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Slovakia visa photo requirements

The 30 × 35 mm photo rules set by Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice for the Slovakia visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 15 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Slovakia visa photo?

A Slovak national (type D) visa needs a colour photo of 3 x 3.5 cm showing your current appearance; Act 404/2011 sets that size. For a Schengen visa the photo must meet ICAO standards, and the size depends on the embassy: 3 x 3.5 cm at some posts, 3.5 x 4.5 cm at others. The European Commission's photograph sheet asks for a print under 6 months old on a plain light background.

Slovakia issues two kinds of visa to third-country nationals. The Schengen visa covers short stays and follows the EU Visa Code, whose photo standard is ICAO Doc 9303; a national visa covers longer stays that Slovak law authorises, such as language study, and is governed by Act 404/2011 on the residence of foreigners. Applications are lodged at a Slovak embassy or visa centre, and for the national visa also through an external service provider that the Foreign Ministry designates for the applicant's country of residence.

The size is where the two differ. Act 404/2011 fixes the national visa photo at 3 x 3.5 cm, in colour, and an application without every listed item is not accepted. For Schengen visas the embassy pages checked disagree: Ottawa, Havana, Bangkok and Cairo ask for 3 x 3.5 cm, while Minsk, Hanoi, Uzhgorod and Shanghai ask for 3.5 x 4.5 cm. The European Commission's photo sheet that EU states use asks for a width of 35 to 40 mm, which fits the larger size and not the smaller one.

Treat the numbers on this page as a guide and read the list of the embassy that handles your application. The embassy captures cited below date from March and April 2025, so confirm the size with the post before you print.

Slovakia visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice:[1]

Print size3 x 3.5 cm (30 x 35 mm) for a national visa; Schengen: 3 x 3.5 cm or 3.5 x 4.5 cm, by embassy
Digital sizeNo upload: a printed photo goes with the form; no pixel size is published
Head heightFace fills 70 to 80% of the photograph (Commission sheet)
BackgroundPlain light-coloured; some embassies name white (Nicosia, Shanghai)
ColourColour, full face
Photo ageNo more than 6 months old (Commission sheet, Nicosia)
Print qualityHigh-quality photo paper and resolution; no ink marks or creases
Pixels when printed354 × 413 px at 300 dpi · 709 × 827 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
30 mm35 mm24.5–28 mm
30 × 35 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 24.5–28 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain light-coloured.

Key requirements

  • National visa: the size is set by law

    Section 17 of Act 404/2011 lists what a third-country national must submit: a valid travel document, a colour photograph of 3 x 3.5 cm showing the current appearance, a document confirming the purpose of stay and health insurance. If an item is missing, the embassy or ministry does not accept the application.

  • Schengen visa: ICAO standard, size by post

    Embassy pages ask for a full-face colour photo that follows ICAO standards. Ottawa and Havana say 3 x 3.5 cm, Minsk, Hanoi and Uzhgorod say 3.5 x 4.5 cm on a light background, and Shanghai says 3.5 x 4.5 cm on white. Riga names the standard but no size.

  • Recent and light-coloured

    Nicosia asks for a passport photo on a white background, not older than six months. The Commission sheet, which sets the common standard, adds that the face takes up 70 to 80% of the photograph and that the background must be plain and light-coloured.

  • How many photos

    One photograph is listed by Ottawa, Minsk and Hanoi and by the Foreign Ministry's page for family members of EU citizens. Shanghai lists two. Count the photos in the list of your own post.

  • Fingerprints are separate

    Applicants give ten fingerprints, which are re-taken only once in 59 months. Children under 12 and people who cannot be fingerprinted are exempt. The photograph is still required with the application.

  • Family members of EU citizens

    A family member of a Union citizen applying for a Schengen visa submits one colour face photograph that meets ICAO requirements, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, on a light background, according to the Foreign Ministry.

  • Apply in person

    The Riga FAQ says you visit the embassy or visa centre in person, that an appointment may be required, and that an accredited commercial intermediary may lodge the application in some places. Children are brought by a legal guardian.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Read the photo line of the embassy that handles your application.
  • Use a recent, sharp colour photograph with your full face visible.
  • Print on photo-quality paper with no creases.
  • Check the number of photos the list asks for.
  • For a national visa, make the print exactly 3 x 3.5 cm.

Don't

  • Do not assume the Schengen and national sizes are the same.
  • Do not hand in a black-and-white photograph.
  • Do not use a photo older than six months.
  • Do not wear tinted lenses or let frames cover your eyes.
  • Do not wear a hat or cap.

