Schengen visa photo size and fingerprints: the rules for India

The photo standard

The European Commission’s instruction is short: “A photo in compliance with ICAO standards”. National checklists in India turn that into measurements, and they agree closely.

Germany’s two documents use slightly different words for the background: white on the checklist, and plain and bright, ideally neutral grey, on the photo sheet. A plain white or very light grey background with no pattern satisfies both, and the Dutch requirement of a white or light background as well.

Getting a photo that passes in India

Studios that do visa work can produce the format, but give them the measurements rather than just asking for a visa photo. A photo that fails at the counter can cost you the appointment.

• Ask for 35 x 45 mm with the face filling 70 to 80% of the frame, which Germany puts at 32 to 36 mm of face height.
• Take off your glasses. Portugal’s Goa consulate refuses photos with eyewear, and removing them avoids reflections for every other country.
• Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open and hair away from the face, in even light with no shadow behind you.
• Ask for no retouching or background replacement. The photo has to look like the person standing at the counter.
• Use a photo taken within the last six months, and a fresh one for each application rather than the print left over from your last visa.
• Order several copies. Each applicant needs at least one, and a spare saves a second trip if one is rejected.

Fingerprints at the application centre

Your fingerprints are scanned when you hand in the application at the VFS Global or BLS International centre, which is one reason most countries need you there in person. Finland asks every applicant, of any age, to submit in person; Poland requires personal submission with biometrics and does not let travel agents submit; Luxembourg accepts tourist applications only from the applicant.

Hungary’s VFS page shows that biometrics are not taken in every case: it lists one service charge for applications with biometrics and a lower one for those without. That points to the rule on reusing earlier prints, explained next.

The 59-month rule: when prints can be reused

Fingerprints given for one Schengen application can serve later ones for a limited time. German missions’ form asks: “Were the fingerprints of the applicant collected in the last 59 months…?” Their FAQ (3 June 2026) adds: “For subsequent applications (within 5 years), the fingerprints can be copied”.

Copying is not a promise that you will skip the scanner. The same form says “fingerprints should be taken if the applicant submits his application in person even if the last submittal was within the last 59 months”. Since most applicants do submit in person, expect to give them again, and answer the form’s question accurately.

Keep a record of the date you last gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa. The form asks for it, and after a few years it is easy to forget which trip it was.

Children and biometrics

The under-12 rules come from individual countries’ pages. France states that it takes no fingerprints from children younger than 12, and Belgium lets under-12s skip the personal visit. Every child still needs a compliant photo, babies included, and some countries, such as Finland, ask every applicant to come to the centre regardless of age.

A baby’s photo is the hardest to get right: a plain background, eyes open if possible, no hands or toys in the frame. Allow time for a retake before the appointment.

Biometrics at the border: EES

The fingerprints you give at the centre are for the visa. A separate biometric record now starts at the border. The EU’s Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, and on your first entry under it your fingerprints and a facial image are recorded along with the date and place of entry.

The two are separate systems with separate purposes, so holding a visa does not spare you the border registration. Allow extra time at immigration on your first trip, especially on a tight connection.

Before your appointment

• Two or more identical photos, 35 x 45 mm, under six months old, on a plain light background, without glasses.
• One set of photos per applicant, children and babies included.
• The fingerprint question on the form answered correctly, with the date of any application in the last 59 months.
• No heavy mehendi on your fingertips in the days before the appointment, since it can make prints hard to read.
• Every family member who must attend booked into the same slot.
• The rest of the file ready, including a flight reservation ordered for the same day. Delivery is usually within 30 minutes during office hours, Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00 IST, so it can be ordered on the morning of the appointment.

Questions people ask