San Marino passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Government of San Marino, Civil Status Office for the San Marino passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the San Marino passport photo?
The San Marino Passport Office takes the photograph itself at your appointment in Borgo Maggiore, so adults bring none. Children aged 0 to 5 bring a passport-style photo. Citizens abroad send printed photos through a consulate: the UK consulate asks for two recent 35 x 45 mm ICAO photos, on a white background, with the face covering 70 to 80% of the picture.
San Marino passports are issued by the Passport Office (Ufficio Passaporti), which belongs to the Civil Status office in the Department of Institutional and Internal Affairs. The Department of Foreign Affairs says the ordinary passport is issued there, at the Centro Uffici in Borgo Maggiore. The holder must be a San Marino citizen. An adult passport is valid for 10 years. A minor's passport lasts 3 years from birth to under 3, then 5 years until the age of 14, and 10 years after that. You apply by appointment, and a minor needs both parents present.
In San Marino you do not supply the picture. The Civil Status service charter, revised in April 2026, says the photograph is taken at the Office at the time of the request. The exception is a child aged 0 to 5, who must bring a passport-style photo (fototessera) instead. The charter publishes no size, background or head position for that photo, and does not define the word.
Citizens registered as living abroad obtain their passport through the consulate of the district where they live. The photo then becomes a printed picture that travels with the file to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The only photo specification found in San Marino material is a guideline sheet hosted by the Consulate of San Marino in the UK, headed "electronic passport and identity card". It is the basis for the size, background and framing given on this page, so confirm the details with your own consulate.
San Marino passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Government of San Marino, Civil Status Office:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (consulate sheet); the Passport Office photographs adults itself, so no print is needed |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No pixel size or file format published; consulate applications use printed photos |
| Head height | 70 to 80% of the photo, from the base of the chin to the forehead |
| Eye line | Eyes open and clearly visible, looking directly at the camera; face well centred, not in profile |
| Background | White, with uniform lighting |
| Colour | Colour photograph |
| Photo age | Recent: not more than 6 months old |
| Print quality | High-quality, high-definition print; not stapled, damaged or deteriorated (UK consulate) |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- The Passport Office takes adults' photos
The service charter says the photograph is taken at the Office at the time of the request. You come to the appointment without a picture.
- Children aged 0 to 5 bring a photo
For children from 0 to 5 years, a fototessera must be brought instead. No specification for that photo is published, so the consulate sheet below is the nearest guide.
- Abroad, send printed ICAO photos
The UK consulate asks for 2 recent passport-size photos in ICAO format with an adult or child application. The gov.sm form for residents abroad lists 1 passport photo, so check how many your consulate wants.
- 35 x 45 mm, face 70 to 80%
The sheet sets the size at 35 x 45 mm and asks for the face to cover 70 to 80% of the photo, measured from the base of the chin to the forehead. The face should be well centred and not in profile.
- White background, even light
The photo needs a white background and uniform lighting. There must be no flash reflections on the face, no red eyes, and nothing or nobody else behind the person.
- Neutral expression, eyes open
The person keeps a neutral expression with the mouth closed. The eyes are open and clearly visible, the person looks straight at the camera, and the focus is sharp.
- Recent and in colour
The photo must be recent, meaning not more than 6 months old, and it must be in colour.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Attend your appointment at the Passport Office and let staff take the photo.
- Bring a passport-style photo for a child aged 0 to 5.
- Check with your consulate how many prints it needs if you apply from abroad.
- Use a colour photo taken in the last six months.
- Keep the face between 70 and 80% of the picture and centred.
- Use a white background with even lighting.
- Print on high-quality paper and keep the prints undamaged.
Don't
- Do not staple, fold or damage the prints you send to a consulate.
- Do not use flash that leaves reflections on the face or on glasses.
- Do not wear tinted lenses or heavy-framed glasses.
- Do not wear headwear unless it is for religious reasons.
- Do not photograph the person in profile.
- Do not include other people or objects behind the subject.
Sample photos
How a San Marino 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
The guideline sheet addresses prescription glasses. The photo must show the eyes clearly and must not have flash reflections on the lenses. The lenses must not be tinted, and heavy-framed glasses must not be worn. The frame must not cover any part of the eyes.
At the Passport Office the staff take the picture, so you can ask them what to do with your glasses. For a printed photo sent to a consulate, take the picture with no glare on the lenses and with the frame clear of the eyes.
