Independent reference to official photo rules

Not affiliated with any government. Always confirm with the issuing authority before you apply.

WorldPhotoSpecsOfficial photo rules for every country

Visas and travel authorisations

Czech Republic visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic for the Czech Republic visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

Rate this page

Quick answer

What size is the Czech Republic visa photo?

A Czech visa photo is 35 x 45 mm, shows your current appearance in a full-face view and measures at least 13 mm from the eyes to the bottom of the chin. Wear everyday clothes, no sunglasses unless you are blind, and no head cover except for religious or health reasons. A Schengen application without a photo is inadmissible. For residence filings, the Ministry of the Interior adds a white to light blue or light grey background and bans retouching.

Czech visas are applied for through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MZV) and its embassies and consulates. A Schengen visa covers short stays, while long-term visas for stays over 90 days and residence permits follow Czech law. In many countries, including the United Kingdom, India, China and Turkey, Schengen applications are collected by visa centres run by external service providers, which the Ministry uses to give applicants more choice of where to apply. Long-term visas are applied for in person at an embassy, by appointment.

The MZV publishes one photo standard for visa applications: 35 x 45 mm, current appearance, a full-face view, at least 13 mm from the eyes to the bottom of the chin, civilian clothes, no sunglasses and no head cover, with exceptions. It bases this on Article 13 of the EU Visa Code and the Czech Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals. Posts add local details; Islamabad, for example, asks for a white background and a photo pasted to the form.

Residence matters belong to the Ministry of the Interior. Its Portal for Foreigners describes the print it expects with filings related to residence permits. When a biometric residence permit card is produced, your facial image and fingerprints are taken at a Ministry office, so the card photo is not one you bring.

Czech Republic visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic:[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), printed; the Interior Ministry allows straight or rounded corners
Digital sizeNo upload published: the photo is a print, pasted to the form at posts such as Islamabad
Eye lineEyes to bottom of chin at least 13 mm; Interior Ministry: at least 2 mm above the head
BackgroundMZV sets none; Islamabad asks for white; Interior Ministry: white to light blue or light grey
ColourColour or black and white (Interior Ministry)
Photo ageMust show your current appearance
Print qualityInterior Ministry: smooth surface, long-term image stability, 0.13 to 0.27 mm thick
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: mZV sets none.

In the official words

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

Retouching or other modifications are not allowed.

Photograph[7]

Key requirements

  • Size and face height

    The photo is 35 x 45 mm and shows a full-face view. Measured from the eyes to the bottom of the chin, your face must be at least 13 mm high, so a small head far back in the frame will not do. The MZV rule gives no upper limit.

  • Current likeness, civilian clothes

    The picture must match how you look now. Wear civilian clothes rather than a uniform, and take off sunglasses; only blind applicants may keep them on.

  • Head cover only for faith or health

    No head cover is allowed unless you wear it for religious or health reasons. Even then, it must not prevent the authorities from identifying you, so keep your face uncovered.

  • No photo, no application

    The MZV states that a photo must be submitted for a visa application to be accepted and for a Schengen application to be admissible. Its Schengen page counts a valid passport, the application form, the photo and fingerprints as the core of an admissible file.

  • Fingerprints alongside the photo

    Schengen applicants usually lodge in person so that fingerprints can be taken. Children younger than 12 are exempt. Once collected, fingerprints need not be given again for five years, though a consulate can ask for them again if in doubt.

  • Interior Ministry print standard

    For filings related to residence permits, the photo shows your head and upper shoulders from the front, with at least 2 mm above the head. Look straight into the lens, keep a neutral face with closed lips and open eyes not hidden by hair, and avoid reflections that hide features such as the eyebrows or chin.

  • Residence card photo taken by the Ministry

    Long-term and permanent residence cards carry biometric data captured at offices of the Department of Residence Agenda for Foreign Nationals: a facial record and scanned fingerprints, or the face only for children under 6. You must bring your travel document to that appointment.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Paste the photo to the form where the embassy asks you to.
  • Look straight at the camera with your whole face visible.
  • Keep at least 13 mm between your eyes and chin on the print.
  • Wear everyday civilian clothes.
  • Book an appointment with the embassy or visa centre.
  • Post a printed photo if you file a residence application by data box.

Don't

  • Do not wear sunglasses unless you are blind.
  • Do not wear a hat or cap for the photo.
  • Do not retouch or modify the photo.
  • Do not lodge a Schengen application without a photo.
  • Do not reuse a photo that no longer looks like you.

