Croatia Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for a Croatia 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. Croatia has been a member of the Schengen area since 1 January 2023 and now issues uniform (Schengen) visas.

The print size is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high). The Croatian Ordinance on Visas (Article 11, in force since 1 November 2021) requires a colour photograph of this size and sets the full composition: the person is shown with a neutral facial expression, eyes open and mouth closed on a frontal shot; the head from the tip of the chin to the top of the head occupies about 2/3 of the photograph and must not be more than 36 mm in height, centred, with the distance between the eyes at least 8 mm (optimally 10 mm); the photo is developed on high-quality glossy and smooth paper without surface structure; and the background is light and monochromatic, without patterns and with sufficient contrast to the face and hair. The Ordinance also allows a derogation for urgent, justified travel from the head-size and paper conditions. The current MFEA Schengen pages require "a recent identity photograph in accordance with ICAO standards" without dimensions, and the live C-visa guidance page keeps the 35 × 45 mm colour wording with a 3-month age note — so the Ordinance's fixed size still backs this page's numbers. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

The Ordinance also states that the photograph may be scanned or taken at the time of submitting the application, and the current application pages say fingerprints are captured at submission. Applications are submitted in person — no earlier than six months before travel and as a rule no later than 15 calendar days before — at a competent Croatian embassy or consulate, or at a VFS Global Visa Application Centre in the countries where Croatia uses one, with the online form filled at crovisa.mvep.hr. 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.

1. Recency: no more than 6 months old; must look like you today.
2. Quality: colour, sharp focus, high quality, no creases or ink marks. Digital captures printed on photo-quality paper at high resolution.
3. 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.
4. Lighting: even light, natural skin tones, appropriate brightness and contrast; no flash reflection on skin, no red-eye.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Head covering: only for religious reasons, and the full face from chin to forehead and both edges of the face must still be clear.
8. 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.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the Ordinance on Visas photograph wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Croatia-specific risks: a print that is not 35 × 45 mm; a black-and-white print; the head larger than the Ordinance's limit (about 2/3 of the photo, not more than the stated head-height ceiling); a non-frontal pose or an open mouth; a patterned or coloured background (the Ordinance requires light and monochromatic); printed on ordinary textured paper; ink marks, creases, or damage; sunglasses (allowed only for blind persons); a photo that no longer matches your current appearance or is older than the 3-month note on the C-visa page. The common failure patterns and fixes follow the ICAO guidelines.

1. Head cut off or tilted: retake with more distance, face square-on to the camera, both edges of the face visible.
2. 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.
3. Glasses glare: remove glasses if practical, or use clear lenses and lighting that shows the pupils fully.
4. Old photo: replace any portrait older than six months or that no longer matches your appearance.
5. Heavy beauty filters: start again from a natural image; do not change face shape or skin texture.
6. Pixelated print: export a high-resolution colour file and print on photo-quality paper.