Italy passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Polizia di Stato for the Italy passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Italy passport photo?
An Italian passport photo is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), in colour, no more than 6 months old, against a white, evenly lit background. Your face, from the bottom of the chin to the forehead, should fill 70 to 80% of the picture. Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed, eyes open and no tinted lenses. Hats are refused unless worn for religious reasons. A few consulates abroad set other sizes, such as 35 x 40 mm.
Italian passports are issued in Italy by the Polizia di Stato, through the passport offices of the Questure and of local police stations (Commissariati di Pubblica Sicurezza), and abroad by Italian embassies and consulates. You apply in person, because your fingerprints and a digitised signature are recorded for the chip in the cover. In Italy you can book a slot on Agenda Passaporto, the police booking site, logging in with SPID or CIE. Since 2024 post offices have also taken applications, both in towns with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants and in large cities such as Rome, Bologna, Milan, Naples and Florence.
You hand in a paper print rather than upload a file. The Polizia di Stato checklist, last updated on 2 March 2026, asks for one recent colour photo that follows the ICAO standard; post offices ask for two. Abroad, each consulate publishes its own list. Most use the 35 x 45 mm ICAO format, but a few differ: the Consulate General in Lagos asks for 35 x 40 mm, and the Montreal consulate's form asks for 3.5 x 4 cm for applications sent to Halifax. That is why this page also offers a 35 x 40 mm version.
Italy passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Polizia di Stato:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in); the ICAO sample sheet allows 35 to 40 mm wide; some consulates set other sizes |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: hand in a printed photo at the Questura, post office or consulate |
| Head height | Face 70 to 80% of the photo, measured from the bottom of the chin to the forehead |
| Background | White and evenly lit (the ICAO sample sheet says plain and light-coloured) |
| Colour | Colour, with natural skin tones |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 6 months |
| Print quality | High-quality, high-definition photo paper; sharp, with no ink marks or creases |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- One photo at the Questura
The current Polizia di Stato checklist asks for one recent photo that meets the ICAO rules. Earlier versions of the same page asked for two, and post offices that handle passports still ask for two, so follow the list for the office you use.
- Face fills 70 to 80% of the frame
Frame a close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders. The Polizia and the Foreign Ministry measure the face from the bottom of the chin to the forehead and want it to cover 70 to 80% of the photo. The official sample sheet rejects shots taken too close or too far away.
- White, shadow-free background
Use a white background with uniform lighting. The sample sheet also rules out shadows behind the head or across the face, flash glare on the skin, red eye and busy backgrounds.
- Square-on pose, eyes on the lens
Face the camera square on, with your head neither turned over one shoulder nor tilted, and both edges of your face visible. Keep your eyes open with no hair across them, your lips closed and your expression neutral.
- Natural colour and sharp focus
The photo must be in colour, colour-neutral and sharply focused, with natural skin tones and suitable brightness and contrast. The sample sheet marks blurred, washed-out, pixelated, too dark and too light prints as faults.
- A good-quality print
Prints must be high quality and high resolution, free of ink marks and creases. If you use a digital camera, the Polizia sheet asks for a high-quality colour image printed on photo-quality paper.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Book your Questura appointment on Agenda Passaporto with SPID or CIE.
- Use a colour photo taken in the last 6 months.
- Frame your head and the top of your shoulders, face filling 70 to 80%.
- Stand against a plain white background with even light.
- Tilt your head slightly if your glasses reflect the flash.
- Check your consulate's list for the size and number of photos.
Don't
- Do not wear tinted lenses or frames that cover your eyes.
- Do not wear a hat or cap unless it is for religious reasons.
- Do not smile or open your mouth.
- Do not include toys, chair backs or other people in the frame.
- Do not hand in a creased or ink-marked print.
- Do not bring the photo on a USB stick to the London consulate.
Sample photos
How a Italy passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Glasses can stay on if your eyes are clearly visible and the flash does not reflect off the lenses; the Polizia di Stato suggests tilting your head slightly to avoid glare. Tinted lenses, the kind sold as sunglasses, are not allowed. Avoid heavy frames, and make sure no part of the frame covers your eyes.
Some consulates are stricter. The Consulate General in New York lists "no glasses" among its photo requirements, so take them off if you apply there.
Headwear and religious dress
Hats, caps and other head coverings are not accepted unless worn for religious reasons. In that case the outline of your face must be clearly visible from the bottom of the chin to the forehead, together with both sides of the face. The official sample sheet rejects a covered face and a covering that throws shadows across the face, and accepts one that leaves the whole face clear.
Babies and children
Every child needs a passport of their own: since 26 June 2012 Italian minors must travel on an individual document, and a child can no longer be added to a parent's passport. A passport issued to a child under 3 is valid for 3 years, and one issued between 3 and 18 for 5 years. Both parents must consent. Fingerprints are taken from age 12, and children under 12 do not sign.
Children follow the same photo rules as adults. The sample sheet shows the usual faults with babies: another person in the frame, an open mouth and a toy close to the face. Abroad, check who supplies the photo: the New York consulate photographs applicants at the counter only if they are over 12, so younger children must bring prints.
Printed and digital photos
The Polizia di Stato, the post offices and most consulates ask you to hand in a paper print. If you start from a digital image, crop it to 35 x 45 mm with the face filling 70 to 80% of the frame, and have it printed at high resolution on photo paper, for example on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter. The London consulate states that it accepts no USB stick.
