Finland Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for a Finland short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for transit through or a stay in the Schengen states of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Long-stay national visas (Type D) and residence permits follow separate processes and are not covered here. Finland is a member of both the EU and the Schengen area.

Where the requirement comes from: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' visa page lists one colour photograph among the documents and directs applicants to the Police website for photograph guidance. The mission checklists for the Schengen visa state the format explicitly: one passport-sized colour photograph at 36 × 47 mm (36 mm wide × 47 mm high), not older than 6 months, taken against a light one-coloured background with grey recommended, with the face and shoulders facing the camera directly and a neutral expression; retouching is prohibited. The Police photograph instructions — the guidance the ministry delegates to — set the composition: the head from the chin to the crown at 32–36 mm, a few millimetres of space above the head and below the chin, a monochromatic flat background with light grey ideal, natural tones, and no more than six months old. This service prepares a 36 × 47 mm print.

Follow the checklist composition: face and shoulders square to the camera, head centred, neutral facial expression, eyes open and looking directly at the camera; no shadows on the face or background; no retouching or software correction of any kind. Glasses are acceptable only if the eyes stay clearly recognisable — no reflections, tinted lenses, or frames covering the eyes. Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, and then the facial features must remain visible.

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 mission checklist wording with the Police photograph instructions.

Finland-specific risks: a print in the common Schengen format instead of Finland's own 36 × 47 mm size — this is the single biggest difference from neighbouring countries; a photograph older than 6 months; a retouched or software-corrected image; a dark, patterned, or shadowed background instead of a flat light one-coloured (grey recommended) background; the head outside the 32–36 mm band; a tilted head or portrait-style pose; tinted glasses or frames covering the eyes; headwear other than religious. The general failure patterns and fixes follow the ICAO-style guidance.

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.