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Italy Schengen visa type C photo 35 × 45 mm

head 70–80 %

Sample

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Italy · Schengen visa type CPhoto requirements
Size
35 × 45 mm
Head
70–80 % of the photo height
Background
Plain, one colour
Glasses
Glasses only if no glare
Expression
Neutral, mouth closed

SourceEuropean Commission / Italian consular authorities

Verified

Quick answer: A Italy Schengen visa type C photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Even plain background without shadows. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, glasses only if no glare. Last verified .

Requirements

Photo requirements

Format35 × 45 mm
Head height70–80% of photo height
BackgroundEven plain background without shadows.
PoseFull face, no noticeable tilt; face turned towards the lens.
ExpressionNeutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open.
GlassesEyes must be fully visible without strong reflections. See full rules →
LightingNo harsh shadows or overexposure.
AttireKeep the original clothing and a visible shoulder line.
File formatJPEG · sRGB / 24-bit

Italy Schengen visa type C photo: size in mm, cm, inches and pixels

Millimetres35 × 45 mm
Centimetres3.5 × 4.5 cm
Inches1.38 × 1.77″
Pixels at 300 dpi413 × 531 px
Pixels at 600 dpi827 × 1063 px

How Schengen visa type C photos are verified

Italy Schengen visa type C photos are reviewed by the issuing authority against the specifications shown in the table above. Both digital and physical submissions are checked for background colour, head position, lighting quality and file format before the document is processed.

Meet all specifications listed above before submitting. A photo that fails a single criterion — even a background shade variation — delays the entire application. The tool prepares the file to match the profile shown on this page.

Examples and mistakes

What makes Italy Schengen visa type C photos accepted

One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Italy Schengen visa type C applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.

Accepted Accepted photo example, Italy Schengen visa type C (35 × 45 mm): face centered, plain background, neutral expression

Compliant Italy Schengen visa type C 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 Schengen visa type C rejection causes

Rejected photo example, Italy Schengen visa type C: background shadow
Background shadow Shadow on the wall behind the head, or background with a visible pattern or gradient
Rejected photo example, Italy Schengen visa type C: smile / open mouth
Smile / open mouth Visible smile with teeth or open mouth instead of a neutral expression
Rejected photo example, Italy Schengen visa type C: glasses with glare
Glasses with glare Glasses with a clearly visible light reflection covering part of the eye
Rejected photo example, Italy Schengen visa type C: hair across the face
Hair across the face Loose hair strands covering the eyes, eyebrows or part of the face
Rejected photo example, Italy Schengen visa type C: eyes off-camera
Eyes off-camera Eyes looking to the side instead of directly into the camera lens
Rejected photo example, Italy Schengen visa type C: head tilted
Head tilted Head tilted so the eye line is no longer horizontal

How to take it

How to take your Italy Schengen visa type C photo correctly

Background and light

Background: plain, one colour

The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.

Framing

Head: 70–80 % of the photo height

Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.

Glasses

Glasses only if no glare

If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.

Expression and gaze

Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open

Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.

Full guide: Passport photo at home →

Drop your photo hereChoose a photo

Prepare your Italy Schengen visa type C photo

An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.

  • Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
  • Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
  • No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.

Printing and submission

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.

Local application route

AuthorityEuropean Commission / Italian consular authorities
SourceSchengen visa application photograph standard
Verified
What the source confirms
  • European Commission, «Applying for a Schengen visa»: the application needs «a photo in compliance with ICAO standards», with a link to the Commission’s ICAO photograph guidelines leaflet — the page itself prints no numbers.
  • The linked leaflet: photographs «no more than 6-months old», «35–40mm in width», a «close up of your head and top of your shoulders so that your face takes up 70–80% of the photograph», against a light-coloured background, in colour and sharp focus; it publishes no height.
  • Italian consular practice fixes the frame: the Embassy of Italy in Nairobi 2026 checklist for a type C visa asks for «ONE BIOMETRIC COLOUR PASSPORT PHOTO (not older than 6 months) ICAO format (35 mm x 45 mm), on white background, full face and front view, in colour», and the MAECI «Linee guida foto ICAO» set 35 x 45 mm with the face covering 70-80 % of the photo, white background, colour, no older than 6 months.
  • No source publishes pixel or file-size limits for a type C visa photo.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

All requirements are in the table above. Format: 35 × 45 mm. Head height: 70–80%. Even plain background without shadows.

Requirements checked against Schengen visa application photograph standard ·

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