Sample photos

How a Slovakia visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 30 × 35 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 Commission sheet says that the eyes must show clearly, with no flash reflection from the glasses and no tinted lenses, and that the frames must not cover any part of the eyes. It advises against heavy frames and suggests lighter ones if you have them.

Headwear and religious dress

The sheet allows head coverings only for religious reasons. Your facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of the face, must still be clearly shown. Hats and caps are shown as faults.

Babies and children

The sheet sets no separate standard for children, so the same photo rules apply, and the child must be alone in the picture. The Riga page says children under 12 do not give fingerprints, and a child's application is submitted by the legal guardian.

The embassy lists ask for a photograph to hand in with the form, and the Commission sheet requires high-quality paper and high resolution, so a print is expected. None of the pages read describes an upload or a pixel size. The Foreign Ministry offers an electronic visa application, but it returns the completed form as a PDF to be lodged with the other documents, and the photograph remains a separate item on the list.

A photo prepared digitally can be printed at a photo counter and cut to 3 x 3.5 cm or 3.5 x 4.5 cm, as your post asks.

Where to submit the photo

At the Slovak embassy or consulate that covers your country of residence, or at the external service provider designated for it. National visa applications can also be filed at the Interior Ministry when a foreign national is lawfully in Slovakia and the visa is in the interest of the Republic.

Which embassy handles a Schengen visa depends on your main destination in the Schengen area: the Slovak post is competent if Slovakia is the main destination by length and purpose of stay, or if no main destination can be determined.

How to get your Slovakia visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Slovakia visa: 30 × 35 mm print, plain light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: national visa: the size is set by law; schengen visa: ICAO standard, size by post; recent and light-coloured; how many photos.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The embassy lists ask for a photograph to hand in with the form, and the Commission sheet requires high-quality paper and high resolution, so a print is expected. None of the pages read describes an upload or a pixel size.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. At the Slovak embassy or consulate that covers your country of residence, or at the external service provider designated for it.

Make this photo online

Slovakia visa photo FAQ

Act 404/2011 fixes it at 3 x 3.5 cm (30 x 35 mm), in colour, showing your current appearance. It goes with a valid travel document, proof of the purpose of stay and health insurance.

It depends on the embassy. Ottawa, Havana, Bangkok and Cairo ask for 3 x 3.5 cm, while Minsk, Hanoi, Uzhgorod and Shanghai ask for 3.5 x 4.5 cm. The Commission sheet asks for a width of 35 to 40 mm. Check the list of the post you use.

Not always. The Commission sheet asks for a plain light-coloured background. Nicosia and Shanghai name white, while Minsk, Hanoi and Uzhgorod say light. A plain white background satisfies all of them.

The Commission sheet says no more than 6 months old, and Nicosia repeats six months. For the national visa, the law asks for a photo showing your current appearance.

Yes, provided the eyes are clearly visible, with no flash reflection off the lenses, no tint and no frames covering any part of the eyes. Lighter frames are suggested where you have them.

Yes. The embassy lists ask for a printed photograph with the application, and fingerprints are collected in addition. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprints but not from the photograph.

Ottawa, Minsk and Hanoi list one photograph, as does the Foreign Ministry for family members of EU citizens. Shanghai lists two. Follow the number on the list for your post.

Related photo specifications

Other Slovakia documents

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Official sources

  1. Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice. Zákon č. 404/2011 Z. z. o pobyte cudzincov (version effective from 1 October 2026), section 17 static.slov-lex.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. National Visa (captured 17 March 2026) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Ottawa. Citizens from Visa Required Countries, Schengen Visa (Ottawa embassy, captured 29 April 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Havana. Visa Information (Havana embassy, captured 29 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Nicosia. Schengen Visa (Nicosia embassy, captured 30 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Minsk. Doklady k žiadosti o víza (Minsk embassy, captured 29 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Hanoi. Doklady k žiadosti o vízum (Hanoi embassy, captured 30 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Shanghai. Schengen Visa (Shanghai consulate general, captured 29 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Bangkok. Schengenské víza (Bangkok embassy, captured 29 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Cairo. Schengenské víza (Cairo embassy, captured 28 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  11. Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Uzhgorod. Visa (Uzhgorod consulate general, captured 29 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  12. Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Riga. Schengen Visa (Riga embassy, captured 29 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  13. Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Vstup občanov členských štátov EÚ, EHP a Švajčiarskej konfederácie a ich rodinných príslušníkov (captured 26 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  14. State Secretariat for Migration SEM (Switzerland), hosting the EU text. Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009), consolidated version of 28 June 2024 sem.admin.ch. Checked 2 November 2026.
  15. European Commission, DG Home Affairs. Photograph quality (ICAO MRTD photo guidelines sheet) home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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