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Norway visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) for the Norway visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 11 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Norway visa photo?

For a Norwegian Schengen visa or residence permit, UDI says you do not need to bring a photo: it is taken when you hand in your application at VFS Global, an embassy or the police. Some embassy checklists still list one print: 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), white background, no older than six months and not edited. Glasses are not allowed, and headwear only for religious or medical reasons.

Visas and residence permits for Norway are decided by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and Norway's foreign service missions. A Schengen visitor visa is registered and paid for online in UDI's application portal; you then take the signed form and your documents in person to a VFS Global application centre in your home country or country of residence, which forwards them to the responsible embassy. Applicants for residence permits from abroad also attend VFS or a mission, while people already in Norway go to the police or the Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA).

UDI's own rule is that no photo needs to be brought for a visa, residence permit or travel document, and that this covers children: the police or the mission photographs you at the appointment. The Schengen rules set out by the embassy in Nairobi allow either route, saying the photograph is scanned or taken at the time of application. Several embassy checklists, among them those used in Russia, Palestine and Nigeria, still list one printed photo, so read the checklist for the country you apply from.

Once a residence permit is granted, the police take a new photo for the residence card (oppholdskort), which also stores your fingerprints and signature.

Norway visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI):[1]

Print sizeUDI: no print needed. Embassy checklists that ask for one: 35 x 45 mm (Amman, Nairobi)
Digital sizeNo file to upload: the photo is taken, or a print scanned, when you hand in the application
BackgroundWhite (Amman and Nairobi checklists); the face and the background must be evenly lit
Photo agePrinted photos: not older than 6 months (embassy checklists); UDI: must show your face as it looks today
Print qualityNot edited (Moscow checklist); Amman asks for the photo to be glued to the application form
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: white.

In the official words

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

One photo no older than six months, not edited

RF - Document checklist Schengen visa to Norway (PDF, updated 1 April 2025)[9]

Key requirements

  • Photo taken when you apply

    According to UDI, the police or the foreign service mission takes your picture when you arrive for the appointment, so you need not bring one for a visa, residence permit or travel document. The rule covers everyone, children included.

  • Your embassy checklist decides

    UDI sends visa applicants to the embassy's checklist for the documents to hand in. The checklists for Russia (April 2025), Palestine (January 2025) and Nigeria list one photo; at Amman a missing starred item, the photo among them, makes the application inadmissible.

  • Eyes, eyebrows and ears

    UDI requires both eyes, both eyebrows and both ears to be entirely visible. Your eyes are directed at the camera lens, your expression is neutral with the mouth closed, and your face is photographed from the front.

  • Even light on face and background

    The background and the face must each be evenly lit. Where a checklist asks for a print, the Amman and Nairobi lists specify a white background.

  • Biometrics by age

    For a visa, applicants over 12 give a photo and fingerprints and younger children a photo only. For a residence card, over-10s give a photo, fingerprints and signature, children aged 6 to 10 a photo and fingerprints, and under-6s a photo.

  • Unedited and recent

    The embassy in Moscow asks for one photo no older than six months and not edited. The other checklists that list a photo also set the six-month limit.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Register and pay online in the UDI portal before your VFS appointment.
  • Read the checklist of the embassy that handles your country.
  • Bring one 35 x 45 mm print on white if your checklist lists it.
  • Push your hair behind your ears so both ears show.
  • Look into the lens with a neutral face and closed mouth.
  • Take off scarves, bags and outer clothing before the camera.

Don't

  • Do not wear glasses in the photo.
  • Do not edit or retouch a print you hand in.
  • Do not use a photo older than six months.
  • Do not let headwear cover any part of your face.
  • Do not contact UDI to book a police or VFS appointment.

Sample photos

How a Norway 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

UDI's quality requirements say glasses are not to be worn. They apply to the photo the mission, VFS or police takes, and UDI says the rules for visa and residence permit photos are the same as for facial photos in Norwegian passports and national ID cards, which also ban glasses.

Take your glasses off before the photo, whether it is taken at the VFS centre, at an embassy or at a police office in Norway, and leave them off in any print your checklist asks for.

Headwear and religious dress

Headgear is not to be worn, with one exception. For religious or other special reasons, for example illness, you may keep headwear on in the photo when you are expected to wear similar headwear whenever you present the document in future. It must not cover any part of the face or more of the head than necessary, and it must not be so tight that it alters the natural shape of the face.

