Germany Schengen visa applications from India require a biometric photo: 35×45 mm, white or light grey background, taken within 6 months, no glasses, JPEG under 200 KB for VFS Global. Germany follows the ICAO biometric standard used across all 27 Schengen countries. Use PhotoFit to resize and compress your Germany visa photo free in 30 seconds.
| Size | 35 mm wide × 45 mm tall |
| Pixels (300 DPI) | Approximately 413×531 px |
| File size (online) | Under 200 KB (VFS Global portal) |
| Background | White or light grey — no patterns or shadows |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open |
| Glasses | Not permitted (ICAO biometric standard) |
| Photo age | Taken within 6 months of application |
Germany Schengen visa photos must be 35×45 mm, biometric (ICAO standard), white or light grey plain background, taken within 6 months, neutral expression, no glasses, printed in colour. For VFS Global online applications from India, upload a JPEG under 200 KB. The German Embassy in India follows the same biometric standard as all Schengen countries.
Yes. All Schengen countries follow the same ICAO biometric photo standard: 35×45 mm, white or light grey background, no glasses, recent photo. A photo meeting these standards works for Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, and all other Schengen states. This is one of the advantages of the unified Schengen biometric requirement.
White or light grey — no other colours are accepted. The German Embassy and VFS Global reject photos with cream, off-white with texture, or any patterned backgrounds. If you have a good photo with a wrong background, use PhotoFit's background removal tool to replace it with white before submitting.
Apply via VFS Global (vfsglobal.com/DEU/India). Upload a JPEG passport photo of 35×45 mm (approximately 413×531 px at 300 DPI) under 200 KB. Use PhotoFit to resize and compress your photo to these specifications. Then book your VFS appointment and bring 2 printed copies (35×45 mm) for the physical application.