Hungary visa photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo) for the Hungary visa, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Hungary visa photo?
Hungarian consulates ask for a passport-size colour photo, no older than six months, with every visa or residence permit application. Hungarian and VFS Global guidance sets the width at 35-40 mm, the face at 70-80% of the frame and a plain light background; the Istanbul consulate wants two 35 x 45 mm photos on white. You still attend in person for a biometric photo and fingerprints, and residence permit applications on Enter Hungary need an uploaded ID photo.
Hungary issues two kinds of visa. A Schengen (C) visa covers stays of up to 90 days in any 180 and is lodged at the Hungarian consulate for your place of residence when Hungary is your main destination. Some missions route applications through an external service provider, such as VFS Global or, in Istanbul, AS Visa. A stay longer than 90 days falls under national law: you apply for a residence permit, and that application already includes the type D visa you need to travel in and collect the permit.
The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF, in English NDGAP) decides residence permits. Abroad you lodge the application at a Hungarian mission, which takes your photo and fingerprints on site and, after approval, puts a single-entry D visa in your passport, valid for three months and for a stay of up to 30 days. Nationals who may enter Hungary visa-free can instead apply inside the country, online through the Enter Hungary platform or in person at a regional directorate.
Every route asks for a separate printed or uploaded photo as well as the biometric capture. The general Schengen rules have their own page; this one covers what Hungarian missions, VFS and the OIF ask for.
Hungary visa photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo):[1]
| Print size | 35-40 mm wide (Hungarian and VFS guidance); Istanbul asks for 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Enter Hungary: upload an ID-size colour photo; no pixel size is published |
| Head height | Face fills 70-80% of the photo; head and top of shoulders shown |
| Background | Plain light-coloured; Istanbul, Hanoi and Sofia ask for white |
| Colour | Colour, colour-neutral |
| Photo age | No older than 6 months (Istanbul: 3 months) |
| File size | Enter Hungary: all attachments to one case may total up to 80 MB |
| Print quality | Printed on high-quality photo paper at high resolution, with no ink marks or creases |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- A photo with every application
The Hungarian consular service lists one passport-size colour photo for a Schengen visa, and Government Decree 35/2024 requires one ID photo with each residence permit application. Istanbul, Hanoi, Kuwait and Pretoria ask for two.
- Biometrics taken in person
Applying in person means your photo and fingerprints are recorded at the mission. Fingerprints given for a Schengen visa within the previous 59 months are not taken again; for residence permits, fingerprints are taken from applicants over six.
- 35-40 mm wide, face 70-80%
VFS Global's Hungary guidance asks for a close-up of the head and top of the shoulders, 35-40 mm wide, with the face taking up 70-80% of the photograph.
- Light background, even lighting
Use a plain light-coloured background and uniform lighting with no shadows, flash reflections or red eye. Several missions narrow this to white.
- Natural, square-on pose
Look directly at the camera with your eyes open and not covered by hair, facing square on rather than over one shoulder, with natural skin tones and good contrast.
- Enter Hungary upload and 15-day deadline
In-country applications on Enter Hungary need an uploaded ID-size colour photo. The application counts as received only once the fee is paid and your facial photograph, fingerprints and signature specimen are recorded within 15 days.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Check your mission's checklist for how many photos it wants
- Use a photo taken within the last six months, or three for Istanbul
- Print on photo-quality paper at high resolution
- Show your head and the top of your shoulders, centred
- Attach an ID photo to the first page of the signed paper application form
- Book the OIF biometrics appointment within 15 days of the receipt notice
Don't
- Do not wear tinted lenses or frames that cover your eyes
- Do not wear a head covering unless for religious reasons
- Do not submit a creased or ink-marked print
- Do not let shadows or flash reflections fall on your face
- Do not file a separate D visa application; it is part of the residence permit request
- Do not use a C visa to work or study in Hungary beyond 90 days
Sample photos
How a Hungary 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.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
VFS Global's Hungary photo guidance allows glasses if your eyes show clearly: no flash reflection on the lenses, no tinted lenses, and frames that do not cover any part of the eyes. It suggests lighter frames over heavy ones.
Some missions are stricter. The Hanoi embassy asks for residence permit photos with no glasses and no visible teeth, so take them off if your mission says so.
Headwear and religious dress
Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons. When one is worn, your facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown. Istanbul also asks that the face, ears and forehead are visible in its 35 x 45 mm photos.
Babies and children
A minor's residence permit application is submitted by a parent or legal guardian, but a child over six must appear in person when it is lodged, and the OIF takes fingerprints only from applicants over six. No separate photo rules for children are published, so the same guidance applies: face 70-80% of the frame, light background, eyes open.
