The short answer
Schengen visa photo requirements follow the ICAO standard: a recent colour photo, taken within six months, on a plain white background, face straight to the camera and filling most of the frame. Sizes differ by embassy checklist in Dhaka, 35x45 mm for Germany and 3.5x4.0 cm for Italy, so follow your main destination's checklist.
In Bangla
শেনজেন ভিসার ছবি ICAO মান মেনে হতে হয়: গত ছয় মাসের মধ্যে তোলা রঙিন ছবি, সাদা ব্যাকগ্রাউন্ড, আর মুখ সোজা ক্যামেরার দিকে। ঢাকায় দূতাবাসভেদে মাপ আলাদা, জার্মানির জন্য ৩৫x৪৫ মিমি আর ইতালির জন্য ৩.৫x৪.০ সেমি, তাই মূল গন্তব্যের চেকলিস্ট মেনে চলুন।
Key takeaways
- The EU requires a photo that meets the ICAO standard, and each embassy's checklist sets the exact print size.
- Germany's Dhaka checklist asks for a 35x45 mm biometric photo on a white background with the face covering 70 to 80 percent of the frame.
- Italy's Dhaka checklist asks for a 3.5x4.0 cm colour photo on a white background taken within the last six months.
- Head coverings are accepted for religious reasons only, and the face must stay fully visible.
- Bring the photo loose unless your checklist says otherwise, and never use a retouched or filtered image.
Schengen visa photo requirements trip up more applicants than they should, because the size printed on one checklist is not always the size on the next. This guide sets out the ICAO rules every Schengen photo has to meet, the sizes the German and Italian embassies in Dhaka ask for, and how to get a print that passes at the counter.
What are the Schengen visa photo requirements?
A Schengen visa photo must meet the ICAO standard for travel-document photos, as the European Commission's visa page states. In practice that means a recent colour photo of your full face, looking straight at the camera with a neutral expression and open eyes, on a plain light background, sharp, evenly lit and free of shadows or retouching.
- Recent: taken within the last six months, so it looks like you on the day of the appointment.
- Colour, on photo paper: a studio-quality print, not a home printout on plain paper.
- Plain background: white on both the German and Italian checklists, with no pattern or shadow.
- Full face, straight on: head centred, eyes open and visible, mouth closed, neutral expression.
- Nothing over the eyes: no tinted glasses, no glare on clear lenses, hair kept away from the face.
- Head coverings for religious reasons only, with the face fully visible.
- No digital changes: no filters, beauty apps, slimming or replaced backgrounds.
The photo is one item on a longer list; our Schengen visa from Bangladesh guide walks through the whole application around it.
What size should a Schengen visa photo be?
No single print size is fixed in EU law; each embassy's checklist sets it. In Dhaka, the German embassy's tourist checklist asks for 35x45 mm, while the Italian embassy's tourism checklist states 3.5x4.0 cm, both on a white background. Follow the checklist of your main destination exactly, and ask the studio to cut the print to that size.
| Rule | Germany | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 35x45 mm | 3.5x4.0 cm |
| Background | White | White |
| Age of the photo | Recent | Taken within the last 6 months |
| Face | Covers 70 to 80% of the frame | ICAO format, per the linked ICAO guideline |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only | Follow the ICAO guideline |
| Attaching it | Loose; do not glue or staple | As the visa centre instructs |
| Source | German tourist checklist | Italian tourism checklist |
France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain publish their own specifications through France-Visas, the Dutch consular site and their visa centres. Check the official page for your destination rather than reusing a print made for another embassy.
How to get a Schengen visa photo that passes
- 1
Read your checklist first
Note the size, the background colour and how the photo should be attached before you visit a studio.
- 2
Tell the studio the embassy
Ask for an ICAO-standard visa photo at the size on your checklist, printed on photo paper, and keep the digital file.
- 3
Dress plainly
Wear everyday clothes in a colour that stands out against white. Avoid white tops, large jewellery and anything that throws a shadow on the face.
- 4
Keep a neutral face
Look straight at the lens with eyes open and mouth closed. Move hair away from the eyes and take off tinted glasses.
