Czechia Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for a Czechia 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. Czechia is a member of both the EU and the Schengen area.

The print size is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high). The Czech MFA mission network specifies one colour photograph on a white background for the Schengen visa application; the Los Angeles consulate page adds that the entire face must be clearly visible, sunglasses and non-religious headgear are not allowed, the print must be of good quality on high-quality photo paper, and the photograph is glued over the corresponding field on the application form (upper right corner of the first page). Glasses are allowed only when the frames do not obscure the eyes. The checklist also requires the photo to match the applicant's actual current appearance; Czechia does not publish a country-level maximum age in months, so the Schengen/ICAO common standard (no more than 6 months old) applies. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the Czech mission that accepts applications where you live. Individual missions can apply slightly different checklist details (for example on the background), so re-check the official page of your accepting mission 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, the background required by the accepting mission, 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. Czechia 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 Czechia-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 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 Czech mission checklist wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Czechia-specific risks: a print that is not 35 × 45 mm; a background other than white when the accepting mission requires white; sunglasses or tinted lenses; glasses frames covering the eyes; headgear other than religious; a low-quality print that is not on high-quality photo paper; forgetting to glue the photograph to the application form; a photo that no longer matches your current appearance. 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.