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Finland visa photo requirements

The 36 × 47 mm photo rules set by Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland for the Finland visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 6 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Finland visa photo?

A Finnish Schengen visa application needs one colour photograph in which you are recognisable, handed in with the signed form at a Finnish mission or the visa application centre it names. The ministry's visa checklists point to ICAO guidance: 35 to 40 mm wide, face filling 70 to 80% of the frame, plain light background, no more than six months old. A paper D visa application needs a photo that meets the Finnish police instruction, which is 36 x 47 mm.

Visas for Finland are issued through Finnish embassies and consulates under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. If Finland is your main destination, you apply in person at the visa application centre indicated by the Finnish mission, at the mission itself, or at the mission of another Schengen state that represents Finland. Honorary consuls cannot grant visas, and inside the EU only the Finnish embassies in Berlin, Dublin, Madrid, Nicosia, Sofia and Stockholm accept Schengen visa applications.

The ministry publishes country-by-country checklists on its online visa portal, where you can also fill in the application form. Each checklist names the visa application form with a photograph as the first item and links to the ICAO photograph guidelines for the photo. Your fingerprints are taken when you apply, unless you gave them for a previous visa application less than 59 months earlier.

The D visa works differently. It is a national visa tied to a Finnish residence permit, decided by Migri together with the permit and placed in your passport at a Finnish mission. Its paper application asks for a passport photo that complies with the photo guidelines issued by the police in Finland.

Finland visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland:[1]

Print size36 x 47 mm under the police guidance um.fi cites; the ICAO sheet in visa checklists asks for 35-40 mm width
Head heightICAO sheet: face fills 70-80% of the photo; police guidance: 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin
BackgroundPlain light-coloured background (ICAO sheet); light, neutral, ideally light grey (police)
ColourColour photograph
Photo ageNo more than 6 months old
Print qualityHigh-quality paper at high resolution, with no ink marks or creases (ICAO sheet)
Pixels when printed425 × 555 px at 300 dpi · 850 × 1110 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
36 mm47 mm32–36 mm
36 × 47 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 32–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain light-coloured background.

Key requirements

  • A recognisable colour photo

    The Ministry for Foreign Affairs asks visa applicants for one colour photograph from which they can be recognised, and refers them to the police website for guidance. Black and white, accepted for Finnish passports, is not what the visa page asks for.

  • ICAO proportions

    The ICAO sheet linked from the visa checklists asks for a close-up of the head and top of the shoulders, 35 to 40 mm wide, with the face taking up 70 to 80% of the photograph. It must be sharp and clear, show natural skin tones, and have appropriate brightness and contrast.

  • Police photo for D visa forms

    Both paper D visa routes, with the residence permit or afterwards, ask for a copy of your valid passport and a passport photo complying with the Finnish police photo guidelines: 36 x 47 mm, head 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin.

  • In person, with biometrics

    All visa applications must be submitted in person, and biometric identifiers are collected at the same time. An application cannot be sent by email or fax, so the photo travels with your paper form to the appointment.

  • No edited photos in some checklists

    The seasonal work checklist for applications in China adds that edited or digitally altered photos are not accepted, and that passports with edited or digitally altered photos are not accepted either. Check your own country's checklist for local additions like this.

  • Alone, neutral, mouth closed

    The ICAO sheet wants you alone in the picture, with no chair backs, toys or other people, looking at the camera with a neutral expression and your mouth closed. Face the camera square on, eyes open and not covered by hair, with even lighting and no shadows or flash reflections.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check the checklist for the country where you apply.
  • Use a colour photo taken within the last six months.
  • Keep the photo with your signed application form.
  • Book an appointment before you go to the centre or mission.
  • Follow the Finnish police guidance for a D visa photo.
  • Face the camera with a neutral expression.

Don't

  • Do not send the application by email or fax.
  • Do not use an edited or digitally altered photo.
  • Do not wear tinted lenses or heavy frames.
  • Do not wear a hat or cap unless for religious reasons.
  • Do not use a busy background or a creased, ink-marked print.