- 5
Check the print
Hold it against the checklist: size, background, sharpness, no shadows, and a clear likeness to how you look now.
- 6
Bring a spare, loose
Carry an extra print in an envelope, and do not glue or staple it unless the checklist tells you to.
Does the visa centre take your biometrics as well?
Yes. When you lodge the application, the visa centre records your fingerprints, except for children under 12 and a few other exempt groups. That does not replace the printed photo, which the Dhaka checklists still require. If you gave fingerprints for an earlier Schengen visa, field 28 of the application form asks for the date and the visa sticker number.
Should your agency handle the photo?
A photo is the one item you can sort out in an afternoon, so it rarely needs an agency. Where an agency earns its fee is the rest of the file: making sure the photo, form, passport and papers all describe the same person, with the same spelling and the same dates.
If you use one, choose an agency that checks files with Visolv. It reads your passport and every supporting paper, checks that names, dates and passport numbers agree across the file, and lists what is missing before your appointment. You can see how the check works before you decide.
Why do embassies in Dhaka use different photo sizes?
Because the EU sets the standard for what the photo shows, not one paper size, and each consulate writes its own checklist. The ICAO rules govern the face, the lighting and the background; the print size is a local instruction. That is why a photo accepted at one embassy can be turned away at another.
The practical fix is simple. Keep the digital file from the studio and order prints in each size you need. If you are also applying for a UK or US visa in the same season, each of those has its own rules, so never assume one print fits every application.
What if the counter rejects your photo?
Ask the staff exactly which rule it failed and whether you can hand in a replacement the same day, then get a new print that meets the checklist. While you sort it, run through our Schengen visa documents checklist so one problem at the counter does not turn into two.
A photo problem can cost you the appointment slot, and slots can take weeks to rebook. Getting the photo right the first time is the cheapest fix in the whole application.
Schengen visa photo requirements are simple once you read the right checklist. Match the size to your main destination, keep the face clear and the background plain, never edit the image, and if you want the rest of the file checked as carefully, go through a visa agency that uses Visolv.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Schengen visa photo size in Bangladesh?
It depends on the embassy. The German embassy in Dhaka asks for 35x45 mm, and the Italian embassy's tourism checklist states 3.5x4.0 cm, both on a white background. The EU only requires the ICAO standard, so each consulate sets its own print size. Follow the checklist of the country where you will spend the most time.
Can I wear a hijab in my Schengen visa photo?
Yes, for religious reasons. The German embassy in Dhaka accepts head coverings only for religious reasons, and the face must remain fully visible with no shadows across it. Caps, hoods and fashion headwear are not accepted, so wear only what you normally wear for religious practice and check your embassy's guidance before printing.
Can I use the same photo as my passport?
Only if it is recent and the right size. Italy's checklist wants a photo taken within the last six months, and a passport photo is often older than that. Sizes differ too, so a print made for one purpose may not match your embassy's checklist. Ask your studio for a fresh print at the size your main destination asks for.
Can I wear glasses in a Schengen visa photo?
Tinted glasses are not accepted, and clear glasses often cause retakes because of glare and frames across the eyes. The safest choice is to take them off for the photo. If you must wear them, make sure your eyes are clearly visible with no reflection, and check your embassy's photo guidance before you print.
Should I glue the photo to the Schengen form?
Not unless your checklist says so. The German embassy in Dhaka tells applicants not to glue or staple the photo to the application form, and the visa centre attaches it as needed. Bring the photo loose, ideally with a spare in an envelope, so a staple hole or a glue mark does not spoil it.
Do children need their own visa photo?
Yes. Every applicant, including babies and young children, needs their own photo that meets the checklist. The face still has to be clear and the background plain, so allow extra time at the studio. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints at the visa centre, but their printed photo is still required.
The Visolv team
Editorial team, Easital Technologies (Dhaka)
Visolv is software for visa agencies, made in Dhaka by Easital Technologies: an AI caseworker that reads and checks every paper in a client's file, writes the drafts and builds the upload pack under the agency's own brand. We write about what we see in real visa files from Bangladesh.
