo, a plain white background, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes open, no sunglasses.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Iceland visa applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
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 Icelandic visa is applied for at an Icelandic embassy or consulate or its visa application centre (for example VFS Global), with the form, a passport photo and the other documents; the embassy publishes the complete list.
island.is — get a visa; the website of the embassy or visa centre of your country
One recent colour photograph 35 × 45 mm on a white background, within six months.
Authority page| Authority | Directorate of Immigration of Iceland and the island.is portal |
|---|---|
| Source | EU Schengen visa / biometric photo practice |
| Verified |
Questions
A passport photo of 35 × 45 mm — one recent original colour photograph on a white background, not older than six months, according to the Directorate of Immigration's checklist; the embassy or visa centre of your country publishes the complete list.
35 × 45 mm, according to island.is.
One on the Directorate's checklist read; the embassy or visa centre states the number for your country.
Not older than six months.
The recommended size for the Iceland 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. 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 Iceland 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.
No tinting or reflections; 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.
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.