Sweden visa photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) for the Sweden visa, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Sweden visa photo?
For a Swedish Schengen visa your photo and fingerprints are taken in person at VFS Global or a Swedish mission, so you rarely need a print. Where a mission asks for one, it states 35 x 45 mm, taken in the last six months, on a white or light background. The Migration Agency asks for a passport-sized photo, straight from the front and under six months old, only when a representative applies for you.
Visas for Sweden are decided by the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) and Sweden's embassies and consulates-general. In most countries you apply through VFS Global, an external service provider that receives applications for Sweden; elsewhere you apply at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general, and in some countries another Schengen state's embassy handles Sweden's visas. Photography and, where applicable, fingerprinting are compulsory parts of the examination, and the European Commission says the photo must comply with ICAO standards.
The usual route is therefore that your picture is taken for you when you hand in the application, not that you supply one. The Migration Agency lists a passport-sized photo among the documents only for the case where a representative applies for you, which is possible if you gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa within the past five years. Individual missions publish their own checklists, and some of them still list a print, so read the one for the country where you apply.
For residence permits the photo is tied to the residence permit card. If you need an entry visa to travel, you are photographed and fingerprinted at an embassy or consulate-general before you travel. If not, you are photographed after you arrive in Sweden.
Sweden visa photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket):[1]
| Print size | In person: the photo is taken for you. If a print is asked for: 35 x 45 mm (UAE, Turkey, Czech Republic checklist); Tehran lists 45 x 35 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No photo upload is described; biometrics are taken in person (Havana e-service: scanned documents are attached) |
| Eye line | Taken straight from the front, looking straight ahead (Migration Agency, Tehran) |
| Background | White (UAE, Turkey); plain, evenly lit, light (Czech Republic checklist); light (Tehran) |
| Colour | Colour photograph (Czech Republic checklist, Tehran) |
| Photo age | Not more than six months old (Migration Agency, UAE, Turkey, Tehran, Dhaka) |
| Print quality | Tehran: the photo cannot be retouched; Czech Republic page: photos that do not conform will be rejected |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
Photo cannot be retouched
Key requirements
- Photo and fingerprints at the application
The Migration Agency says photography and, where applicable, fingerprinting are compulsory when a visa application is examined. First-time applicants appear in person at VFS Global or the mission, and children under 12 do not give fingerprints.
- Representative applications need a print
A passport-sized photograph is required only if a representative applies for you. It must be taken straight from the front and cannot be more than six months old.
- Your mission's checklist decides
The UAE and Turkey pages ask for 35 x 45 mm on a white background, the Czech Republic page (where visas are handled by the Swedish embassy in Berlin) for two colour photos on a plain, evenly lit, light background, and the Dhaka page for one photo in passport format. The Turkey page says no photo is needed if you apply in person.
- ICAO standards apply
The European Commission lists a photo that complies with ICAO standards among the documents for a Schengen visa. The UAE page adds clear facial features, with the head shown in full and centred.
- Headwear only for religious reasons
The Czech Republic checklist wants photos taken without headgear. Head coverings and hats are accepted only for religious reasons and may not cover any part of the face.
- Residence permit card photo
You are photographed and fingerprinted for the card at an embassy or consulate-general if you need an entry visa, and after arriving in Sweden if you do not. You must do this even if you have had a Swedish residence permit before.
- No retouching in Tehran
The Tehran embassy's page for a visitor's residence permit asks for a recent colour photograph in passport format, six months old at most, against a light background, and says the photo cannot be retouched.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Open the checklist of the mission or VFS centre that handles your country.
- Bring a 35 x 45 mm print only if your checklist lists one.
- Use a photo taken within the last six months.
- Face the camera and look straight ahead.
- Take your passport with you when you go to the embassy.
- Keep your face fully visible, with the head shown in full and centred.
Don't
- Do not send a print when you apply in person and your page says it is not needed.
- Do not retouch the photo, in particular where a Tehran-style rule applies.
- Do not wear a hat or head covering unless it is religious and leaves the face clear.
- Do not use a photo older than six months.
- Do not assume the photo rule is the same at every mission.
Sample photos
How a Sweden 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.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Headwear and religious dress
The Czech Republic visa checklist asks for photos taken without headgear. Head coverings and hats are acceptable only because of religious beliefs, and they may not cover any portion of the applicant's face.
None of the Migration Agency pages read here sets a separate headwear rule for visa photos, so the mission's checklist is the rule to follow.
