Schengen vs UK Visa Photo Size: 35×45 mm or 600×750 px?

Guide • Updated: 2026-11-11 • Free, in your browser — your photos are never uploaded

Visa photos are not one-size-fits-all. A Schengen visa wants a 35×45 mm photo, a UK passport wants 600×750 px minimum, and a US visa wants a square 2×2 inch photo. Use the wrong size and the visa centre will ask you to retake the photo — which costs you a day.

This guide compares the three most common visa photo sizes so you can make the right one the first time.

Quick facts — compare the sizes

Schengen visa: 35×45 mm (413×531 px), under 200 KB, 300 DPI, light grey or pure white background
UK passport: 600×750 px minimum, 50 KB – 10 MB, 300 DPI, plain light-coloured background
US visa: 2×2 in (600×600 px), under 240 KB, 300 DPI, plain white or off-white background

Schengen visa photo — 35×45 mm

The Schengen photo is a portrait rectangle, 35 mm wide and 45 mm tall (413×531 px). The file must be under 200 KB at 300 DPI. Your face must be 32–36 mm tall in the photo — about 70–80% of the height — and the photo must have been taken within the last 6 months. The background should be light grey or pure white, and your face should be front-facing with a neutral expression.

UK passport photo — 600×750 px

The UK digital passport photo is also portrait, but bigger: at least 600×750 px at 300 DPI, with a file size between 50 KB and 10 MB. The background must be plain and light-coloured. The UK rules are strict about quality: no red-eye, sharp focus, and no digital beauty filters or retouching of any kind.

US visa photo — 2×2 inch square

The US photo is different again — a square, 2×2 inches (600×600 px, up to 1200×1200 px), under 240 KB, on a plain white or off-white background. Your head should take up 50–69% of the height, with no glasses and a neutral expression.

How to make the right one

First, check which country you are applying to and write down its size — do not guess. Then take a fresh photo against a plain light wall in bright, even light, with the camera at eye level. Open ResizeHub’s Passport Photo Maker, pick the size for your country (35×45 mm for Schengen, 600×750 px for the UK, 600×600 px for the US), set the white or light background, and download the file. Check the file size against the limit for your country before you submit it.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using one photo for every country — Schengen, UK and US sizes are all different.
Using an old photo — Schengen photos must be less than 6 months old, and most countries want a recent photo.
Retouching or filtering the photo — the UK and Schengen rules both reject edited photos.
A dark or shadowy background — every visa photo needs a plain, light background.
Smiling or looking away — keep a neutral expression and look straight at the camera.

Pick the country, pick the size, and make a fresh photo for that application. It takes ten minutes, and it is much cheaper than a rejected visa appointment. Your photo is processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded anywhere.