Poland Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for a Poland short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. National visas (Type D) for longer stays, residence, work, or study follow a different document list and are not covered here. Poland is a member of both the EU and the Schengen area.

The print size is 35 × 45 mm (35 mm wide × 45 mm high). The Polish government portal (gov.pl) publishes visa application pages on a common template across Polish missions, and the photograph requirements in that template state: the photo is undamaged, in colour, and in good focus; it has these dimensions; it was taken no more than 6 months before the date of application; it shows the face from the top of the head to the upper part of the shoulders so that the face occupies 70–80% of the photograph, on a uniform light background, in a frontal position, looking straight ahead with the eyes open and not covered by hair, with a natural expression and the mouth closed, reproducing the natural skin colour; and the eyes, especially the pupils, are clearly visible with the eye line parallel to the top edge. The Type C application page additionally states that the head covering must be removed for the photograph. This service prepares a 35 × 45 mm print.

The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the Polish mission that accepts applications where you live (appointments run through the e-konsulat system). The gov.pl pages generally list one photograph, while some missions ask for two biometric photos, so re-check the document list of your accepting mission before you book or print.

• 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: taken within 6 months, a uniform light background, the child alone in the frame, eyes open and not covered by hair, and a natural expression with the mouth closed. Poland does not publish an age-banded child face-size table for visa photos; the gov.pl photograph requirements and the Schengen/ICAO common guidelines are the reference standard for children as well.

Because there is no Poland-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 mission's checklist 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/biometrics process rather than the photograph specification. The office that accepts your application can confirm the current biometric procedure for children.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the gov.pl photograph requirements with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Poland-specific risks: a print that is not 35 × 45 mm; a photo older than 6 months; a background that is not uniform or not light; the face under 70% or over 80% of the photograph; hair covering the eyes; an open-mouth expression; a tilted head; eyes or pupils not clearly visible; a black-and-white print; keeping a head covering on for the photo; a damaged or out-of-focus 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.