Visa photo vs passport photo
People assume a photo that worked for a passport will work for a visa. Often it does — both descend from the same ICAO template — but the exceptions are exactly the applications where a rejection costs the most: an embassy appointment, a booked flight, a deadline. The differences are in the frame size and, occasionally, in the margin above the head.
When they are the same photo
For the Schengen area, the visa and the passport photo share a specification: 35 × 45 mm, head 32 to 36 mm, plain light background. The same is true of the ICAO template that most countries build on. If you are applying for a Schengen visa with a photo that already meets the EU passport spec, the geometry is identical — what changes is the age of the photo, since most consulates want one taken within the last six months regardless of what your passport contains.
The United States: a square photo
The US uses 2 × 2 inches, 50.8 × 50.8 mm, for both passports and visas. It is the only common format that is square, and a European 35 × 45 mm photo cannot be cropped into it without losing the required proportions. US placement is also defined differently: rather than a chin-to-crown range alone, the head must be 1 to 1⅜ inches (25.4 to 34.9 mm) and the eye line must sit 1⅛ to 1⅜ inches (28.6 to 34.9 mm) up from the bottom edge. Choosing the US standard in the app applies both rules at once.
China: a visa format of its own
The Chinese visa photo is 33 × 48 mm — narrower and taller than the European standard — with a head of 28 to 33 mm and at least 7 mm of clear space above the top of the head on a white background. Neither a 35 × 45 mm nor a 2 × 2 inch photo can be re-cropped to satisfy it, because both the frame ratio and the top margin differ. This is the one in our table that most often catches people who assume a spare passport photo will do.
Which spec to pick in the app
Pick the standard of the authority issuing the document, not the country you are in or the one you are flying to. A Turkish citizen applying for a US visa in Turkey uses the US standard, not the Turkish one. India is worth a second look: its passport photo moved to 35 × 45 mm on 1 September 2025, so guidance published before that date — and plenty of it is still online — gives the old size. When in doubt, open the authority's own page before the appointment; the app tells you which source each specification came from.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my passport photo for a visa application?
Sometimes. For a Schengen visa the specification is the same as the EU passport photo. For the US, China or any country with its own frame size, it will not fit, and most consulates also want a photo taken within the last six months.
What size is a US visa photo?
2 × 2 inches, which is 50.8 × 50.8 mm — the same as a US passport photo. The head must be 25.4 to 34.9 mm and the eye line 28.6 to 34.9 mm from the bottom edge.
What size is a Chinese visa photo?
33 × 48 mm, head 28 to 33 mm, with at least 7 mm of clear space above the head, on a white background.
Can I crop a 35 × 45 mm photo down to 2 × 2 inches?
Not usefully. The aspect ratios differ, so a crop either loses the head margin or shrinks the head below the required range. Re-crop from the original picture instead.
Does a visa photo have to be newer than a passport photo?
In practice yes. Most consulates ask for a photo taken within the last six months, even when your passport carries an older one.
Which specification should I choose if I hold two passports?
The one belonging to the document you are applying for. The issuing authority's rules apply, regardless of your other nationality or where you are living.
Measure the photo before the counter does. ID Photo opens your picture in the browser, measures head height and eye line against the official spec of the country you pick, and lays out a print sheet. The image is processed on your device.
Measure a photo in the browser