Russia Visa Photo — Exact Size, Background & Requirements

A Russia visa photo must conform to the official 35×45 mm standard set by the Russian consular authorities and, for e-visa applications, must be uploaded as a JPEG directly to the official Russian e-visa portal. Getting this right on the first submission saves real time — consular offices and the e-visa system reject images that fall outside the specification, and resubmission can delay your travel plans by days.

Russia applies one important flexibility that trips up many applicants: the background may be pure white (#FFFFFF) or light grey — both are acceptable. However, any off-white, cream, or coloured background is grounds for immediate rejection. For the e-visa portal specifically, the photo must be a digital JPEG file; printed photos are not used in that flow. The face must occupy 70–80% of the total frame height, measured from the chin to the top of the head (excluding hair). This is a tighter tolerance than many other visa photo standards, so photos cropped too loosely or too tightly are a common failure point. The photo must have been taken recently — within the last six months.

• Size: 35×45 mm (digital equivalent: 827×1063 px at 600 dpi)
• Background: solid white or light grey — no gradients, patterns, or shadows
• Face coverage: 70–80% of frame height, centred, full frontal view
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes fully open and looking directly at the camera
• Glasses: permitted only if the eyes are completely visible with no tinted lenses and no reflective glare on the lenses
• Headwear: not permitted except for documented religious observance
• Recency: photo must be taken within the last six months
• Format (e-visa): JPEG, colour, good sharpness — no filters, watermarks, or digital alterations to facial features

Common reasons Russia visa photos are rejected:

• Background is cream, off-white, or has a visible shadow behind the head — Russia's standard requires a clean, even white or light grey
• Face coverage outside the 70–80% range — photos taken with the subject too far from the camera (or cropped from a group shot) almost always fail this check
• Tinted, mirrored, or lightly coloured glasses lenses — even fashion-tinted frames that appear nearly clear are flagged
• JPEG file is too small in pixel dimensions or has visible compression artefacts — the e-visa portal has a minimum resolution requirement and will reject heavily compressed files

To get a compliant photo, upload any clear, recent picture of yourself in good lighting — our service automatically crops and adjusts it to the exact 35×45 mm / 827×1063 px specification with the correct background. Before you pay anything, you receive a free watermarked preview to confirm the result looks right. If the final photo is ever rejected by the consular office or the e-visa portal, we will redo it at no charge or issue a full refund — you carry no risk. Pay only when you are satisfied with the preview.