When applying for a visa, photo specifications are often overlooked but critically important details. Non-compliant visa photos can lead to application rejection or require resubmission, delaying your travel plans. This guide provides detailed photo specifications for major countries and regions to help you prepare compliant photos on the first try.
Using AI Headshot Generator automatically adapts to each country's visa photo size requirements, generating compliant photos with one click.
| Country/Region | Size (Width × Height) | Background Color | Special Requirements |
|---|
| US Visa | 51mm × 51mm (2 inches × 2 inches) | White | Recent 6 months, head 50%-69% |
| Japan Visa | 35mm × 45mm | White | Recent 3 months, head 70%-80% |
| Europe Schengen Visa | 35mm × 45mm | White or light gray | Recent 6 months, head 70%-80% |
| South Korea Visa | 35mm × 45mm | White | No glasses, recent 6 months |
| UK Visa | 35mm × 45mm | Light gray or off-white | Head 29mm-34mm, no tinted glasses |
| Canada Visa | 35mm × 45mm | White or light color | Recent 6 months, head 31mm-36mm |
| Australia Visa | 35mm × 45mm | White or light color | Recent 6 months, head centered |
| Singapore Visa | 35mm × 45mm | White | Recent 3 months, front view without hat |
| Thailand Visa | 35mm × 45mm | White | Recent 6 months, no decorations |
| Malaysia Visa | 35mm × 50mm | White or light blue | Recent 3 months, head 70%-80% |
- Photo size: 51mm × 51mm (2 inches × 2 inches)
- Digital version: 600 × 600 pixels (minimum), 1200 × 1200 pixels (recommended)
- File size: Under 240KB
- File format: JPEG
- Background color: Pure white or light white
- Clean background: No clutter, shadows, or patterns
- Head proportion: 50%-69% (chin to top of head)
- Head position: Top of head to photo top 25mm-35mm
- Eye position: Eye line 28mm-35mm from photo bottom
- Expression: Natural expression, mouth closed, eyes open
- Recency: Must be taken within the last 6 months
- Glasses: Since November 2016, glasses not allowed (even clear lenses)
- Head covering: No head coverings (except religious reasons, but must not obscure face)
- Clothing: Casual clothing acceptable, avoid uniforms or white clothing
- Photo size: 35mm × 45mm
- Digital version: 420 × 540 pixels (minimum), 840 × 1080 pixels (recommended)
- File size: 100KB - 200KB
- File format: JPEG or PNG
- Background color: Pure white
- Background quality: No clutter, no shadows
- Head proportion: 70%-80% (chin to top of head)
- Head position: Top of head to photo top, leave 2mm-4mm space
- Expression: Natural expression, mouth closed, no smiling with teeth showing
- Recency: Must be taken within the last 3 months
- Glasses: Glasses allowed, but lenses must be clear, no glare
- Head uncovered: Both ears must be visible, hair must not cover face
- Photo quality: High definition required, facial features clearly visible
- Photo size: 35mm × 45mm
- Digital version: 420 × 540 pixels (minimum), 800 × 1000 pixels (recommended)
- File size: Under 240KB
- File format: JPEG or PNG
- Background color: Pure white or light gray
- Background quality: No clutter, shadows, or patterns
- Head proportion: 70%-80% (chin to top of head, approximately 32mm-36mm)
- Head position: Top of head to photo top, leave 2mm-4mm space
- Eye position: Eyes slightly above vertical center line
- Recency: Must be taken within the last 6 months
- Glasses: Recommend no glasses; if needed, lenses must be clear and colorless, no glare, frames must not cover eyes
- Expression: Natural expression, mouth closed, eyes looking straight at camera
- Applicable countries: Includes 26 Schengen countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, etc.