Babies and children
The Czech Republic business visit checklist asks for two photographs of passport style and size for all applicants, including minors. Sweden Abroad's biometric page for Thailand says children under 12 are exempt from the fingerprint requirement, and the Migration Agency adds that the photograph is compulsory in the examination of the application.
For a residence permit card, the Migration Agency says family members who applied with you must also be photographed and fingerprinted. It does not give a separate photo rule for children.
Printed and digital photos
The Migration Agency describes no photo upload for a visa. You fill in the form, attach your documents and give your biometrics in person at VFS Global or the mission. The online route is limited: applications at the Havana embassy go through the Migration Agency's e-service, where you scan or photograph your documents and attach them, and the Cuba page says that since 5 May 2025 everyone in Cuba must apply online, pay and book an appointment through the Migration Agency.
Where a checklist lists a print, the number differs: one photo at the Turkey and Dhaka pages and for a Tehran residence permit, two on the Czech Republic page. The Turkey page adds that no photo is needed if you apply in person. A photo that meets the stated size can be printed at a photo counter.
Where to submit the photo
Schengen visas: choose your country of residence on the Migration Agency page to see where to apply. In many countries that is a VFS Global application centre; in others a Swedish embassy or consulate-general, or another Schengen state's embassy acting for Sweden. The Migration Agency page also tells you to check the website of the correct embassy, because another country's embassy may require other documents or forms.
Residence permits: after a yes, the card photo is taken at an embassy, at the National Government Service Centre, or at a Migration Agency office, depending on whether you need a visa and where you are. The National Government Service Centre is the main location for the photo and fingerprints, and the agency books an office appointment if you have no valid ID.
How to get your Sweden visa photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Sweden visa: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: photo and fingerprints at the application; representative applications need a print; your mission's checklist decides; iCAO standards apply.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The Migration Agency describes no photo upload for a visa. You fill in the form, attach your documents and give your biometrics in person at VFS Global or the mission.
- Submit the photo with your application. Schengen visas: choose your country of residence on the Migration Agency page to see where to apply.
Sweden visa photo FAQ
Usually not as a print. Your photo and fingerprints are taken in person when you apply at VFS Global or a Swedish mission. The Migration Agency lists a passport-sized photo only for applications made by a representative. Some mission checklists still list one, so follow yours.
Where a print is requested, Swedish missions state 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) in their checklists, for example in the UAE, Turkey and on the Czech Republic page. The Tehran page writes the same size as 45 x 35 mm. The Migration Agency says only passport-sized.
It depends on the mission. The UAE and Turkey pages ask for white, the Czech Republic page for a plain, evenly lit, light background, and the Tehran page for a light background. Check the page for the country where you apply.
The Migration Agency and mission pages read here set no glasses rule for visa photos. Swedish passport photos taken by the police allow ordinary glasses but not dark ones or reflections in the lenses. If your print shows glasses, ask the mission or VFS centre first.
Yes, if you applied for a Schengen visa within the past five years and gave fingerprints then. Your representative needs a power of attorney, the application is made outside Sweden, and a passport-sized photo, taken straight from the front and not older than six months, must be attached.
Not where the mission forbids it: the Tehran embassy says the photo cannot be retouched. The Czech Republic page says photos that do not conform to its standards are rejected and may delay your application. Take the photo against a plain light background rather than editing it afterwards.
An embassy or consulate-general if you need an entry visa to travel to Sweden, or, after you arrive, the National Government Service Centre or a Migration Agency office. You are photographed again each time you need a new card.
Related photo specifications
Other Sweden documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Visas and travel authorisations nearby
- Denmark visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Estonia long-stay visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Estonia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Finland visa photo 36 × 47 mm
- Ireland visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Norway visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo
- United Kingdom 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 Sweden 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
- Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). Apply for a Schengen visa (visiting Sweden for up to 90 days) migrationsverket.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). Residence permit cards migrationsverket.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). Your application has been approved migrationsverket.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Applying for a Schengen visa home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi (Sweden Abroad). Tourism swedenabroad.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sweden in Ankara (Sweden Abroad). Tourist visit swedenabroad.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sweden in Prague (Sweden Abroad). Business and conference visits swedenabroad.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sweden in Tehran (Sweden Abroad). Permit for longer than 90 days swedenabroad.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka (Sweden Abroad). Required documents swedenabroad.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok (Sweden Abroad). Biometric Data Information swedenabroad.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sweden in Havana (Sweden Abroad). Apply for a Schengen visa swedenabroad.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Sweden visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/sweden/visa-photo