Switzerland Passport & Visa Photos

Swiss passport photos use the 35×45mm format on a plain uniform background, with at least 5mm of space above the crown. The full face must be visible with a neutral expression.

The Swiss page below lists the document types we support with exact sizes. The studio crops, sizes and clears the background to the published standard.

Swiss passport and visa photo head rules

Switzerland has two head rules. For the passport, the federal police spec sets face height at 29-34 mm, with at least 5 mm of clear space above the head on the 35×45 mm frame. The visa photo uses the Schengen measurement: the face fills between 70 and 80 per cent, with no millimetres.

Official specimen chart and headroom

The 5 mm headroom floor comes from the official specimen chart. It is printed on the page, with the millimetres drawn in. Most countries leave the top margin unsaid; Switzerland draws it.

Child photo head height rules

The same federal spec sets a different face band for children under eleven, so a frame that passes for an adult does not automatically pass for a child. Retouching is refused across the Swiss set either way.

Headroom floor

A tight crop with the crown nearly touching the top edge fails the 5 mm rule even when the 29-34 mm band is met.

Mixing passport and visa rules

Sending the visa file with a passport-style reading, or a 70-per-cent framing to the passport counter, mixes the two rules in one country. Using the wrong rule is a standard failure.

Background and retouching refusals

Off-white paint, shadows, gradients, and retouched files are shared refusals. They are read the same at both Swiss counters.