Headwear and religious dress
Photos with a head covering are not permitted unless justified on religious grounds. In that case the outline of the face, from the base of the chin to the forehead, and both sides of the face must be clearly visible.
The sheet gives no rule for medical head coverings and does not say who decides whether a religious reason is accepted. Ask the office or your consulate before you have the picture taken.
Babies and children
The service charter tells parents of children aged 0 to 5 to bring a passport-style photo, because the Office does not photograph them. Both parents must be present for a minor's passport, and the validity depends on age: 3 years up to age 3, 5 years from 3 to 14 and 10 years from 14.
For a child living abroad, the UK consulate asks for form B, copies of both parents' identity documents and 2 recent passport photographs in ICAO format. Its note applies to every print: the photos must not be stapled, damaged or deteriorated. The Office does not say whether the sheet's 35 x 45 mm size also applies to a child under 6.
Printed and digital photos
In San Marino there is nothing to print: the Office takes the picture at the counter. No file upload, pixel size or digital format is published for the passport photo.
Abroad, the photo is a paper print. The guideline sheet asks for high-quality paper and high definition, and the consulate warns against stapling or damage. A digital portrait can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed at a photo counter, or several copies can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet and cut apart.
Where to submit the photo
In San Marino, apply by appointment at the Passport Office in the Civil Status offices at Borgo Maggiore. You must hand over the expired or damaged identity document, or the report of loss or theft.
Abroad, citizens registered as resident abroad can obtain the passport from the consulate for their district. The UK consulate checks the original documents and forwards them to the Department of Foreign Affairs; the finished passport is sent back by registered mail. If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs tells you to contact the nearest Italian consular office for an emergency travel document, bringing two passport-format photos.
How to get your San Marino passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the San Marino passport: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the Passport Office takes adults' photos; children aged 0 to 5 bring a photo; abroad, send printed ICAO photos; 35 x 45 mm, face 70 to 80%.
- Prepare a print or digital file. In San Marino there is nothing to print: the Office takes the picture at the counter. No file upload, pixel size or digital format is published for the passport photo. Abroad, the photo is a paper print.
- Submit the photo with your application. In San Marino, apply by appointment at the Passport Office in the Civil Status offices at Borgo Maggiore. You must hand over the expired or damaged identity document, or the report of loss or theft.
San Marino passport photo FAQ
Not as an adult in San Marino: the Passport Office takes the photograph at the time of the request. A child aged 0 to 5 must bring a passport-style photo instead. From abroad, you send printed photos through your consulate.
The consulate sheet gives 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), with the face covering 70 to 80% of the picture. The Passport Office itself publishes no size, because it photographs adults on site.
White, with uniform lighting. The consulate guideline sheet also asks for no flash reflections on the face, no red eyes and no other people or objects behind the person.
Only prescription glasses, and only if the eyes show clearly. There must be no flash reflection on the lenses, the lenses must not be tinted, and heavy frames or frames covering any part of the eyes are not allowed.
Headwear is not permitted unless it is justified on religious grounds. Then the outline of the face, from the base of the chin to the forehead, and both sides of the face must be clearly visible.
The consulate sheet says it must be recent, not more than 6 months old, and in colour. At the Passport Office the picture is taken on the day, so the question does not arise.
The UK consulate asks for 2 photos for an adult or a child. The gov.sm form for residents abroad lists 1 passport photo. Follow the instructions of the consulate that receives your application.
The charter says a passport-style photo must be brought, but publishes no specification. The consulate ICAO sheet is the only published guide, so use 35 x 45 mm, colour, white background and a recent picture.
Related photo specifications
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
- Italy passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Malta passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Portugal passport photo
- 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 San Marino photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Government of San Marino, Civil Status Office. Carta dei servizi: Stato Civile, Servizi Demografici ed Elettorali (PDF) gov.sm. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Department of Foreign Affairs of San Marino. Informazioni per chi viaggia esteri.sm. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Consulate of San Marino to the UK. Issuance or renewal of San Marino passport consolatosanmarino.uk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Consulate of San Marino to the UK. Linee guida per foto per passaporto, come da norme ICAO (Annexe 3, PDF) consolatosanmarino.uk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Government of San Marino, Civil Status Office. Modulo passaporto per residenti all'estero (PDF) gov.sm. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Government of San Marino, Civil Status Office before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"San Marino passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/san-marino/passport-photo