Spain Visa Photo Requirements (Size & Specifications)

A perfect visa photo is essential for a successful Spain (Schengen) visa application. If your photo doesn’t meet the official requirements, it could lead to delays, or even rejection of your application.

To make things easier, we’ve created the Atlys Spain Visa Photo Maker. This tool automatically adjusts your photo’s size, background, and format to match the official Spain (Schengen) visa guidelines, saving you time, stress, and effort.

To help you get started, we’ve outlined the official Spain visa photo specifications below.

How to use the Spain visa photo maker tool?

Applying for a Spanish visa? Make sure your photo meets all the official requirements with this easy-to-use and reliable tool:

Upload Your Photo

Choose a photo from your device (JPEG, JPG, or PNG format). You can also take a new selfie on the spot if needed.

Adjust & Resize

Click ‘Transform’ and let the tool automatically resize, crop, and adjust your photo to match the official Spain visa photo guidelines.

Download & Use

Once your photo is ready, download the Spain visa-compliant version and include it with your visa application. It’s quick, easy, and accurate.

Note: You can also apply for your Spain visa through Atlys in just a few simple steps.

Spain Visa Photo Requirements

Here are the official photo specifications for a Spanish visa:

Size: 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm (1.38 inches x 1.77 inches)
File Size: Typically under 120 KB
Colour: Colored photos are required
Background: Plain white or light-colored background
Face Position: Full face, front view, eyes open, and clearly visible
Head Coverage: The Head should take up about 70–80% of the photo
Recent Photo: Taken within the last 6 months
Photo Quality: High resolution, clear, sharp, and well-lit
Head Coverings: Not allowed, except for religious or cultural reasons
Expression: Neutral expression—no smiling, frowning, or showing teeth

Note: Atlys visa photo tool takes care of all the above specifications automatically to make your application process smooth. Atlys ensures your photo is perfect for submission, even for minors.

Here’s a more detailed explanation for each requirement related to the passport photo for the Spain visa:

Spain Visa Photo Size:

Your Spain visa photo must be 35mm wide and 45mm high. Your face, from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, should take up approximately 70–80% of the image height, which is around 32–36mm. This sizing ensures your facial features are clearly visible, helping Spanish authorities accurately verify your identity and process your application without delays.

Spain Visa Photo File Size & Format:

For digital submissions, your Spain visa photo must be in JPG, JPEG, or PNG format. While there isn’t a strict universal file size limit, the photo should be high resolution, clear and sharp, yet optimised to avoid being excessively large, as per the requirements of the specific Spanish embassy or consulate.

Spain Visa Photo Background:

The background must be plain white or light-colored, with no patterns, shadows, or objects visible. A clean, uniform background ensures your face is easily identifiable and meets official Spain visa photo standards.

Face Size & Positioning:

Your face should cover approximately 70–80% of the photo, translating to about 32–36mm from the chin to the crown. Your head must be centred, and your eyes should be aligned horizontally, positioned around 60–70% up from the bottom edge of the photo. This alignment is crucial for proper biometric recognition.

No Borders Allowed:

Photos must not have any borders, frames, or visible margins. A borderless photo ensures it meets the official Schengen and Spanish visa photo standards.

Recent Photo Required:

The photo must have been taken within the last 6 months and accurately represent your appearance. This helps avoid identity verification issues during the visa process.

Photo Quality & Clarity:

Your photo must be high resolution, sharp, well-lit, and clear. Avoid blurry, grainy, underexposed, or overexposed images. Low-quality photos may result in delays or rejections.

Orientation & Head Position:

You must face the camera directly, with your head straight and centred. Your facial expression should be neutral, with your mouth closed - no smiling, frowning, or raised eyebrows.

Headgear Guidelines:

Head coverings are only allowed for religious or medical reasons. They must be plain and should not cast shadows or obscure any facial features, including the forehead, cheeks, chin, or eyes.

Spain Visa Photo Requirements for Minors

When submitting a visa photo for a child, especially infants and toddlers, there are specific guidelines you must follow to meet Spain’s visa photo requirements:

Infants under one year old are not required to open their eyes in the photo.
The photo must be clear and front-facing, with the child’s head centred and fully visible.
The child must be alone in the photo, showing a neutral expression with the mouth closed.
No toys, pacifiers, or other people (including hands) should be visible in the image.
The photo must be high quality, with even lighting, sharp focus, and no shadows or reflections.

Following these guidelines helps ensure the child’s photo is accepted by Spanish authorities and used correctly for identification.

Do’s & Don’ts of Spain Visa Photo

To avoid delays or rejection of your Spain (Schengen) visa application, make sure your photo follows the official guidelines. Here's a helpful list of what to do, and what to avoid:

Do’s:

Use even, natural lighting with no shadows, glare, or reflections.
Ensure the photo is recent (taken within the last 6 months).
Maintain a neutral facial expression with your eyes open and mouth closed.
Make sure the photo is sharp, clear, and in focus for accurate identification.
Keep your hair away from your face so all facial features are visible, including the edges.
Use a plain white or light-colored background that contrasts well with your face.
Head coverings for religious or medical reasons are allowed, but they must be plain and must not obscure any facial features.

Don’ts:

Do not use blurry, low-resolution, damaged, or creased photos.
Do not let hair cover your eyes, forehead, or cheeks.
Avoid photos with red-eye, or those that have been digitally edited or filtered.
Do not allow shadows on your face or in the background.
Avoid smiling, frowning, or showing teeth. Keep a calm, neutral expression.

Free Spain Visa Photo Maker (No-Login Required)

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