Netherlands Visa Photo Requirements (Short-stay Schengen, Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photo requirements for a Netherlands short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) for short stays. National Visa (Type D), MVV residence permits, and other long-stay procedures use a different document set and are out of scope. The number of prints, the appointment system, the submission window, and the fee vary by where you apply; confirm them on the official Netherlands Schengen visa checklist for your application location.

The NetherlandsWorldwide tourism checklist asks for "a photo that meets Dutch requirements" of 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm, taken within 6 months, with a white or light-coloured background. The Dutch government ID photo requirements page and the Photo specification guidelines (RvIG Fotomatrix) fix the size at 35 x 45 mm, with the face 26-30 mm chin-to-crown (age 11 and over) and 16-20 mm ear to ear (excluding ears). Use the size conclusion above when you print. Confirm the live NetherlandsWorldwide checklist before you apply.

• 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: recency, plain light background, alone in the frame. The child face-size ranges and the under-6 exemptions below follow the Dutch government ID photo (passport and identity card) standard, which the visa checklist incorporates by reference through the phrase "meets Dutch requirements"; they are not a separate Schengen-visa-only rule. The Dutch government ID photo requirements set a wider face range for children under 11: the face measures 19-30 mm chin-to-crown (versus 26-30 mm for age 11 and over). Children under 6 are exempt from the head position, expression, and shoulder rules (eyes level, no head tilt, shoulders square, neutral expression, mouth closed, looking straight on).

If support is needed for the child, the supporting hands must not appear in the photo (hide them under clothing). Whether the child must attend in person and whether fingerprints are captured depend on the application location and the applicant's age; confirm the attendance and biometric rules with the official window for your application site.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the NetherlandsWorldwide checklist and Dutch government ID photo wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Netherlands-specific risks: wrong print size (not 35 x 45 mm); face under 26 mm or over 30 mm chin-to-crown; non-white or patterned background; shadows or uneven lighting; tinted or reflective glasses; photo older than 6 months; print under 400 dpi; image edited with software or a copy of a print.

• 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.

Short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) scope and submission

These photo requirements apply to a Netherlands short-stay Schengen visa (Type C). The Netherlands is part of the Schengen area, so a Type C visa issued by the Netherlands allows travel within the Schengen zone under the 90-days-in-180 rule. National Visa (Type D), MVV residence permits, and other long-stay procedures are out of scope and use a different document set.

Submission steps, the appointment system, the application window, the fee, and the number of prints all vary by where you apply. Confirm each of these on the official Netherlands Schengen visa page and checklist for your application location. If the Netherlands is the main destination of a multi-country Schengen trip, apply to the Netherlands.