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Cyprus visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Republic of Cyprus (gov.cy) for the Cyprus visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Cyprus visa photo?

A Cyprus visa application needs a recent passport-sized printed photo affixed to the application form. The EU photo guidance that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs links asks for a photo no more than six months old, 35 to 40 mm wide, with the face filling 70 to 80% against a plain light background. 35 x 45 mm fits that. Posts add their own details: New Delhi asks for a face of at least 34 mm, and Beirut named a white background.

Cyprus visas are handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its embassies, high commissions and consulates. They cover short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period and airport transit, for nationals who need a visa. Cyprus is a member of the European Union but is not yet inside Schengen, and the Ministry says visas it issues are valid only for Cyprus until full integration. EU citizens do not need a visa and can enter with an identity card that bears a photo.

You apply at the Cyprus mission that covers your country of residence, or at the visa centre of an external service provider to which that mission refers you, such as VFS Global in India. The Ministry's visa page says a recent passport-sized photograph must be affixed to the visa application, and it links the EU photograph guidelines. Applications are normally lodged in person at the mission, usually by appointment; the Ministry allows courier submission only in special cases agreed in advance with the mission. The New Delhi High Commission says your photograph and fingerprints are also taken when you submit.

The database offers two sizes. 35 x 45 mm is the usual passport-style format and meets the EU width rule. The 2 x 2 inch size for applicants in the USA has no official basis: the EU guidance stops at 40 mm wide, and the Washington embassy page does not mention 2 x 2 inch. Applicants in the USA should use 35 x 45 mm unless their mission says otherwise.

Cyprus visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Republic of Cyprus (gov.cy):[1]

Print sizePrinted, 35 to 40 mm wide (EU guidance); Beirut embassy: 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background
Digital sizeNo file: a printed photo is affixed to the paper application form
Head height70 to 80% of the photo (EU guidance); New Delhi: face at least 34 mm
BackgroundPlain light-coloured background (EU guidance); Beirut: white
ColourColour, neutral, natural skin tones
Photo ageNo more than 6 months old
Print qualityHigh-quality paper, high resolution; digital camera photos on photo-quality paper
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm34 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 34 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain light-coloured background.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

recent photograph (full frontal picture, light background, size of face min. 34 mm, no tinted glasses)

Visa Information[5]

Key requirements

  • Affixed to the form

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a recent passport-sized photograph must be affixed to the entry visa application. The application form itself is free. The photo you attach is a print, and no online upload is described on the official pages checked.

  • EU width and face size

    The EU guidance linked by the Ministry asks for a photo 35 to 40 mm wide, a close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders, so that the face fills 70 to 80% of the photograph. It must be sharp, of high quality and without ink marks or creases.

  • Six months at most

    The same guidance says the photo must be no more than six months old. The Beirut embassy page, in a copy from November 2025, repeated this for its own applicants, asking for 3.5 x 4.5 cm on a white background taken within the last six months.

  • Post-by-post details

    The New Delhi High Commission and the Washington embassy list the same line: a full frontal picture, light background, face of at least 34 mm and no tinted glasses. The Cairo consulate asks for a photograph conforming to ICAO standards. Check the page of the post you will use.

  • Look straight, plain light backdrop

    Face the camera square on, not looking over one shoulder or tilted, with both edges of your face showing. Use a plain light-coloured background and uniform lighting, with no shadows or flash reflections on your face and no red eye.

  • Biometrics at the post

    The New Delhi High Commission says your photograph and fingerprints will also be taken when you submit. The Beirut page asks every applicant above 12 to attend for biometric collection. A printed photo is still required for the form.

  • Visa valid only in Cyprus

    Until Cyprus joins the enhanced Schengen cooperation area, the Ministry says applicants need not fill in fields 25, 26 and 28, and that the visa does not give the right to free movement in the rest of Schengen.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Book an appointment at the post or visa centre that covers you.
  • Attach a recent colour print to the application form.
  • Keep the face between 70 and 80% of the photo.
  • Use a plain light-coloured background.
  • Show both edges of your face, looking straight at the lens.
  • Check the photo line on your post's visa page first.

