Switzerland Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for a Switzerland short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Switzerland is not an EU member but is part of the Schengen area through the Schengen/Dublin association agreement (in force 12 December 2008). National visas (Type D) for longer stays, residence, work, or study follow a different document list on the FDFA portal and are not covered here.

The Swiss FDFA treats the ICAO MRTD Photo Guidelines as the substantive photograph standard: the FDFA 'Application for Schengen visa and procedure' page lists 'Photograph quality' and links directly to the ICAO guidelines rather than publishing a Switzerland-specific millimetre table. The FDFA Photograph Requirements sheet specifies 35 mm in width with the face at 70–80% of the picture, a photo no more than 6 months old, a plain light-coloured background, full colour with natural skin tones, sharp focus, and a high-quality print on photo-quality paper. Neither the FDFA sheet nor the ICAO guidelines states a face-height value in millimetres; the 70–80% ratio is the primary sizing rule, and the commonly cited 32–36 mm chin-to-crown figure is a derived value, not a number stated in the Swiss official sources. The common shooting rules below are drawn from the same sheet and Schengen/ICAO guidance.

The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the Swiss mission that accepts applications where you live. Individual Swiss missions may add mission-specific photo requirements on top of the FDFA standard — for example, a white background. Confirm the live checklist on the official Swiss mission page for your country of residence 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: a recent photo, a plain light-coloured background, the child alone in the frame, eyes open and visible, a neutral expression with mouth closed, and both edges of the face clearly shown. Switzerland does not publish a Switzerland-specific age-banded child face-size table (unlike Germany or the Netherlands, whose national ID-document photo standards define age bands). The ICAO MRTD Photo Guidelines that the FDFA Schengen visa procedure page links to are the reference standard for child photos as well, and they do not publish numeric child face ranges either.

Because there is no Switzerland-specific child face-size table, apply the same 70–80% face ratio and 35 mm width 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 (for example, that under-12s are exempt from fingerprints) 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 Swiss FDFA Photograph Requirements sheet wording with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Switzerland-specific risks: width outside 35 mm; face under 70% or over 80% of the picture; patterned, dark, or non-neutral background; shadows on the face or behind the head; a black-and-white print instead of full colour with natural skin tones; tinted or reflective glasses; head covering other than religious or medical; tilted head or portrait-style framing; photo older than 6 months; low-resolution print that is not on photo-quality paper.

Mission-level variant to watch: the FDFA global standard requires a plain light-coloured background, but several Swiss missions additionally require white. If your accepting mission requires white, a light grey that meets the FDFA standard can still be rejected at that mission — check the mission checklist before you 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.