- Photo size: 35mm × 45mm
- Digital version: 420 × 540 pixels (minimum)
- File size: 150KB - 200KB
- File format: JPEG
- Background color: Pure white
- Background quality: No clutter, no shadows
- Head proportion: 70%-80%
- Expression: Natural expression, mouth closed
- Recency: Must be taken within the last 6 months
- Glasses policy: Glasses not allowed (this is a special requirement for South Korea)
- Head uncovered: Both ears and eyebrows must be visible
- Photo quality: Must be color photo, clear without blur
- Photo size: 35mm × 45mm
- Digital version: Minimum 600 × 750 pixels
- File size: Under 240KB
- File format: JPEG
- Background color: Light gray or off-white (pure white not allowed)
- Background quality: No clutter, shadows, or patterns
- Head height: 29mm - 34mm (chin to top of head)
- Head position: Centered
- Expression: Natural expression, mouth closed, no teeth showing
- Recency: Must be recent photo
- Glasses: No tinted or dark sunglasses; clear lenses acceptable but no glare
- Head covering: Not allowed (except religious reasons)
- Photo size: 35mm × 45mm
- Digital version: 420 × 540 pixels (minimum)
- File size: Under 240KB
- File format: JPEG
- Background color: White or light color
- Background quality: No clutter, no shadows
- Head height: 31mm - 36mm (chin to top of head)
- Expression: Natural expression, no smiling
- Recency: Must be taken within the last 6 months
- Glasses: Recommend no glasses; if worn, no glare
- Photo quality: Must be taken by professional photographer (or use AI to generate professional-grade photos)
- Photo size: 35mm × 45mm
- Digital version: Minimum 600 × 750 pixels
- File format: JPEG
- Background color: White or light color
- Background quality: Solid color, no clutter
- Head position: Head centered, face clear
- Expression: Natural expression, mouth closed
- Recency: Must be taken within the last 6 months
- Glasses: Allowed but no glare
- Most countries require photos from the last 6 months
- Japan, Singapore, Malaysia require last 3 months
- Photos should accurately reflect current appearance, avoid using old photos
- USA: Absolutely no glasses allowed
- South Korea: Absolutely no glasses allowed
- Other countries: Usually allow clear lenses, but no glare or tinting
- USA: Head proportion 50%-69% (smaller)
- Japan, Europe, South Korea: Head proportion 70%-80% (larger)
- Top of head to photo top usually leaves 2mm-4mm space
- Most common: Pure white (suitable for USA, Japan, South Korea, Europe, etc.)
- Light gray: UK, some European countries
- Light blue: Malaysia and other countries allow
- Mouth closed: Almost all countries require no teeth showing
- Eyes open: Looking straight at camera, no closed eyes or looking away
- Front-facing: Head not tilted or turned
- Avoid white: White clothing with white background can blur boundaries
- Recommend dark collared shirts: Black, dark blue, dark gray suits or dress shirts
- Avoid uniforms: No military, police, or similar uniforms
- File format: JPEG most universal, some countries accept PNG
- File size: Usually under 240KB, USA strictly requires not exceeding 240KB
- Resolution: Minimum 600 pixels (width), recommend 800-1200 pixels
- Problem: US visa requires 51mm × 51mm, but submitted 35mm × 45mm
- Solution: Use AI Headshot Generator, select corresponding country visa type, automatically adapts size
- Problem: Head too large or small, doesn't meet 50%-69% or 70%-80% requirement
- Solution: AI automatically identifies face, intelligently crops to compliant proportion
- Problem: Wore glasses when applying for US or South Korea visa, photo rejected
- Solution: Check this guide to confirm target country regulations, or use AI to automatically remove glasses
- Problem: Used one-year-old photo, required to resubmit
- Solution: Use latest selfie to generate, ensure recency
- Problem: Photo file 500KB, exceeds US visa 240KB limit
- Solution: AI Headshot Generator automatically compresses to target file size
- One-click selection: In generator, select "Visa Photo" → Select target country (USA, Japan, Europe, South Korea, etc.)
- Smart cropping: Automatically adjusts head proportion and position to meet each country's regulations
- Background replacement: Automatically changes to white, light gray, or other compliant backgrounds
- Remove glasses: For US and South Korea visas, AI automatically removes glasses or glare
- Lighting adjustment: Eliminates shadows and glare, ensures even facial lighting
- Expression adjustment: Optimizes expression to ensure natural and compliant
- Multiple countries simultaneously: One upload, simultaneously generate multiple specifications for USA, Japan, Europe, etc.
- Multiple formats: JPEG, PNG one-click export, automatically compresses to target file size
- Phone selfie works: Complete at home, no photo studio appointments
- No-photo mode: Don't even need a photo, just enter description (e.g., "Asian female, white background, front view without hat")
Different countries have varying visa photo specifications, from size, background color, head proportion to glasses regulations—each detail can affect visa application success. Traditional methods require multiple photo studio visits, and may even need multiple photo sets for different countries.
Using AI Headshot Generator, you only need one selfie to automatically generate photos that meet USA, Japan, Europe, South Korea, and other countries' visa specifications, saving time and cost while making visa applications smoother.
Try it now and let AI help you create perfect visa photos!
Related Articles: