🇩🇪 Germany
German passport & Schengen visa photo requirements
German passport and visa photos follow EU Visa Code biometric standards at 35×45 mm with a light grey background.
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German passport and visa photos follow EU Visa Code biometric standards at 35×45 mm with a light grey background. The German Missions abroad photo examples PDF is our primary source, last verified 2026-08-18. Ears should be visible when possible on passport photos — a detail many generic crop tools ignore.
German Passport / Biometric
35×45 mm · light grey bg
German / Schengen Visa
35×45 mm · light grey bg
Passport vs Schengen visa
- German Passport / biometric — 35×45 mm, light grey (#E4E4E4), ears visible when possible
- German / Schengen Visa — 35×45 mm, plain light background, max 240 KB for many digital uploads
Biometric details reviewers check
Face occupies roughly 70–80% of image height.
More details
Face occupies roughly 70–80% of image height. No smile, no glasses, no hair covering eyebrows. Background must be uniform with no objects or patterns.
German Passport / Biometric
- · Size: 35×45 mm (413×531 px @ 300 DPI)
- · Head height: 70–80% of frame height
- · Eye line: 55–70% from bottom
- · Background: light grey (#E4E4E4)
- · Smile: not allowed — neutral expression
German / Schengen Visa
- · Size: 35×45 mm (413×531 px @ 300 DPI)
- · Head height: 70–80% of frame height
- · Eye line: 55–70% from bottom
- · Background: light grey (#F0F0F0)
- · Smile: not allowed — neutral expression
FAQ
Are German and Schengen visa photos the same?
For Germany-issued Schengen visas, yes — both use 35×45 mm ICAO biometric rules. Always pick the exact visa authority in PicsForm when applying through another member state.
Where can I read the official examples?
Germany.info publishes a visa photo examples PDF referenced in our de-passport and de-visa records.
PicsForm matches photos to published requirements. This is not legal or immigration advice and does not guarantee application approval. Always confirm current rules on the official portal.