head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourcePolish Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Polish embassies and consulates (gov.pl)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Poland Schengen visa photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Strictly white background; one colour photo 35 × 45 mm, not older than 6 months. 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 | Strictly white background; one colour photo 35 × 45 mm, not older than 6 months. Make photo background white — Poland Schengen visa → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No retouching or digital enhancement. |
| 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 |
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks, through its missions, for one colour photograph for the Schengen visa: «passport type, white background 35 mm × 45 mm, dating from the last 6 months» (the checklists) — which the Embassy in the USA writes as «a 3.5 × 4.5 cm colour photo… sharp, taken against a white background and printed on quality paper, newer than 6 months, taken en face, clearly showing the eyes and face from both sides from the top of the head to the top of the shoulders with the face covering 70–80 % of the photo, without any headwear». The Mongolian checklist says the same in other words: «white background, 35 mm × 45 mm, not older than 6 months».
The photo is part of the biometric data: «a photo and fingerprints in the case of a Schengen visa», and if you gave your fingerprints for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months the system transfers them — you do not give them again. The application form is filled in online (e-konsulat) and submitted in person. Children under 12 and people who physically cannot give fingerprints do not give them, but the photo is still taken.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Poland 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 Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Polish embassies and consulates (gov.pl) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not 35 × 45 mm, not in colour, or not on a white background | A colour photo of 35 × 45 mm on a white background. |
| A photo older than six months, blurred, or printed on poor paper | A sharp photo taken in the last six months, printed on quality photo paper. |
| A face not shown en face, with the eyes or sides of the face unclear, a face outside 70–80 % of the photo, or headwear | En face, eyes and both sides of the face clear, head to shoulders, face at 70–80 %, no headwear. |
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 Polish Schengen visa is applied for at a Polish embassy or consulate (or its visa centre) with the form filled in on e-konsulat, printed and signed, a photo and the other documents; fingerprints are given at the mission unless given within 59 months.
gov.pl — the visa page of the Polish mission for your country; e-konsulat for the appointment
One colour photo 35 × 45 mm, white background, within six months.
Authority page| Authority | Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Polish embassies and consulates (gov.pl) |
|---|---|
| Source | Poland Schengen visa checklist |
| Verified |
Questions
One colour photo of 35 mm × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm), passport type, on a white background, not older than six months, sharp, printed on quality paper, taken en face from the top of the head to the top of the shoulders with the face covering 70–80 %, without headwear.
35 mm × 45 mm on the checklists, written 3.5 × 4.5 cm by the Polish Embassy in the USA.
One colour photograph on the pages and checklists read; check the list of the mission that takes your application.
Not if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months — the system transfers them; children under 12 and people physically unable to give fingerprints do not give them.
The recommended size for the Poland 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.
Strictly white background; one colour photo 35 × 45 mm, not older than 6 months. 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 Poland 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.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. 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.