Sample photos

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

The MZV rule bans sunglasses, with an exception for blind applicants. It says nothing about clear prescription glasses.

For residence filings, the Interior Ministry adds that the photo must have no reflections that would hide or change distinctive features such as the eyebrows or the chin, so any glasses you keep on must not throw glare over your face.

Headwear and religious dress

A head cover is accepted only for religious or health reasons, and then only if it still allows you to be identified. Hats, caps and similar headwear worn for other reasons are not allowed under the MZV rule.

Babies and children

A child's application needs its own photo, under the same rules. For Schengen visas, children younger than 12 do not give fingerprints, and the MZV says they therefore do not need to visit the consulate.

For a biometric residence permit card, children under 6 have only their facial record taken at the Ministry office; older children also have their fingerprints scanned.

Czech visa photos are prints. The MZV page asks for a photo of a set size in millimetres, and the embassy in Islamabad tells applicants to paste it to the application form. No digital upload or pixel size is published for Czech visas.

For residence filings, the Interior Ministry wants the print to pass long-term image stability tests, have a smooth surface and be 0.13 to 0.27 mm thick. If you file by data box or by e-mail with a recognised electronic signature, you still have to deliver a physical photo to a Ministry office or send it by post. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo lab and cut to 35 x 45 mm, provided it has not been retouched.

Where to submit the photo

Schengen visas: at a Czech embassy or consulate, or at a visa centre where the Ministry uses one. Consulates schedule their own appointments, mostly by e-mail or phone. The MZV lists visa centres in, among others, Azerbaijan, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

Long-term visas: only in person at a Czech diplomatic mission, after making an appointment. Residence permit cards: the biometric appointment takes place at a Ministry of the Interior office in the Czech Republic.

How to get your Czech Republic visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Czech Republic visa: 35 × 45 mm print, mZV sets none background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: size and face height; current likeness, civilian clothes; head cover only for faith or health; no photo, no application.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Czech visa photos are prints. The MZV page asks for a photo of a set size in millimetres, and the embassy in Islamabad tells applicants to paste it to the application form. No digital upload or pixel size is published for Czech visas.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Schengen visas: at a Czech embassy or consulate, or at a visa centre where the Ministry uses one. Consulates schedule their own appointments, mostly by e-mail or phone.

Make this photo online

Czech Republic visa photo FAQ

35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), the standard Czech passport-photo format. The Foreign Ministry also requires the face to measure at least 13 mm from the eyes to the bottom of the chin, in a full-face view that shows your current appearance.

The Foreign Ministry's photo page sets no colour, but posts such as Islamabad ask for white. For filings related to residence permits, the Ministry of the Interior accepts white to light blue or light grey, including a smooth transition between those colours. Plain white satisfies both.

Yes, if you wear it for religious or health reasons. The Foreign Ministry allows a head cover in those cases on condition that it does not prevent your identification, so your face has to stay clearly visible.

No, children younger than 12 are exempt from fingerprinting, and the Foreign Ministry says they therefore do not need to visit the consulate. They still need a photo of their own that meets the 35 x 45 mm rules.

Yes. Biometric residence cards carry a facial record and fingerprints that a Ministry of the Interior office captures with special equipment at your appointment. The printed photo you file with a residence application is a separate requirement.

Do not retouch it. The Foreign Ministry's visa page does not address editing, but the Interior Ministry's photo rules for residence filings state that retouching or other modifications are not allowed, and the photo must show your current appearance.

With your application at the Czech embassy or consulate, or at a visa centre run by an external service provider where the Foreign Ministry uses one, as in the UK, India, China or Turkey. You usually attend in person so that fingerprints can be taken.

Related photo specifications

Other Czech Republic documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

Was this page helpful?

No ratings yet. Be the first to rate this page.

Official sources

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Photo mzv.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Visa for a stay up to 90 days (Schengen visa) mzv.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Visa Centres (Outsourcing) mzv.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Embassy of the Czech Republic in Islamabad. Short-term visa requirements mzv.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the Czech Republic in Tel Aviv. Requirements for Schengen visa mzv.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Digital and Information Agency (Portál veřejné správy). Application for a long-term visa portal.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic (Portal for Foreigners). Photograph ipc.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic (Portal for Foreigners). Biometrics ipc.gov.cz. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Czech Republic visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/czech-republic/visa-photo

Categories: