Bulgaria Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for a Bulgaria short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Long-stay (Type D) visas and residence permits follow a different process and are not covered here. Bulgaria has issued uniform (Schengen) visas valid throughout the Schengen area since 31 March 2024, as stated on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.bg) Visa for Bulgaria page.

The print size is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high). The mfa.bg Visa for Bulgaria page requires a full colour photograph of this size against a light-coloured background, as a full-face photo with the face taking up 70–80% of the photograph; the page adds that the same rule holds for a child entered in the passport. The page does not fix an age limit for the photo or the number of prints, so the Schengen/ICAO common guidelines fill the baseline: a recent photo (taken within the last 6 months) that matches your current appearance, a frontal pose with a neutral expression and the mouth closed, eyes open and visible, glasses only without lens reflection or tint, and no head covering except for religious or medical reasons. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

Visas are issued by the diplomatic and consular representations of the Republic of Bulgaria, and the same mfa.bg page notes that applications may also be received through Visa Application Centers (VFS Global) in listed countries. The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the mission or centre that accepts applications where you live, so confirm its current document list 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

The mfa.bg Visa for Bulgaria page explicitly states that the same photo rule holds for a child entered in the passport: the same 35 × 45 mm size, full colour, light-coloured background, and full-face framing. Children otherwise follow the same quality rules as adults under the Schengen/ICAO common guidelines — a recent photo, 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.

Bulgaria does not publish an age-banded child face-size table for visa photos on the national visa page, so 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 are part of the application and biometrics process rather than the photograph specification. The mission or visa centre that accepts your application can confirm the current biometric procedure for children.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the mfa.bg Visa for Bulgaria photograph wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Bulgaria-specific risks: a print that is not 35 × 45 mm; a black-and-white print; a dark or patterned background (the page requires a light-coloured background); a pose that is not full-face or with the face outside the 70–80% band; hair or frames covering the eyes; shadows on the face or behind the head; a photo that no longer matches your current appearance; a low-resolution or damaged 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.

Applying: where the photo is submitted

This page covers the photograph specification only; appointments, fees, and biometrics are out of scope. Applications are submitted in person (no earlier than three months before travel, per the mfa.bg page) at the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission responsible for your place of residence, or at a Visa Application Center (VFS Global) in the countries where Bulgaria uses one. If your trip covers several Schengen states, apply at the country of the main destination (longest stay), or the first country of entry if the stays are equal.