Visa photo size vs file size: what is official and what is not

Last checked: 24 October 2026, against the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs photo page. Informational only, not legal or immigration advice.

People searching for “visa photo size” usually mix up two different things: the printed size of the photo in millimetres, and the file size in kilobytes that an online form accepts. They come from different places and are checked by different people.

1. Printed size and appearance (set by the rules)

For Schengen short-stay visas, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists these requirements and cites Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (the Visa Code), Article 13:

Size 35 × 45 mm.
Current appearance, full-face view.
Distance from the eyes to the bottom of the chin of at least 13 mm.
No sunglasses (except for blind applicants); head coverings only for religious or health reasons and only if they do not prevent identification.
Civil attire.

That page does not state the background colour, the expression or the number of photos. Many commercial sites give specific numbers for these; we could not confirm them from an official source, so ask the embassy or visa centre that handles your application.

2. File size and pixels (set by the portal)

An online form may limit the upload to, for example, 100 KB or 200 KB, and may ask for a minimum number of pixels or a JPEG format. These limits are not in the Visa Code; each embassy, visa centre or national portal chooses its own and can change them. Read the instructions on the exact site where you upload.

How to prepare a photo that fits both

Start from a sharp, well-lit original that already meets the appearance rules above.
Crop to the required proportion (35:45 is the same shape as 7:9) with the photo resize tool, which can also export to a KB limit.
If you only need to lower the file size, use compress image to KB; it reduces quality first and only shrinks pixels if you allow it.
Open the result and check your face is still clear. A file under the limit is not automatically accepted.

Limits of this guide

Rules differ by country and visa type (national visas, residence permits and passports have their own photo specifications). Confirm with the authority you are applying to.

Open the photo resize tool