Prepare the photo Italian police and consulates expect
Italian passports, ID cards, and many visas use 35×45 mm frontal photos. Questura and consulate desks care about a recent likeness, plain background, and a closed mouth more than exotic size variants.
Italian biometric photos for passports and Carta d’Identità are 35×45 mm. Keep the face centred and looking straight ahead; the head should fill most of the frame without touching the top edge.
Background should be uniform and light—white or very light grey is typical at Italian desks. Shadows behind the shoulders from mixed window and lamp light are a frequent questura rejection reason.
Bring the number of identical prints listed on your appointment letter. Passport renewals at the questura often want recent colour prints; some online steps later ask for a JPEG of the same crop.
Children’s photos use the same millimetres. Support an infant’s head without adult hands entering the frame—Italian counters reject “parent fingers in shot” as quickly as soft focus.
| Specification | Official requirement |
|---|---|
| Passport / ID / visa (common) | 35 × 45 mm |
| Background | Uniform light (white or very light grey) |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed |
| Prints | Follow appointment count—often more than one identical copy |
Always confirm the latest rules on the official government site before you submit.
Cream or textured walls, wrong head size after a selfie, and beauty filters cause most delays.
- Avoid beige walls that photograph yellow under indoor bulbs.
- Remove hats and sunglasses unless a medical exception is documented.
- If you wear glasses, check glare in a mirror before you shoot.
- Name files clearly if you also upload later—consulates dislike cropped screenshots.
Make your passport photo now
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Can I print my own passport photo at home?
Will a home-printed photo be accepted?
What size should I print?
- • 35 × 45 mm colour photo
- • Plain light background
- • Full face toward camera
- • Mouth closed
- • Eyes open and visible
- • No heavy beauty filters
- • Identical prints when paper is required
- • No other people in the frame
- • Yellow indoor cast on an off-white wall
- • Soft phone photo that looked fine on WhatsApp
- • Not enough identical prints for the appointment type
- • Adult hands visible in a baby photo
- • Open mouth or broad smile
What size?
35×45 mm colour, light background, closed mouth.
Questura or consulate—same photo?
Usually the same size; print count and whether a JPEG is also needed can differ.
White or grey background?
Uniform light—white or very light grey is typical. Avoid textured walls.
Can I smile?
No. Keep a neutral closed mouth.
Glasses?
Clear lenses only if eyes stay visible without glare; many people remove them.
Baby photos?
Same size; no adult hands or toys in the frame.
How recent?
Use a photo from the last six months that still looks like you.
Digital upload later?
Keep the original crop; export a clean JPEG if the portal asks.
Also see EU / Schengen 35×45 mm photo standards →