Austria Visa Photo (Schengen visa C or national visa D, 35 x 45 mm): size and requirements
The Austria Visa Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches). BMI criteria: einfärbig hell (idealerweise grau), kein Muster, keine Schatten; head 67 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA) / BMI Passbild-Kriterien.
For the single colour Passfoto filed with an Austrian visa application (Schengen visa C or national visa D) at an Austrian representation or external service provider abroad. Not for an Aufenthaltstitel applied for inside Austria, and not for a visa issued by another Schengen state representing Austria, which follows that state's rules.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches)
- Head height
- Head 67 to 80 percent of the photo height (BMEIA: 'Passfoto gemäß den ICAO-Kriterien (Farbe, 35x45 mm)', linking the BMI Passbild-Kriterien: Kopf ca. 2/3 des Bildes, nicht höher als 36 mm)
- Background
- BMI criteria: einfärbig hell (idealerweise grau), kein Muster, keine Schatten
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Allowed without glare or tint
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- Prints needed
- 1
- We deliver
- 827 x 1063 px (600 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckThe foreign ministry asks for one 'Passfoto gemäß den ICAO-Kriterien (Farbe, 35x45 mm)' and links the BMI Passbild-Kriterien for the detail, so the Austrian head rule (about two thirds, 36 mm maximum) applies rather than the generic ICAO 70 to 80 percent.
- CheckWithout an ICAO-conforming photo the application is not even admissible: a 'zulässiger Visumantrag' requires that 'ein ICAO konformes Passfoto vorliegt' alongside the form, passport, fingerprints and fee.
- CheckFile between six months and 15 days before travel at the representation responsible for your legal residence; in some countries an external service provider takes the file for a fee and forwards it.
- CheckIf Austria is represented by another Schengen state's embassy in your country, that embassy applies its own photo rules; check the representing state's spec instead.
Source and verification
Read from the official page and translated by us. Last checked 2026-10-07 at Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA) / BMI Passbild-Kriterien.
gemäß den ICAO-Kriterien (Farbe, 35x45 mm)
…ein ICAO konformes Passfoto vorliegt.
…er innerhalb einer Frist von sechs Monaten bis spätestens 15 Tagen vor der geplanten Reise eingereicht wird.
In einigen Staaten können Visumanträge auch bei externen Dienstleistern eingebracht werden.
Das Foto muss 35 mm breit und 45 mm hoch sein. Der Kopf (von der Kinnspitze bis zum Scheitel) soll ca. 2/3 des Bildes einnehmen, darf aber nicht höher als 36 mm sein.
Das Foto darf nicht älter als 6 Monate sein.
Quotes are in German. Quotes 1-4 from the BMEIA page 'Visum' at source.url, read via the r.jina.ai text proxy (sources/at/bmeia-visum.txt; the page's 'ICAO-Kriterien' link points to https://www.bmi.gv.at/607/Passbild_Kriterien.aspx, which resolves to the BMI page below). Quotes 5-6 and all geometry from the BMI 'Passbild-Kriterien' page https://www.bmi.gv.at/607/passbild_kriterien.html (sources/at/bmi-passbild-kriterien.txt). printsRequired 1 follows the singular 'Passfoto'. Quote 1 and eligibility.officialWording omit the bold word 'Passfoto' that precedes them because the text proxy renders '**Passfoto**gemäß' without a space. maxPhotoAgeMonths 6 is the BMI rule reached through that link; the BMEIA page itself states no age. dpi 600 is our rendering choice.
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.
Frequently asked questions
