Latvia Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

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

The print size is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high), and one colour photograph is required, as stated on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' documents-required page (last updated 17.06.2026). The photo-quality requirements issued by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), linked from that page, set the rest: the photograph must not be older than 6 months; only the person is visible, without other persons or toys; the face is shown in close-up with a small portion of the shoulders, taking up 70–80% of the photograph, centred on a uniform background; the facial expression is neutral with the mouth closed and the eyes pointed at the camera, open and not covered; glasses must not have tinted lenses or flash reflection and the frame must not be too thick or cover part of the eyes; a head covering is allowed only for religious reasons and must not cover the face or cast a shadow on it; the lighting must avoid red eyes and heavy shadows; and the print is high-resolution, on high-quality photo paper, not folded, dirty, or otherwise damaged, with neutral lighting and contrast and a natural face colour. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

Applications are submitted at a Latvian diplomatic mission or consular post; where Latvia has no visa-issuing mission, other Schengen states' missions issue visas on Latvia's behalf (the MFA site carries a page listing them). Confirm the current document list and appointment process with the mission that will receive your application. 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.

• 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 PMLP photo-quality requirements apply to every applicant: only the person is visible in the photograph, without other persons or toys, with the face fully visible and the eyes open. Children otherwise meet the same rules as adults — the same 35 × 45 mm size, one colour photograph within 6 months, uniform background, and neutral expression.

Latvia publishes no age-banded child face-size table for visa photos, 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 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 exemptions for children are part of the application and biometrics process rather than the photograph specification. The mission that accepts your application can confirm the current biometric procedure for children.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the PMLP photo-quality wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Latvia-specific risks: a print that is not 35 × 45 mm; a photo older than 6 months; a second person or a toy in the frame (the PMLP rules name this explicitly); a non-uniform background; the face outside the 70–80% band; tinted or flash-reflecting lenses; a frame covering the eyes; a head covering other than religious; red eyes or heavy shadows; a folded, dirty, or damaged print or ordinary paper instead of photo paper; an unnatural face colour. 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 at a Latvian diplomatic mission or consular post, or — where Latvia is represented by another Schengen state — at that state's mission; the MFA site lists which missions issue visas for Latvia. The photograph follows Latvia's rules regardless of which mission receives the application, but confirm the current document list with that mission.