Iceland Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for an Iceland short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Long-stay procedures and residence permits follow different document lists and are not covered here. Iceland is a member of the Schengen area (outside the EU).

The print size is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high). The Icelandic Directorate of Immigration's visa section on island.is lists the supporting documents, and the supporting-documents page states the photograph as the applicant's passport photo at this size. The page states the size only, so the remaining preparation rules come from the Schengen/ICAO common guidelines: a recent photo (within the last 6 months) that matches your current appearance, a plain light background, 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. The page itself notes that the website of the applicable embassy or consulate carries the complete list of requirements. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

Icelandic visas are issued by the Icelandic embassies in London, New Delhi, Beijing, and Washington D.C.; in roughly 120 other cities, other Schengen states are commissioned to issue visas on Iceland's behalf, and in some locations service providers receive applications while the embassy decides. Where Iceland is represented by another state, the photograph still accompanies the application to Iceland's rules — but confirm the current document list with the embassy or consulate that will receive your application.

• 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: the same 35 × 45 mm size, a plain light background, the child alone in the frame, eyes open and visible, and a neutral expression with the mouth closed. Iceland 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 Iceland-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 embassy or consulate 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 embassy, consulate, or service provider that accepts your application can confirm the current biometric procedure for children.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the island.is supporting-documents wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Iceland-specific risks: a print that is not 35 × 45 mm; a patterned or dark background (the page does not name a colour, but a plain light background is the baseline); shadows on the face or behind the head; tinted or reflective glasses; a head covering other than religious or medical; 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.

Applying: where the photo is submitted

This page covers the photograph specification only; appointments, fees, and biometrics are out of scope. Visa applications are lodged at the embassy or consulate of the main destination country covering your place of residence — for Iceland, one of the Icelandic embassies in London, New Delhi, Beijing, or Washington, or the mission of a Schengen state commissioned to issue on Iceland's behalf; some locations use an application centre that receives documents while the embassy decides. All visa inquiries go to the relevant embassy or consulate, which also provides the complete requirements list.