Sample photos

How a Finland visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 36 × 47 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

The ICAO sheet linked from Finnish visa checklists says that if you wear glasses, your eyes must show clearly, with no flash reflection off the lenses and no tinted lenses. If possible, avoid heavy frames and wear lighter ones, and make sure no part of the frame covers your eyes.

For a D visa photo, the Finnish police rules apply instead: tinted glasses or an eye patch only for medical reasons, and no frame over the eyes or reflections.

Headwear and religious dress

On the ICAO sheet, head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, and your face must be clearly shown from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, including both edges. The Finnish police guidance for a D visa photo also accepts a covering for an established tradition or for health or medical reasons, provided it does not hide too much of the face or shade it.

Babies and children

The ministry says all visa applications must be submitted in person, and that applies to children too. Unaccompanied minors need parental consent for their travel, and the ministry's visa guidance lists parental consent among the documents for minors. The ICAO sheet rules out toys and other people in the frame, so a parent holding a child must stay out of the picture.

A Schengen visa for Finland is applied for on paper and in person. You can fill in the form on the ministry's visa portal or as a PDF, then sign it and bring it with your photo, passport, travel insurance and supporting documents to the appointment at the mission or visa application centre. The ICAO sheet asks for prints of high quality: photos from a digital camera must be in colour and printed on photo-quality paper.

For a D visa applied for together with a residence permit in Enter Finland, the visit to the mission or VFS centre is where you prove your identity and leave your passport. A paper D visa form needs the printed police-standard photo attached. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

Apply at the visa application centre named by the Finnish mission in your country, at the mission, or at the mission of a Schengen state that represents Finland. You may apply no more than six months before the trip. The mission can ask you to come for an interview.

D visa applicants visit a Finnish mission or a VFS application centre to prove their identity, and must be able to travel within two weeks of the residence permit decision. If you cannot leave your passport at the mission while the permit is processed, Migri advises against applying for a D visa.

How to get your Finland visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Finland visa: 36 × 47 mm print, plain light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: a recognisable colour photo; iCAO proportions; police photo for D visa forms; in person, with biometrics.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. A Schengen visa for Finland is applied for on paper and in person.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply at the visa application centre named by the Finnish mission in your country, at the mission, or at the mission of a Schengen state that represents Finland. You may apply no more than six months before the trip.

Make this photo online

Finland visa photo FAQ

The ministry's country checklists for Schengen visas link to the ICAO photograph guidelines, which ask for a photo 35 to 40 mm wide with the face filling 70 to 80% of it. The um.fi visa page also points to the Finnish police guidance, whose standard size is 36 x 47 mm, and a paper D visa form explicitly requires that standard.

Yes. The ministry asks for a colour photograph from which you are recognisable. That differs from Finnish passports and identity cards, where the police still accept black-and-white photos.

A paper D visa application, whether filed with the residence permit or afterwards, must include a copy of your passport and a passport photo complying with the Finnish police photo guidelines. When you apply for the D visa together with the residence permit in Enter Finland, you prove your identity at a Finnish mission or VFS centre.

Keep it unedited. Some Finnish checklists, such as the seasonal work checklist for China, state that edited or digitally altered photos are not accepted. The police guidance used for D visas bans any manipulation that changes your appearance or raises doubts about authenticity.

With your signed application form at your appointment: at the visa application centre the Finnish mission names, at the mission, or at a Schengen state mission representing Finland. Applications must be made in person and cannot be emailed.

Not if you gave fingerprints with a previous visa application less than 59 months earlier. The photo, however, has to be supplied with every new application and must be no more than six months old.

Related photo specifications

Other Finland documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 36 × 47 mm

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Official sources

  1. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. A visa to visit Finland um.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Visa checklists for applications in India (portal data) finlandvisa.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Visa checklists for applications in China (portal data) finlandvisa.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Annex A - Photograph Guidelines icao.int. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). D visa migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Police of Finland. Passport photograph instructions by the police (PDF) poliisi.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.

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

Cite this page

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

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