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SourceConsular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
Verified
Quick answer: A Russia visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Light grey plain background without textures or shadows; this differs from the Russian international passport, where the background is white. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Background | Light grey plain background without textures or shadows; this differs from the Russian international passport, where the background is white. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, no tilt. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| 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 |
Photographs for Russian visas are set by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and differ by channel. The unified e-visa (evisa.kdmid.ru) takes a digital JPEG of the face, not more than six months old, with the applicant alone in the picture, full face, neutral expression with the mouth closed, a plain light-coloured background without shadows, and a rectangle with the 35:45 aspect ratio in which the face takes 70–80 % of the photo.
Consulates working with paper applications ask for a 35 × 45 mm photo glued to the form: the Consulate General in New York wants the face to cover about 50 % of the photo on a plain white or light background and does not accept photocopies; the embassy in Poland asks for one colour camera print on a light (white or off-white) background and warns that a photo that does not meet the rules makes the application incomplete. The six-month limit is common to all of them.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Russia visa photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Face share not matching the channel: 70–80 % on the e-visa, about 50 % at the New York consulate | Frame the head so the face takes 70–80 % of the photo for the e-visa, or about 50 % if your consulate states that figure. |
| Background not plain and light, shadows on the background, or other people or objects in the picture | Stand in front of a plain light wall with nothing behind you, light the scene evenly so the wall has no shadows, and make sure you are alone in the shot. |
| Glasses with flash reflection or tint, frames covering the eyes, or sunglasses | Take the glasses off, or wear a light frame with untinted lenses and shoot without flash so the lenses do not reflect. |
| Head tilted or turned, mouth open or smiling, eyes not clearly visible, hair across the eyes | Look straight at the camera with the head level and the nose on the line of symmetry, a neutral face with the mouth closed, eyes wide open and the hair pushed away from them. |
| Paper photo: a photocopy, stapled to the form, in an envelope, or a group photo | Bring a real print of one person, glued in the space on the form (double-sided tape is allowed), without staples or an envelope. |
| Photo older than six months | Take a new photo within six months before you apply; the e-visa also asks that it reflect your current appearance. |
How to take it
Background: light grey
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.
Size: 35 × 45 mm
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to the required size.
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.
Citizens of the countries on the Government's list apply for the unified Russian e-visa online from a personal account on the Foreign Ministry's site or in its mobile application. Everyone else, and every other visa category, goes through a Russian embassy or consulate, where a printed photo is glued to the form.
evisa.kdmid.ru — personal account; only for the nationalities on the Government's list
Digital JPEG of the face (35:45, face 70–80 %, under six months old) and a JPEG of the passport data page. Single-entry, 120 days of validity, stay up to 30 days; apply between 86 and 4 days before entry.
Authority pageThe mission or visa centre that covers your country — its photo page is the rule (examples: New York, Poland)
One 35 × 45 mm print per applicant, glued to the form, under six months old, plain light background; the New York page asks for about 50 % face, the Poland page a light camera print. Incomplete photos make the application incomplete.
Authority page| Authority | Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia |
|---|---|
| Source | Russian visa photo specification |
| Verified |
Questions
A recent photo (not more than six months old) of you alone, in full face with the head straight, a neutral expression and the mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible, on a plain light-coloured background without shadows and with uniform lighting. The shape is 35:45 (35 × 45 mm on paper). For the e-visa the face takes 70–80 % of the photo and the file is a JPEG; consulates working on paper ask for a glued print, and New York mentions about 50 %.
Yes. The Consulate General in New York gives 35 mm × 45 mm (1⅜ × 1¾ inches) with the head centred in the frame, and the e-visa asks for a rectangle with the 35:45 aspect ratio. The two channels differ in how large the face is: 70–80 % of the photo on the e-visa, about 50 % on the New York page. On paper the Poland page just says a recent colour camera print.
Glasses: yes on the e-visa if the eyes are clearly visible, there is no flash reflection, no tint and the frames do not cover the eyes even partly; sunglasses are not acceptable unless required for medical reasons (New York). Head covering: allowed for religious reasons (e-visa, Poland) if the face is clearly visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. Otherwise no hat, cap or other head covering.
A digital JPEG of your face that meets the requirements, plus a JPEG of your passport data page. The portal states the shape and content — a 35:45 rectangle without frames, face 70–80 %, you alone, not more than six months old — and shows the file-size limit on the upload step. If the status becomes «Correction required», fix the photo or the data and send the application again.
Not a photocopy: the Consulate General in New York states that photocopied photographs are not accepted. The embassy in Poland asks for a colour print made on normal photographic paper (a camera print) in focus, with a full face and no smile, glued on the form. Whatever you print must also keep to the six-month limit, the light background and the neutral expression.
The Russia visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm.
Light grey plain background without textures or shadows; this differs from the Russian international passport, where the background is white. The wall should be evenly lit, with no shadow around the head and no pattern. You don’t need a studio backdrop: the tool sets the right background colour.
Consulates usually ask for a photo taken within the last six months, sometimes within three. Take a new one that looks like you today.
Often yes, but not always: tourist, student, work and transit visas can have different size or background rules. Compare the requirements of each Russia visa — if they match, one photo will do.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the consulate’s rejection notice.
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.