head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain — consulates (exteriores.gob.es)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Spain 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 — Spain Schengen visa → |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | No dark glasses or reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Headwear must not hide the face. |
| 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 |
The photograph for a Spanish Schengen visa is described on the pages of the consulates of Spain (Ministry of Foreign Affairs): one recent colour photograph, passport size, printed on photo paper (matte or glossy), taken against a white background — Washington says «white, light, clear, uniform» — facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses or any garment concealing the oval of the face. The Washington consulate asks for it within the last 6 months, glued or clipped to the form but not stapled, and does not accept a dark background or objects or people visible behind the head; photographs of babies must not show any part of the adult holding them.
The consulate in Nador asks for two photographs that meet the technical requirements of ICAO Document 9303. None of the pages gives a size in millimetres: «passport size» is a 35 × 45 mm ICAO print in practice.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Spain 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain — consulates (exteriores.gob.es) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A dark background, or objects or people visible behind the head | Use a white, light, uniform background with nothing behind you. |
| Dark or reflective glasses, or a garment concealing the oval of the face | Take the glasses off and show the full oval of the face. |
| A photo older than 6 months or not in colour | Take a new colour photograph within the last 6 months. |
| A stapled photograph, or a print on ordinary paper instead of photo paper | Print on matte or glossy photo paper and glue or clip it, never staple. |
| A baby photo showing part of the adult holding the child | Hide the supporting hand and arm; the baby alone in the picture. |
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 Spanish Schengen visa is applied for at the Spanish consulate or embassy of your place of residence (or its visa application centre), where the printed photograph is handed in glued or clipped to the form and the biometric data are collected.
The Schengen visa page of the Spanish mission that covers you on exteriores.gob.es
One colour photograph (two at Nador), white background, within 6 months, not stapled.
Authority pageQuestions
A recent colour passport-size photograph on photo paper, against a white background (Washington: white, light, clear, uniform), facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses or any garment concealing the oval of the face, taken within the last 6 months, glued or clipped but not stapled to the form.
The consulates say «passport size» (Los Angeles, Washington) or «ICAO Document 9303» (Nador) and give no millimetres; a 35 × 45 mm ICAO print is the usual passport size.
One at the consulates in Washington and Los Angeles, two at the consulate in Nador. Count them on the list of your mission.
Not dark or reflective ones: the consulates exclude dark or reflective glasses and any garment concealing the oval of the face.
The recommended size for the Spain 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 Spain 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 dark glasses or 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: visa.