UDI also asks for scarves, bags and outerwear to be removed before you are photographed.

Babies and children

UDI states that the no-photo rule applies to everyone, including children, so the mission or police photographs them at the appointment. For a visa, children under 12 give a photo only, and applicants over 12 also give fingerprints. For a residence card, children under 6 give a photo, those aged 6 to 10 a photo and fingerprints, and those over 10 a signature as well.

First-time Schengen applicants must appear in person so their biometrics can be collected. The embassy checklists ask for extra papers for minors, such as a birth certificate and the consent of a parent who is not travelling.

UDI describes no photo upload: you register and pay online, print and sign the form, and give your biometrics in person. Where your checklist still lists a photo, bring one print: Amman asks for 35 x 45 mm on a white background, glued to the application form; Nairobi's checklist for applicants from Nigeria asks for 3.5 x 4.5 cm on white; Moscow asks for one photo not older than six months and not edited.

For residence permits, the embassy in Nairobi says applicants have had to give biometrics at VFS since 18 March 2021, with a signature added from 24 January 2022. In Norway, the police or SUA take the photo for the residence card, and in many cases the police can order the card from biometrics already registered, without another visit.

Where to submit the photo

Visitor visas: register in UDI's application portal and pay the fee online, then attend a VFS Global application centre in your home country or country of residence with the signed form and the documents on the embassy's checklist. VFS forwards the application to the embassy that decides it, and VFS is the first point of contact for questions about the process.

Residence permits: from abroad, hand in your documents at the VFS centre or Norwegian mission named on your application receipt. From Norway, book an appointment through UDI's portal and attend the police or SUA, where the residence card photo is also taken. UDI cannot book these appointments for you.

How to get your Norway visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Norway visa: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: photo taken when you apply; your embassy checklist decides; eyes, eyebrows and ears; even light on face and background.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. UDI describes no photo upload: you register and pay online, print and sign the form, and give your biometrics in person.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Visitor visas: register in UDI's application portal and pay the fee online, then attend a VFS Global application centre in your home country or country of residence with the signed form and the documents on the embassy's checklist.

Make this photo online

Norway visa photo FAQ

UDI says no: the police or the foreign service mission take your photo when you hand in the application, and this applies to children too. Some embassy checklists used at VFS centres still list one photo, for example those for Russia, Palestine and Nigeria, so follow the checklist for the country you apply from.

Where a checklist asks for a print, it is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) on a white background: the Amman checklist states 35 x 45 mm and the Nairobi checklist 3.5 x 4.5 cm. Both want a photo no older than six months.

No. UDI's quality requirements say glasses and headgear are not to be worn, matching the rules for Norwegian passport photos. Religious or medical headwear is the only stated exception, and it does not extend to glasses.

The police. UDI says the police take a new photo for the card, including when you applied at a foreign station. The card also stores your fingerprints and, if you are over 10, your signature. In many cases the police can order the card from biometrics already registered, without another visit.

Not if your checklist asks for a print: the Moscow checklist requires a photo that is not edited, and UDI asks for an evenly lit background. Take the photo against a plain white background instead of changing it afterwards.

Yes. A photo is collected from every visa applicant; children under 12 give only the photo, and older applicants also give fingerprints. UDI says no one, children included, needs to bring a photo, so follow your embassy checklist on whether a print is wanted.

Norway applies the common Schengen procedure, under which the photograph is scanned or taken when you apply. UDI adds the Norwegian quality rules: no glasses, ears visible, neutral expression and even lighting, the same rules the police use for Norwegian passports and ID cards.

Related photo specifications

Other Norway documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). Photo/passport photo udi.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). Provide your fingerprints and facial photograph (biometrics) udi.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). Residence cards udi.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). Frequently asked questions about visitor visas udi.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). Booking and attending an appointment udi.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. National Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet). Kvalitetskrav til ansiktsfoto i pass og nasjonale ID-kort (PDF) politiet.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi. Visitor's visa norway.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi. Residence permit norway.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Royal Norwegian Embassy in Moscow. RF - Document checklist Schengen visa to Norway (PDF, updated 1 April 2025) norway.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Royal Norwegian Embassy in Amman. Checklist - Visitor's Visa to Norway - Tourism, Palestine (PDF, 17 January 2025) norway.no. Checked 2 November 2026.
  11. Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi. Checklist for visa application for Norway, Nigeria (PDF) norway.no. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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