head 70–80 %
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14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceRoyal Norwegian embassies and the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) — Norway in Nigeria, Abu Dhabi (Algeria and Chad), Indonesia and the USA
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Norway Schengen visa photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain white 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 white background. Make photo background white — Norway Schengen visa → |
| 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 a Norwegian Schengen visa the Royal Norwegian embassies' checklists ask for one passport photo: «not older than six (6) months, white back ground, size 3.5x4.5 cm» in the Nigeria checklist and «glued to application form (not older than 6 months, white background, 35 x 45 mm)» in the 2026 Algeria checklist — the Algeria list in English and French. The 2017 Jakarta checklist still asks for a photo «not older than 3 months, approximately 4,5 x 3,5 cm in size, white background, with no glasses and glued to the cover letter», and the page of Norway in the USA says only that the photograph «must comply with international standards». The checklists also ask for the signed application form and cover letter printed from the UDI's application portal (my.udi.no), a passport valid for at least three months after the planned departure and with at least two blank pages, and travel health insurance of at least EUR 30 000; the documents are handed in at an appointment. No head size, expression or other face rule is published on these pages.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Norway 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 Royal Norwegian embassies and the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) — Norway in Nigeria, Abu Dhabi (Algeria and Chad), Indonesia and the USA publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph older than six months (three in the 2017 Jakarta list) | A photograph taken within the last six months. |
| A photograph that is not on a white background | A photograph on a white background. |
| A print that is not 3.5 × 4.5 cm (35 × 45 mm) | A 35 × 45 mm print. |
| A loose photograph where the checklist asks for one glued to the form | A photograph glued to the application form or cover letter. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
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 Norwegian Schengen visa is applied for through the UDI application portal (my.udi.no) and then in person at the Royal Norwegian embassy or the visa application centre, with the printed form, one photograph and the documents on the checklist.
norway.no — the page of the embassy that handles your country
One photograph, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, white background, not older than six months, glued to the form.
Authority pageQuestions
The checklists name 3.5 × 4.5 cm (35 × 45 mm) — one photograph, on a white background, not older than six months.
One — each of the checklists lists one passport photo, glued to the application form or cover letter.
The 2026 Algeria checklist says «glued to application form» and the 2017 Jakarta checklist «glued to the cover letter».
EUR 90, EUR 45 for children from six to under twelve and nothing for children under six, according to the page of Norway in the USA, paid when the application is registered in the portal.
The recommended size for the Norway 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 white 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 or off-white shade 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 Norway 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.
1 identical photographs, 35 × 45 mm each, taken within the last 6 months.
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: visa.