For a minor travelling alone, the Istanbul consulate wants the form signed by both parents and a notarised consent from both. Check whether your mission asks for the same.
Printed and digital photos
At a consulate or visa centre you hand in paper photos. VFS says photos taken with a digital camera must be high quality colour and printed on photo-quality paper. Missions list the print and the biometric capture as separate requirements, so bring the print even though your picture is also taken at the counter.
Enter Hungary is the only digital route. Its manual asks you to upload an ID-size colour photo no older than six months, and its user guide describes printing the application form, sticking an ID photo on the first page, signing it and uploading a scan. No pixel size or file format is published; all files for one case can total up to 80 MB. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm for the print and kept as a file for the upload.
Where to submit the photo
Schengen C visa: lodge it at the Hungarian consulate competent for your place of residence, or with the external provider it uses, between six months and 15 days before travel. If no Hungarian mission or representing Schengen state covers your country, any Hungarian consulate outside the Schengen area can accept it.
Residence permit with D visa: apply at a Hungarian mission in your country of nationality or residence before you travel. Visa-exempt nationals already in Hungary can apply through Enter Hungary or at the OIF regional directorate for their place of accommodation, then attend for biometrics.
How to get your Hungary visa photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Hungary visa: 35 × 45 mm print, plain light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: a photo with every application; biometrics taken in person; 35-40 mm wide, face 70-80%; light background, even lighting.
- Prepare a print or digital file. At a consulate or visa centre you hand in paper photos. VFS says photos taken with a digital camera must be high quality colour and printed on photo-quality paper.
- Submit the photo with your application. Schengen C visa: lodge it at the Hungarian consulate competent for your place of residence, or with the external provider it uses, between six months and 15 days before travel.
Hungary visa photo FAQ
Hungarian photo guidance used by VFS Global asks for a photo 35-40 mm wide, with the face filling 70-80% of it. A standard 35 x 45 mm print meets that width, and it is the size the Istanbul consulate names. Use colour, a plain light background and a photo no older than six months.
The government decree and the OIF factsheets ask for one facial photograph. Some missions ask for more: Istanbul, Hanoi, Kuwait and Pretoria list two passport-size photos, so follow the checklist of the mission where you apply.
The Hungarian consular service lists both: a passport-size colour photo attached to the application and biometric data collected when you apply in person. Missions treat them as two separate requirements, so bring the print even though your photo is also taken on site.
An ID-size colour photo taken within the last six months. When the OIF notifies you that your request has been recorded, it asks for a high-quality photograph if you have not sent one, and your facial photograph and fingerprints are then taken in person within 15 days.
No. When you apply for a residence permit from abroad, the application covers the visa that lets you enter Hungary and collect the permit. If approved, the consulate issues a single-entry D visa, valid for three months, for a stay of up to 30 days.
Usually yes, if your eyes are clearly visible, with no tinted lenses, no reflections and no frame across the eyes. Some missions are stricter: Hanoi asks for residence permit photos without glasses.
Where the Hungarian mission uses VFS Global or another external provider, yes; elsewhere you apply at the consulate. The consular service also allows applications through an accredited commercial intermediary, or by an association or institution on behalf of its members.
Yes. The general rule is a plain light-coloured background, and white meets it. Istanbul, Hanoi and Sofia specifically ask for white, so white is the safest choice for Hungarian missions.
Related photo specifications
Other Hungary documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Visas and travel authorisations nearby
- Belarus visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Bulgaria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Czech Republic visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Moldova visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Poland visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Romania visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Russia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Slovakia visa photo 30 × 35 mm
- Ukraine visa photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Hungary photo specifications
- Visas and travel authorisations: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo). Short term stay (Schengen visas and entry regulations) konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo). Entry for long stay (exceeding 90 days) konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- VFS Global (for the Embassy of Hungary). Hungary visa information: photo specifications visa.vfsglobal.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF). Residence of the student/pupil oif.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF). Residence permit for the purpose of family reunification oif.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF). EH manual for case uploading (student) oif.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF). Enter Hungary usage manual enterhungary.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF). EnterHungary szolgáltatási szabályzat (service rules) enterhungary.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Nemzeti Jogszabálytár (National Legislation Database). 35/2024. (II. 29.) Korm. rendelet (third-country nationals: entry and residence) njt.jog.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Hungary, Istanbul. D type visa - residence permit istanbul.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Hanoi. Residence Permit hanoi.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Kuwait. Long Term Visa - Who needs it? kuvait.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Pretoria. Residence Permit pretoria.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Sofia. Entry for long stay sofia.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Hungary visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/hungary/visa-photo