Italian Passport Photo Requirements 2026: 35x45mm Size & Free Maker

If you are renewing or applying for an Italian passport (passaporto) in 2026, the photo is the part of the application most likely to trip you up. The Polizia di Stato — the authority that issues Italian passports — applies the standard EU and ICAO biometric format, but the small details around background, head size, and lighting are where people get rejected. This guide covers every Italian passport photo requirement, including what Italians simply call a fototessera.

Official Italian Passport Photo Size

The Italian passport photo is the same size used across the European Union and the Schengen area. There is no “Italy-only” variation — the country follows the ICAO Doc 9303 standard.

Key dimensions:

Photo size: 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches), portrait orientation
Head height: 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown — roughly 70-80% of the photo’s vertical dimension
Top margin: a few millimetres of space between the top of the head and the upper edge
Eyes: positioned roughly in the upper third of the frame, looking straight at the camera
Recency: taken within the last 6 months, reflecting your current appearance

A Schengen visa photo uses the same 35x45 mm format — the requirements are nearly identical. See our Italy Schengen visa photo guide for the differences. You can usually reuse a recent compliant fototessera across most EU document applications.

Background and Lighting Requirements

Italian passport photos require a plain white or light grey background with no patterns, textures, shadows, or objects. Light blue, cream, beige, or patterned walls will be rejected.

Use even, diffused front lighting to eliminate shadows on your face.
Stand at least 50 cm in front of the wall so no shadow falls behind your head.
Avoid harsh overhead lighting that creates dark hollows under the eyes or chin.
Daylight from a large window, plus a softer fill light on the opposite side, usually produces the cleanest result at home.

Shadows on the background near the ears, neck, or shoulders are a top reason fototessere are rejected at the questura (police headquarters) when you go to submit fingerprints.

Facial Expression and Head Position

The Polizia di Stato follows ICAO biometric guidance: neutral expression, mouth closed. This is the rule that surprises most first-time applicants — no smiling.

Face the camera directly, head straight, no tilting or turning.
Keep both eyes open, fully visible, and looking at the lens.
Hair must not cover the eyes, eyebrows, or the outline of your face.
The full face from forehead to chin must be visible.
No exaggerated expressions, raised eyebrows, or pursed lips.

If you wear long hair, tuck it behind your shoulders or pin it back so the jawline and ears are not obscured.

Glasses Policy

Italy follows the broader EU position: clear prescription glasses are allowed only if there is no glare or reflection and the eyes are fully visible. In practice:

No tinted, photochromic, or sunglasses.
No thick frames that obscure the eyes or eye outline.
No reflections from flash or overhead lights on the lenses.
Pupils and irises must be clearly visible.

Many Italian photographers will simply ask you to remove glasses, because even slight glare causes rejection at the biometric step. You can wear glasses daily and still submit a clean photo without them.

What to Wear / Dress Code

There is no formal dress code, but a few practical rules apply:

Wear a plain top in a darker colour so it contrasts with the white or light grey background.
Avoid white, cream, or very pale clothing that merges into the background.
No uniforms or hats — religious head coverings are permitted only if your full face from chin to forehead is visible.
Minimal jewellery is fine; oversized earrings or necklaces are best removed.
Tone down heavy makeup so the photo still looks like you.

Digital Specs for Online Submissions

Italy is gradually moving more passport services online through the Agenda Passaporto booking system on the Polizia di Stato website. The in-person fingerprinting step still requires a printed photo at the questura, but your application file may also need a digital copy.

Digital specifications:

File format: JPEG
Resolution for print: 600 DPI at 35 x 45 mm — roughly 826 x 1062 pixels
Maximum file size: 500 KB
Colour mode: 24-bit colour, sRGB
No retouching: no beauty filters, skin smoothing, or colour edits beyond basic exposure

Italian consulates abroad — through services like the Ministero degli Affari Esteri’s “Prenot@Mi” portal — sometimes ask for a digital upload in addition to printed copies. Always check your specific consulate’s instructions.

