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Italy passport photo 35 × 45 mm

Updated

Quick answer: A Italy passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm with ровный однотонный фон без теней. Head occupies 71–78% of photo height. Neutral expression, see glasses rule. Last verified .

Source-backedVerified 2026-07-27
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Source: Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
Compiled from Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale Source check Editorial policy

Photo requirements

Format35 × 45 mm
Head height71–78% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80%
BackgroundРовный однотонный фон без теней.
PoseАнфас, без заметного наклона; лицо направлено в объектив.
ExpressionNeutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open.
GlassesГлаза должны быть полностью видимы без сильных бликов. See full rules →
LightingБез резких теней и пересветов.
AttireСохранять исходную одежду и видимую линию плеч.
Digital resolutionCheck the authority portal before digital upload
File formatJPEG · sRGB / 24-bit
File sizeCheck the authority portal before upload
71–78%
35 × 45 mm
10 × 15 cm · 4×6″8 (4 × 2)
A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm36 (6 × 6)

Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.

How passport photos are verified

Italy passport photos go through two sequential checks. First, a human reviewer confirms physical dimensions, background and general composition. Second, an automated biometric face-match system compares the submitted image against the ICAO 9303 template — the international standard used in chip-based passports worldwide. The automated layer catches what human eyes often miss: head tilts below five degrees, eye-line offsets of a few pixels, and uneven shoulder positioning that throws off the centring algorithm.

The passport photo is embedded digitally into the travel document and stays bound to it for the full validity period — typically five or ten years depending on the applicant's age. A photo that barely passes at submission tends to produce poor biometric match scores during border-control checks years later, leading to secondary screening. Submission routes that print directly into the booklet require higher digital resolution than routes that scan a printed copy, because no interpolation can recover detail that was never captured.

  • Children may have a slightly relaxed rule on the strictly neutral expression, but eyes must remain open and the face outline unobstructed.
  • Digital upload routes specify a maximum file size with JPEG encoding in the sRGB colour space — see the spec table for exact values.
  • Always verify on the official Italy authority portal that requirements have not changed since this page was last reviewed (2026-07-27).

Local application route

AuthorityMinistero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
SourceItalian passport photograph requirements: 35 x 45 mm, 32-35 mm head
Verified
ConfidenceOfficial — exact
What the source confirms
  • Italy - Passport profile imported from the verified authority supplement.
  • Output geometry: 35 x 45 mm.
  • Head band: 71-78%.

What makes Italy passport photos accepted

One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Italy passport applications. The final decision always belongs to Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, but these are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.

Accepted Compliant Italy passport photo example (35 × 45 mm) — centered face, plain background, neutral expression, eyes open, even frontal lighting. Meets Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale biometric requirements.

Compliant Italy passport example (35 × 45 mm)

  • Face centred, looking directly into the lens
  • Plain background — no shadow, pattern or texture
  • Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed
  • No glasses, no hair across the face

Top 6 Italy passport rejection causes

Rejected Italy passport photo example — shadow on the wall behind the head, or background with a visible pattern or gradient. Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale would reject this for passport applications.
Background shadow Italy passport: Shadow on the wall behind the head, or background with a visible pattern or gradient
Rejected Italy passport photo example — visible smile with teeth or open mouth instead of a neutral expression. Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale would reject this for passport applications.
Smile / open mouth Italy passport: Visible smile with teeth or open mouth instead of a neutral expression
Rejected Italy passport photo example — glasses with a clearly visible light reflection covering part of the eye. Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale would reject this for passport applications.
Glasses with glare Italy passport: Glasses with a clearly visible light reflection covering part of the eye
Rejected Italy passport photo example — loose hair strands covering the eyes, eyebrows or part of the face. Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale would reject this for passport applications.
Hair across the face Italy passport: Loose hair strands covering the eyes, eyebrows or part of the face
Rejected Italy passport photo example — eyes looking to the side instead of directly into the camera lens. Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale would reject this for passport applications.
Eyes off-camera Italy passport: Eyes looking to the side instead of directly into the camera lens
Rejected Italy passport photo example — head tilted so the eye line is no longer horizontal. Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale would reject this for passport applications.
Head tilted Italy passport: Head tilted so the eye line is no longer horizontal
Current profile Format: 35 × 45 mm Head: 71–78% Background: Ровный однотонный фон без теней.

Prepare your Italy passport photo

Upload a portrait — the tool crops, removes the background and checks compliance against the 35 × 45 mm rule automatically.

How to take your Italy passport photo correctly

Background setup

Use a blank white wall or tape a white bedsheet flat — avoid creases. Stand at least 50 cm from the surface so your shadow does not fall onto it. Patterned wallpaper or any textured surface creates a gradient that fails the automated background check, even if it looks white to the eye.

Lighting

Face a large window during daylight hours. Even, frontal, diffused natural light produces the cleanest indoor result. Never use on-camera flash — it creates hard shadows on the background and washes out facial geometry. Turn off any coloured indoor light sources.

Chin and jaw position

Extend your chin slightly forward and downward — this elongates the neck and sharpens the jawline. Keep your head level: the camera must be exactly at eye height. Tilting up or down distorts the biometric head-height ratio.

Shoulder position

Keep both shoulders square to the camera. Passport standards require a straight-on stance — turned shoulders shift the perceived centre of the face and will cause the automated alignment check to fail.

Eyewear

Глаза должны быть полностью видимы без сильных бликов In practice, the biometric scanner flags even minor glare invisible to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.

Expression and eyes

Look directly into the lens. Keep a completely neutral expression — no smile, raised eyebrows or squinting. Mouth closed and relaxed. Biometric matching calibrates against the neutral reference stored in the passport chip; any muscular movement lowers the match confidence score.

Attire and colours

Avoid white or very light tops — they merge with the white background and make the shoulder outline hard to detect. Deep solid tones work best: navy, dark teal, burgundy or charcoal. No uniforms, hats or accessories that cover the face or neck.

Beard and grooming

Groom your beard one or two days before shooting — a freshly trimmed beard photographs with the cleanest edge definition. If shaving completely, do so the morning of the shoot and apply a calming balm to reduce redness, which can alter the skin-tone map used by background removal.

Top reasons Italy passport photos get rejected

Frequently asked questions

The Italy passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 71–78% of the photo height.

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Anfas.Pro is an independent tool and is not affiliated with any government authority. The final decision to accept or reject a document photo rests solely with the issuing authority. Requirements change — always verify on the official authority portal before submitting.