Lithuania Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

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

The photograph format is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high). Lithuania's Migration Department publishes the national photo requirements as a print format from which 35 × 45 mm rectangles must be cuttable, with the head-to-chin distance inside the stated band and fixed small margins above and below — in practice this means the head fills most of the frame — printed on high-quality thin photo paper with a smooth surface, on a very bright, monochrome, monotone background without shadows. The MFA's visa pages collect the photograph as a biometric identifier (scanned or taken at the time of application) with ten fingerprints. For applications through VFS Global — Lithuania's officially designated provider in many countries — the visa checklist fixes the same format directly: one colour photograph, 35 × 45 mm, white background, no older than 6 months. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

Applications are lodged at a Lithuanian diplomatic mission or consular post, or through an external service provider where Lithuania uses one; the online application is completed through the Migration Department's electronic system. 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 Migration Department photo requirements and the VFS checklist wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Lithuania-specific risks: a print from which a compliant 35 × 45 mm rectangle cannot be cut; the face outside the stated head-to-chin band; a background that is not bright and monochrome (the VFS checklist asks for white); shadows on the face or background; a photo older than 6 months; an unnatural expression, open mouth, or tilted head; glasses with flash reflection; creases, ink marks, or a damaged emulsion layer; ordinary paper instead of photo paper. 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.