Don't

  • Do not use a photo older than six months.
  • Do not wear tinted lenses or sunglasses.
  • Do not let frames cover any part of your eyes.
  • Do not pick a busy background.
  • Do not take the picture with flash glare or red eye.
  • Do not expect to upload the photo online.

Sample photos

How a Cyprus visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

If you wear glasses, the EU guidance says the photograph must show your eyes clearly, with no flash reflection off the glasses and no tinted lenses. It suggests avoiding heavy frames, and the frames must not cover any part of the eyes. The New Delhi and Washington lines say simply "no tinted glasses".

Headwear and religious dress

The EU guidance does not permit head coverings except for religious reasons. Even then the facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of the face, must be clearly shown. Hats and caps are listed as examples that are refused.

Babies and children

A child needs a photo of their own under the same guidance. The Ministry says an application for a minor needs a letter signed by both parents or legal guardians. The Beirut page says applicants above the age of 12 must attend for biometric collection; it does not say how younger children are photographed.

Cyprus visa photos are printed. The Ministry says the photo is affixed to the form, and the EU guidance asks for high-quality paper and high resolution; a photograph from a digital camera must be printed on photo-quality paper. No pixel size or file format is published. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut to size.

Online use is limited. The New Delhi High Commission says submission of an electronic application is not available at this stage, and that the form is completed manually. Other posts use e-mail or an online appointment platform only. The VFS service-fee list on the New Delhi page includes a photograph service at the visa application centre (EUR 4.63 for four photos), so one can be taken there.

Where to submit the photo

Apply at the Cyprus diplomatic mission that covers your country of residence, or in the country you pass through on the way to Cyprus if you can justify it. Where the Ministry uses an external service provider, such as VFS Global in India or TLScontact in Armenia, the visa centre receives the application and forwards it to the consulate.

The Ministry says applications can be lodged at least 15 days, and no more than six months, before the intended arrival (nine months for seafarers). The decision usually takes 15 days and can be extended to 45 days.

How to get your Cyprus visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Cyprus visa: 35 × 45 mm print, plain light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: affixed to the form; eU width and face size; six months at most; post-by-post details.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Cyprus visa photos are printed. The Ministry says the photo is affixed to the form, and the EU guidance asks for high-quality paper and high resolution; a photograph from a digital camera must be printed on photo-quality paper.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply at the Cyprus diplomatic mission that covers your country of residence, or in the country you pass through on the way to Cyprus if you can justify it.

Make this photo online

Cyprus visa photo FAQ

The EU photo guidance linked by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for 35 to 40 mm in width, so the common 35 x 45 mm format fits. The Beirut embassy named 3.5 x 4.5 cm in a copy of its page from November 2025.

Not yet. Cyprus is an EU member, but the Ministry says visas it issues are valid only for Cyprus until full integration into Schengen. Holders of a valid two-entry or multiple-entry Schengen visa can still enter without a Cyprus visa, except Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens.

No official online photo upload is described. The photo is a print affixed to the form. The New Delhi High Commission says an electronic application is not available at this stage, and some posts only book appointments online.

The EU guidance asks for a plain light-coloured background with uniform lighting. The Beirut embassy named white. Avoid shadows and busy backgrounds in any case.

No official rule asks for 2 x 2 inch. The EU guidance gives a width of 35 to 40 mm, and the Washington embassy page asks for a face of at least 34 mm with no tinted glasses. Use 35 x 45 mm unless your mission asks otherwise.

Yes, with clear lenses. Your eyes must be clearly visible, the frames must not cover them, and there must be no tinted lenses or flash reflection.

No more than six months old, according to the EU photo guidance. A recent photo also matches the Ministry's requirement of a recent passport-sized photograph.

Related photo specifications

Other Cyprus documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Republic of Cyprus (gov.cy). Visas gov.cy. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Photograph quality (ICAO photograph guidelines) home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Application for a Visa for the Republic of Cyprus (English form) gov.cy. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in New Delhi. Visa Information gov.cy. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Washington. Visa Information gov.cy. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Beirut. Entry Visa gov.cy. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Cairo. Visa Information gov.cy. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Republic of Cyprus (gov.cy) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Cyprus visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/cyprus/visa-photo

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