SelfieToPassport
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Guide

Schengen visa photo apps compared: price, preview and 35 x 45 mm

As of November 4, 2026, the Schengen visa photo apps we checked charge from $0 (OpenPhotoId) to $11.95 (Snap2Pass), with PassportFrame at $3.99 and PhotoGov at $6.90 in the U.S.; PhotoAid’s Schengen page shows no price before you upload a photo. SelfieToPassport charges $6.95 for a 35 x 45 mm photo on 4x6 and letter-size print sheets, with a free preview. The German missions in the U.S. ask for 35 x 45 mm with the face 32 to 36 mm tall, on one bright background color, ideally neutral gray.

Updated Rules checked against the official pages listed belowHow we check

Make my photo · free preview, $6.95

The short version

  1. SelfieToPassport: $6.95, free preview, a 35 x 45 mm photo on 4x6 and letter sheets; it keeps your own background.
  2. OpenPhotoId: $0; a 35 x 45 mm photo at 300 dpi.
  3. PassportFrame: $3.99, free preview.
  4. PhotoGov: $6.90 for a digital photo in the U.S.; its Schengen page says it is free outside the U.S., UK and Canada.
  5. Snap2Pass: $11.95.
  6. PhotoAid: price not shown before upload; it replaces the background.
  7. Size: 35 x 45 mm, the face 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown.
  8. Background: one bright color, ideally neutral gray, no shadows.
  9. Print at 600 dpi or more on high-quality paper.

How this comparison works

Each price below comes from the service’s own page, read on November 4, 2026 from a U.S. connection, or in a browser where the price only appears with JavaScript. We compare what the pages state: the price, whether you see the photo before you pay, and whether the photo is made at 35 x 45 mm. We do not score or rank the apps.

The photo goes with the application to the consulate or its service provider, and the consulate alone decides. No photo service can promise acceptance.

The rules

  • The European Commission lists a photo in compliance with ICAO standards among the documents for a Schengen visa application, and fingerprints are taken when the application is submitted, with exemptions for some applicants. home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
  • BLS International only facilitates the application; the competent German mission alone makes the final decision on a Schengen visa. germany.info

What each Schengen photo app charges

From the lowest price shown to the highest: OpenPhotoId says it is free, PassportFrame charges $3.99, PhotoGov $6.90 in the U.S., SelfieToPassport $6.95 and Snap2Pass $11.95.

PhotoAid’s Schengen visa page shows no price before you upload a photo, so it has no price here. PassportFrame and SelfieToPassport show the photo before you pay.

The rules

  • OpenPhotoId says every feature of its Schengen visa photo maker is free, with no account and no watermark. openphotoid.com
  • PassportFrame offers a free preview of a Schengen visa photo and charges $3.99 for the files. passportframe.com
  • PhotoGov’s pricing table lists $6.90 for a digital photo in the United States, and $2.90 more with a printable A4 sheet. photogov.net
  • PhotoGov’s Schengen visa page says the tool is free except in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, where a fixed price applies. photogov.net
  • Snap2Pass prices its Schengen visa photo at $11.95; a mailed 4x6 print sheet is added on the order page. snap2pass.com

The Schengen photo the German missions ask for

The German missions in the U.S. ask for one recent 35 x 45 mm biometric photo, with the face from the chin to the crown 32 to 36 mm tall. They refuse a photo for face size only below 27 mm or above 40 mm.

Other Schengen consulates publish their own pages, so check the one you apply to. The print should be at 600 dpi or more.

The rules

  • The German missions in the United States ask Schengen visa applicants for one recent biometric passport photo measuring 35 x 45 mm. germany.info
  • Germany’s visa sample sheet says the face, measured from the bottom of the chin to the crown rather than the top of the hair, must fill 70% to 80% of the photo, which is 32 to 36 mm. germany.info
  • Because the crown is hard to locate under hair, the German missions turn down a photo for face size only when the face is under 27 mm or over 40 mm. germany.info
  • Germany’s U.S. missions want the photo printed on high-quality paper at a print resolution of at least 600 dpi, especially when it comes from a digital camera. germany.info
  • OpenPhotoId makes the Schengen visa photo at 413 x 531 px, 35 x 45 mm at 300 dpi, on a white background. openphotoid.com

Background and glasses

The German missions want one bright background color, ideally neutral gray, contrasting with your face and hair. PhotoAid says its editor replaces the background with a light-colored sheet; SelfieToPassport keeps the wall behind you, so shoot against a plain light gray wall.

Glasses may stay on for the German missions if the eyes are clearly visible, with no glare and no tinted lenses.

The rules

  • For a Schengen visa photo, the German missions want one bright background color, ideally neutral gray, contrasting with the face and hair: medium gray for light hair, light gray for dark hair, and no pattern. germany.info
  • The European Commission’s linked ICAO guidelines ask for a plain, light-colored background and uniform lighting, with no shadows, flash reflections or red eye on the face. home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
  • PhotoAid’s Schengen page says its editor replaces the background with a light-colored sheet and that retakes are free. photoaid.com
  • Glasses may stay on in a photo for the German missions if the eyes are clearly visible: no flash glare on the lenses, no tinted lenses or sunglasses, and no frame edge over the eyes. germany.info

What SelfieToPassport does

SelfieToPassport crops and sizes the photo in your browser to 35 x 45 mm with the face in range, and puts it on a 4x6 sheet and a letter-size sheet you print at a photo counter or at home. It does not replace the background or retouch the face.

The preview with the measurements is free. The files cost $6.95 per person and document, once, with up to 3 photos for the same document within 30 days of purchase.

The rule

  • Under the ICAO photo guidelines the European Commission links from its Schengen visa page, the photo must be no more than 6 months old. home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

FAQ

What size is a Schengen visa photo?

The German missions in the U.S. ask for 35 x 45 mm, with the face 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown. Check the page of the consulate you apply to. Source: official pages "Schengen visa — Visa application checklist (April 2025), German Missions in the United States" and "Visa Photo Examples (sample photos), German Missions in the United States", checked on Nov 4, 2026.

Is there a free Schengen visa photo app?

OpenPhotoId says every feature is free. PhotoGov’s Schengen page says it is free in every country except the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Source: official pages "OpenPhotoId › Schengen visa photo" and "PhotoGov › Schengen visa photo", checked on Nov 4, 2026.

How much does SelfieToPassport cost for a Schengen visa photo?

$6.95 per person and document, once; the preview is free. Source: official page "Pricing | SelfieToPassport", checked on Nov 4, 2026.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.

Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.