How to Take an Italian Passport Photo at Home

A smartphone, decent light, and a plain wall are enough:

Pick a plain wall — white, off-white, or very light grey. Hang a clean white sheet if your wall is patterned or coloured.
Set up lighting with a large window in front of you and a soft lamp on the opposite side. Avoid lighting from above or behind.
Place the camera at eye level on a tripod or stack of books. Selfies distort facial proportions and are commonly rejected.
Stand about 1.5 to 2 metres from the camera to avoid lens distortion.
Take several shots with a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open, and head straight.
Review on a large screen for shadows, glasses glare, or stray hair across the eyes.
Crop and resize to 35 x 45 mm with the head 32-36 mm tall. Save as a JPEG under 500 KB.

To skip the manual cropping and head-height math, our free Italy passport photo tool detects the face, validates head proportions, removes the background, and exports a print-ready 35x45 mm JPEG. Everything runs in your browser.

Where to Get a Passport Photo in Italy

If you prefer in-person service, Italy has plenty of options:

Photomaton booths (cabine fototessera): in train stations, shopping centres, and outside some questure. Cost: roughly 5 to 8 EUR for 4-6 prints. Newer machines produce ICAO-compliant photos with a digital download code.
Photographer studios (fotografo / studio fotografico): walk-in, often same day. Cost: typically 8 to 15 EUR for a set of prints, sometimes with a digital file.
Tabaccherie and copisterie: many tobacco shops and copy shops print fototessere if you bring a digital file. Cost: 3 to 6 EUR.
Pharmacies (farmacie): a growing number host small photo booths — confirm the booth advertises “passaporto” or “ICAO” compliance.

Ask for a “fototessera per il passaporto” and any Italian photographer will know the format.

Renewing at an Italian Consulate Abroad

Italian citizens abroad typically renew through their local consulate. The photo spec is the same 35 x 45 mm ICAO format regardless of the country you submit from.

If you live in the United States, walking into a CVS, Walgreens, or Costco and asking for a “US passport photo” will give you a 2x2 inch (51x51 mm) square — that is the wrong size for an Italian passport. Instead:

Ask the studio to print 35 x 45 mm “European” or “ICAO” size — most professional studios can do this on request.
Or use an online tool that exports the correct dimensions and print on 4x6 photo paper at any drugstore.

Common consulate cities include New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, Toronto, Sydney, and Buenos Aires. Photo studios in the UK and Asian cities (Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore) can usually switch their template to the European size on request. Appointment slots fill up fast, so prepare the photo in advance.

Common Reasons Italian Passport Photos Get Rejected

The most frequent reasons applications get sent back:

Coloured or patterned background instead of white or light grey.
Visible shadows behind the head, ears, or on the background.
Smiling, open mouth, or any non-neutral expression.
Head size outside the 32-36 mm range.
Glasses with glare, reflections, or thick frames.
Hair covering the eyes, eyebrows, or face outline.
Photo taken more than 6 months ago or after a significant appearance change.
Smartphone beauty filters or auto skin smoothing.
Wrong file size or resolution for online uploads (over 500 KB or under 600 DPI).
Black-and-white prints — colour required.

Italian Passport Photo for Children and Babies

Children and babies need their own Italian passport even at a few weeks old, and the rules are slightly relaxed:

The child must be alone — no parent’s hands, shoulders, or arms visible.
Neutral expression preferred, but not strictly enforced for infants under 1 year.
Eyes should be open if possible, looking toward the camera.
For very small babies, lay them on a clean white sheet and shoot from directly above. No pacifiers, toys, or patterned blankets.
The 32-36 mm head height rule still applies and is the most common reason baby photos are rejected.

For toddlers, sit them on a chair against a plain wall and shoot at their eye level.

Tips for a First-Time Successful Submission

Shoot in daylight hours, ideally late morning when window light is soft.
Print a sample first and measure the head height with a ruler before your final batch.
Review at full size on a laptop or tablet — phone previews hide background shadows.
Bring two to four printed copies to your questura appointment.
For online uploads through Agenda Passaporto or a consulate portal, double-check the 500 KB cap and JPEG format.
For Schengen visas rather than passports, reference italyvms.com or the relevant consulate page — the photo format is identical, but supporting documents differ.

Next Steps

Ready to prepare your fototessera? Use our free Italy passport photo tool to take the photo at home, check it against Polizia di Stato and ICAO requirements, and export a print-ready 35 x 45 mm JPEG under 500 KB. Everything runs in your browser for privacy, and the same file works for the printed application at the questura and any digital upload your consulate or the Ministero degli Affari Esteri requests. Buona fortuna.