italy passport photo size

Italy passport photo size — 35×45 mm Polizia di Stato dimensions

An Italian passport photo measures 35×45 millimeters (3.5×4.5 cm) in portrait orientation at 600 DPI, around 827×1063 pixels. Head height chin to crown must be 32-36 mm — 70-80% of the frame. Background must be plain white or very light grey, uniform, no shadows. Photo must be in colour, taken within 6 months, no glasses, neutral expression with mouth closed. Standard enforced by the Polizia di Stato at every Italian Questura for new passports, renewals, child passports, and consular renewals at Italian consulates in the US, UK, Germany, Brazil, and Argentina.

Exact dimensions and pixel size

Italy uses the ICAO 9303 portrait standard at 35×45 mm — the same dimensions as the rest of the Schengen cluster. At 600 DPI this is around 827×1063 pixels. Italian passport applications are processed by the Polizia di Stato at the local Questura, with photo capture done either in advance (printed photos brought to the appointment) or on site at modern Questure equipped with photo kiosks.

The same dimensions apply to the Carta d'Identità Elettronica (CIE) Italian ID card, though the CIE photo is typically captured at the comune at the time of appointment rather than uploaded in advance.

Head height and framing

Head height chin to crown should be 32-36 mm — 70-80% of the photo height. Eyes facing the camera, face centered horizontally with shoulders visible at the bottom edge. No head tilt, no three-quarter pose.

Italian Questura officers tend to be more lenient on minor framing variations than their German or French counterparts, but the head-too-small rejection still applies. Selfies at arm's length usually fall below the 32 mm head-height floor and need re-cropping.

Background — white or very light grey

Italy accepts plain white or very light grey backgrounds — more permissive than Germany or France. Pure #FFFFFF is fine for an Italian passport application, as is light grey around #EEEEEE. The Polizia di Stato's photo guidance describes the requirement as 'sfondo bianco o grigio chiaro uniforme' (uniform white or light grey background).

What is not acceptable: coloured backgrounds, patterns, textures, shadows behind the head, or gradient lighting. Diffuse lighting against a clean white wall produces consistently acceptable results; the Italian spec is the most forgiving in the Schengen cluster.

Recency, glasses and expression

The photo must be taken within the last 6 months. The Polizia di Stato compares against your previous passport on file and against the Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente (ANPR) record where available.

Glasses are not permitted under the ICAO 9303 alignment. Religious head coverings are accepted only when the face is fully visible. Expression must be neutral with mouth closed — Italian guidance specifically calls out 'espressione neutra senza sorriso' (neutral expression without smile).

Questura and consular requirements

At the Questura, bring two printed 35×45 mm photos plus the application form (modulo passaporto). The online appointment system at passaportonline.poliziadistato.it allows pre-booking but doesn't currently accept photo uploads in advance — the photos are checked manually at the appointment.

Italian consulates abroad (NYC, London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, São Paulo) follow the same Polizia di Stato spec for diaspora renewals. The high-volume consulate in Buenos Aires for Italian-Argentinian citizenship applicants enforces the spec uniformly. complypic produces both the digital JPG and the printed 4×6 inch sheet.

FAQ

Is the Italian passport photo the same as a German one?

Yes in dimensions — both are 35×45 mm portrait. But Germany requires the strict BVA biometric template (light grey only, exact eye-line, head centring within 1 mm), while Italy accepts a wider range. An Italian-compliant photo on a white background would fail the German BVA checker; the reverse usually passes.

Does the same photo work for the Carta d'Identità Elettronica (CIE)?

The CIE accepts a compatible 35×45 mm photo, though the CIE photo is typically captured at the comune on the day of the appointment rather than uploaded in advance. The Polizia di Stato passport photo spec is compatible if you need to bring one to the comune.

Can I use this photo for an Italian citizenship application (jure sanguinis)?

Yes. Italian citizenship-by-descent applications, processed at consulates abroad or at comuni in Italy, use the same 35×45 mm white-background spec as the passport itself. One photo covers citizenship recognition and the subsequent passport issuance.

Why does the Questura sometimes reject photos that look fine?

The most common reasons are visible shadows behind the head (from uneven lighting at the time of capture), head framed below 32 mm, or expressions that include a slight closed-mouth smile that the officer interprets as 'non-neutral'. A clean white background and a fully relaxed jaw resolve all three.

Italy passport

35×45 mm, white or very light grey background, head 32-36 mm, neutral expression. Built for Polizia di Stato Questura appointments — passaporto rinnovo, prima volta, minore.

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Last reviewed 2026-05-11Official complypic page →