Belgium Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for a Belgium short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. National visas (Type D) for longer stays, residence, work, or study follow a different document list and are not covered here. Belgium is a member of both the EU and the Schengen area.

The print size is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high). This size is specified by the Belgian Federal Public Service Home Affairs (Dofi/IBZ) visa photo rules and by the photograph-requirements sheet and visa checklists published on the Belgian diplomatic network. The baseline background is a plain light one with no pattern or shadows; some mission checklists add an explicit white-background requirement on top. The shooting rules — colour, frontal pose, neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes open and visible, glasses only without lens reflection, no head covering except for religious reasons — follow the ICAO guidelines that Schengen states apply. Belgium does not publish a country-level maximum photo age in months, so the Schengen/ICAO common standard (no more than 6 months old, matching your current appearance) applies. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the Belgian mission that accepts applications where you live. Its checklist states the required count, size, and any background specifics, so re-check the official page before you book or print.

• Recency: no more than 6 months old; must look like you today.
• Quality: colour, sharp focus, high quality, no creases or ink marks. Digital captures printed on photo-quality paper at high resolution.
• Background: plain light-coloured (a plain light grey can work if even). Avoid busy scenes and strong shadows on the face or behind the head.
• Lighting: even light, natural skin tones, appropriate brightness and contrast; no flash reflection on skin, no red-eye.
• Pose and expression: look straight at the camera; face square-on, not tilted; eyes open and not covered by hair; neutral expression, mouth closed; alone in the frame.
• Glasses: eyes fully visible; no tinted lenses; no flash reflection on the lenses; frames must not cover the eyes. Remove glasses if those conditions are hard to meet.
• Head covering: only for religious reasons, and the full face from chin to forehead and both edges of the face must still be clear.
• Editing: keep brightness and crop adjustments that do not change how you look. Avoid contour reshaping, eye or nose changes, and heavy beauty filters. The photo must remain realistic with natural skin tones.

Photos for children

Children need a photograph that meets the same quality rules as adults: a recent photo, a plain light background, the child alone in the frame, eyes open and visible, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, and both edges of the face clearly shown. Belgium does not publish an age-banded child face-size table for visa photos; the Schengen/ICAO common guidelines are the reference standard for children as well.

Because there is no Belgium-specific child face-size table, prepare the child's photo at the same outer size (35 × 45 mm) and to the same quality rules as for adults unless the accepting mission's checklist says otherwise. Babies and very young children who cannot sit unaided may be supported, but no supporting hands, toys, or other objects may appear in the frame.

Fingerprint and live-photo capture rules for children (for example, that under-12s are exempt from fingerprints) are part of the application/biometrics process rather than the photograph specification. The office that accepts your application can confirm the current biometric procedure for children.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the Belgian mission checklist wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Belgium-specific risks: a print that is not 35 × 45 mm; a patterned or dark background, or a non-white background when the accepting mission requires white; shadows on the face or behind the head; tinted or reflective glasses; head covering other than religious; a tilted head; a black-and-white print; a photo that no longer matches your current appearance; a low-resolution print. The common failure patterns and fixes follow the ICAO guidelines.

• Head cut off or tilted: retake with more distance, face square-on to the camera, both edges of the face visible.
• Uneven colour, shadows, or blow-out on the background: use a plain light background and even light so the face and the back of the head stay free of hard shadows.
• Glasses glare: remove glasses if practical, or use clear lenses and lighting that shows the pupils fully.
• Old photo: replace any portrait older than six months or that no longer matches your appearance.
• Heavy beauty filters: start again from a natural image; do not change face shape or skin texture.
• Pixelated print: export a high-resolution colour file and print on photo-quality paper.