Use the 35 x 40 mm version only where it is asked for, as by the Consulate General in Lagos, or by the Montreal consulate for applications sent to Halifax; for applications handled in Montreal itself its form asks for 5 x 7 cm, the Canadian passport size. Some consulates take the picture themselves: Sydney tells applicants not to bring photos, and New York can photograph applicants over 12.
Where to submit the photo
In Italy, apply at the passport office of the Questura or Commissariato for the place where you live. You can apply where you are only staying, but you must explain why, and your home Questura must give clearance, which takes longer. Book on Agenda Passaporto, or go straight to your Questura if you have a justified urgent need, following the arrangements it publishes. Bring the forms the booking system emails you, an identity document with a photocopy, the photo, the payment receipt for the booklet, the administrative fee stamp (contrassegno) and your old passport.
Italians living abroad apply to the consulate for their area once registered with AIRE, the register of Italians resident abroad. Consulates book passport appointments on Prenot@mi; the London consulate asks you first to check that your AIRE address is up to date on Fast It, the Foreign Ministry's consular services portal. Fingerprints and signature are taken at the appointment, and many consulates issue the passport on the spot.
How to get your Italy passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Italy passport: 35 × 45 mm print, white and evenly lit background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one photo at the Questura; face fills 70 to 80% of the frame; white, shadow-free background; square-on pose, eyes on the lens.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The Polizia di Stato, the post offices and most consulates ask you to hand in a paper print.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Italy, apply at the passport office of the Questura or Commissariato for the place where you live. You can apply where you are only staying, but you must explain why, and your home Questura must give clearance, which takes longer.
Italy passport photo FAQ
In Italy it is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, the ICAO size given on both the Polizia di Stato and the Foreign Ministry pages. The 2009 ICAO sample sheet published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale accepts widths from 35 to 40 mm. A few consulates set their own size, for example 35 x 40 mm in Lagos.
One at a Questura or Commissariato, according to the Polizia di Stato checklist updated on 2 March 2026. Post offices that accept passport applications ask for two. Consulates vary: London asks for one, New York for two identical prints, and Sydney for none because it takes the photo itself.
Yes, if your eyes are clearly visible, the lenses are not tinted and the flash does not reflect off them. Avoid heavy frames and make sure the frame covers no part of your eyes. The New York consulate is an exception: it asks for photos without glasses.
No. The Polizia di Stato asks for a neutral expression with closed lips, eyes open and clearly visible, and your gaze directed at the lens. The sample sheet also rejects photos with the head turned or tilted.
Neither the Polizia di Stato nor the Foreign Ministry says who must take the photo; they describe the result. It must be recent, in colour, sharp, on a white background with even light and no shadows, and printed at high resolution on photo-quality paper without creases or ink marks.
Usually. The Polizia di Stato's list of photo features covers both the electronic passport and the identity card, and the Ministry of the Interior says the CIE photo uses the passport format. The CIE page adds an eye-height band of 23 to 31 mm from the bottom edge, so check that too.
In many places, yes. Under the Polis project, run by the Polizia di Stato with Poste Italiane and the Ministry of the Interior, post offices in towns with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants and some in large cities accept passport applications. Bring an identity document, your tax code, two photos and the payment receipts; in large cities you book through Poste Italiane.
Most use the same 35 x 45 mm ICAO photo, but some differ. Lagos asks for 35 x 40 mm, the Montreal form asks for 5 x 7 cm for Montreal and 3.5 x 4 cm for Halifax, London wants a white background and no USB stick, and Sydney takes the photo itself. Read your consulate's passport page before printing.
Related photo specifications
Other Italy documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Albania passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Croatia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cyprus passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Gibraltar passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Greece passport photo 40 × 60 mm
- Malta passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Portugal passport photo
- San Marino passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Slovenia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Italy photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Polizia di Stato. Il Rilascio del passaporto poliziadistato.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Polizia di Stato. Foto per passaporto (sample sheet) poliziadistato.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Polizia di Stato. Passport photo (Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 147 of 27 June 2009, Annex A) poliziadistato.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Polizia di Stato. Passaporto: ora chiedetelo via SPID/CIE poliziadistato.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Questura di Firenze, Polizia di Stato. Al via il progetto Polis in altri comuni della provincia di Firenze questure.poliziadistato.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Linee guida foto ICAO esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Passaporto esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Italy in New York. How do I apply for a passport? consnewyork.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consolato Generale d'Italia a Londra. Passaporto per maggiorenni (appuntamento mattutino) conslondra.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consolato Generale d'Italia a Londra. Come prenotare un appuntamento per il rilascio del passaporto conslondra.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Italy in Sydney. Passports: adults conssydney.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Italy in Montreal. Adult passport application (18 and older) consmontreal.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Italy in Lagos. Passports and identity cards conslagos.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Interior Ministry, CIE portal. How photos are taken (Italian) cartaidentita.interno.gov.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Interior Ministry, CIE portal. Photo acquisition process (English) cartaidentita.interno.gov.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Interior Ministry, CIE portal. Issue and renewal in Italy cartaidentita.interno.gov.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Interior Ministry, CIE portal. CIE for minors cartaidentita.interno.gov.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Italian Embassy in Vienna. Passports ambvienna.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Italian Embassy in Vienna. ICAO photo rules ambvienna.esteri.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Questura di Firenze, Polizia di Stato. Passport issue questure.poliziadistato.it. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Polizia di Stato before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Italy passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/italy/passport-photo