Schengen Area Visa Photo Maker

Upload any photo — the tool removes your existing background, drops in the plain light grey or white background required for Schengen Area visa, and produces a spec-exact 35×45mm image ready to submit.

AI background removal plain light grey or white background applied Exact 35×45mm output

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Drop a photo to start

Face forward, eyes on the camera. Any background is fine — the tool replaces it with the plain light grey or white required for Schengen Area visa.

Works with cluttered rooms, coloured walls, indoor lighting — the AI segments you from whatever is behind you.

Choose photo

JPG, PNG, or HEIC. Max 10 MB on Free.

How to make a Schengen Area visa photo in 3 steps

Upload any photo of yourself, and the tool handles the entire Schengen Area visa spec pipeline — background removal, colour swap, spec-exact crop, file-size compression — in one pass.

1

Upload any photo of yourself

Take a photo with your phone or webcam against any background — a plain wall, a cluttered room, an office setting. The AI segments you from whatever is behind you, so you don't need to worry about finding a plain plain light grey or white backdrop before shooting.

2

AI removes the background and applies plain light grey or white

BiRefNet-portrait, the state-of-the-art open-source matting model, removes the original background and composes your face onto the plain light grey or white required for Schengen Area visa applications. Fine details like hair strands and wispy edges are preserved cleanly.

3

Auto-crop to 35×45mm and download

The tool auto-positions your face based on the segmentation mask, applies the exact 35×45mm crop at 600 DPI, and produces a JPEG under 240 KB — the standard file size for Schengen Area portal uploads. Drag the crop box if you want to fine-tune the position.

Understanding the Schengen Area visa spec

Schengen visa applications — for any of the 27 Schengen Area countries — accept a 35×45mm colour photograph on a plain light background. Individual consulates vary in interpretation: some accept plain white, most prefer light grey. The head must occupy 70-80% of the frame's height (approximately 32-36mm). Photos must have been taken within the last 6 months.

Dimensions

35×45 mm

1.38 × 1.77 in

Resolution

600 DPI

Print-ready

Background

plain light grey or white

AI-swapped

Head height

32–36 mm

Chin to crown

Requirements at a glance

35x45mm, ICAO standard
Plain light grey or white background
Head takes up 70-80% of the photo
Neutral facial expression, mouth closed
Both eyes visible and open
No glasses (from 2020 rules across most consulates)
Taken within the last 6 months

Common mistakes that get photos rejected

Wearing glasses — most Schengen consulates now reject
Head too small — must fill 70-80% of frame
Yellow-tinted background
Casual smile — must be neutral

Where Schengen Area visa photos are actually used

The 35×45mm dimension is the standard used across the EU and most European non-EU countries — the same photo works for UK, Swiss, Norwegian, and Icelandic visa applications. The main variation is background colour: French and Belgian consulates strictly enforce light grey; German and Italian consulates are more lenient about white. When in doubt, plain light grey satisfies every consulate.

Applications that accept this photo spec

Schengen short-stay visa (Type C, up to 90 days)
Schengen long-stay visa (Type D, national visa)
Airport transit visa (Type A)
Visa for family reunion in a Schengen country
Student visa applications for Schengen area universities

Schengen Area visa photo FAQ

What are the Schengen Area visa photo dimensions?

Schengen Area Visa photos are 35×45mm at 600 DPI, on a plain light grey or white background. Face must occupy 32-36mm of the frame's height (from chin to top of the head).

What background colour is required for Schengen Area visa photos?

plain light grey or white. Photos on cream, beige, or textured backgrounds are the single most common reason for application rejection at the verification step. This tool automatically replaces whatever background is in your source photo with the correct plain light grey or white colour.

Can I take Schengen Area visa photos with my phone?

Yes. Modern phone cameras produce more than enough resolution and colour accuracy for the 35×45mm output size. What matters is even lighting (no harsh shadows on your face), a plain-ish background (or use this tool to swap the background), and a straight-on, neutral-expression pose.

What is the maximum file size for Schengen Area visa photos?

The standard upload cap for Schengen Area visa portals is around 240 KB. This tool automatically compresses the output JPEG to stay under that cap while preserving the required 600 DPI resolution. If your destination portal has a stricter cap, use our free Image Compressor to shrink further.

Is my uploaded photo saved on your servers?

Your original photo is processed in memory and never persisted on our servers. The AI background removal runs server-side (the model file is 885 MB and doesn't fit in a browser), but the input image is discarded immediately after processing. Only the composited output is returned to your browser, and nothing about your photo is logged, saved, or shared with third parties.

What if the background removal misses part of my hair or clothing?

The BiRefNet-portrait model is trained specifically for people and handles hair, clothing edges, and skin tones cleanly on the vast majority of photos. If you see a specific edge artefact, try re-uploading with better lighting on your subject (indirect natural light works best) or contact us at [email protected] with the source photo and we'll investigate.

Do I need to sign up or pay to use this tool?

No sign-up required for basic use. Guests get 2 passport photos per day; free accounts get 3/day. If you need more (immigration lawyers, HR teams, travel agencies handling volume), Pro at $12/mo unlocks unlimited photos.

Can I print the Schengen Area visa photo at home?

Yes. The output is a 600 DPI JPEG at the exact 35×45mm spec, so any home inkjet or laser printer produces a print at the correct physical size when you print at 100% scale (not "fit to page"). For best results, use matte or semi-gloss photo paper.