Visa application photos — Schengen, US, China specs (2026)
Visa photo specs differ from passport specs. Schengen 35×45, US 51×51 square, China 33×48 with ears. Country table + how to take any visa photo at home.
The trap: visa specs ≠ passport specs
The single most common visa-photo rejection is using your home country's passport photo for a foreign visa application. They're not the same. A Dutch 35 × 45 mm passport photo fails for a US visa (which wants 51 × 51 square). A US passport photo fails for a China visa (which wants 33 × 48 mm with visible ears).
Always use the destination country's spec, not your own country's.
Major visa specs
| Visa | Print mm | Face mm | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen visa | 35 × 45 mm | 32-36 mm | Light grey, no glasses |
| US visa (DS-160) | 51 × 51 mm | 25-35 mm | White, no glasses since 2016 |
| China visa | 33 × 48 mm | 28-33 mm | White, ears visible required |
| India e-visa | 51 × 51 mm | 25-35 mm | White, both ears visible |
| UK visa | 45 × 35 mm digital | 29-34 mm | Light grey, no glasses |
| Russia visa | 35 × 45 mm | 32-36 mm | White, glasses allowed if no reflection |
| Australia ETA | 35 × 45 mm digital | 32-36 mm | White or off-white |
| Canada visa | 35 × 45 mm | 31-36 mm | Plain white |
| Brazil visa | 50 × 70 mm | 40-50 mm | White, both ears visible |
| UAE visa | 43 × 55 mm | 30-40 mm | White, ears visible |
| Japan visa | 45 × 45 mm | 27-32 mm | White or light blue |
| South Korea visa | 35 × 45 mm | 32-36 mm | White |
Schengen visa — most common
Schengen visa photos follow the same standard as EU passport photos: 35 × 45 mm with a 32-36 mm face on a light grey background, no glasses, taken within the last 6 months. If you already have a recent EU passport photo (DE/FR/IT/AT/etc.), the same photo is accepted at the consulate.
US visa — DS-160 digital + printed
US visa applications via DS-160 require both a digital upload (600 × 600 px, 240 KB max) and a printed photo for the consulate interview. Both must be 2 × 2 inches square (51 × 51 mm), white background, no glasses since November 2016.
China visa — the ears requirement
Chinese visa photos are 33 × 48 mm — neither the EU 35 × 45 nor the US square format. Both ears must be fully visible (a Chinese-specific rule), which means hair pinned back. Background must be white.
How to take any visa photo at home
Daylight, plain wall, phone at eye level. Software measures face height in mm and crops to the exact visa window — 51 × 51 for US, 33 × 48 for China, 35 × 45 for Schengen. Background is replaced with the required colour. The same selfie can be cropped to multiple visa formats if you're applying for several at once.
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