BrazilBrazil National Identity Card (CIN) Photo: 3 x 4 Mostly No Longer Required — Here Is When You Still Need One
For Brazil’s ID card the photo is usually captured at the appointment. A 3 x 4 print is still needed for children 0–2 and posts with no digital capture.
Key points
5 points- Santa Catarina (Portaria 043/2024/PCI): a 3 x 4 photo is no longer required, except for children aged 0–2.
- At identification posts without digital biometric capture the 3 x 4 photo remains compulsory in all cases.
- Paraná: the photo is captured free of charge at the in-person appointment; for an online request you capture it yourself.
- Frame: face, head, neck, both ears and upper chest, frontal, white background, neutral expression, lips closed.
- Avoid white clothing; no glasses, earrings, piercings or hats; photos from the previous identity card are not accepted.
Do you need a 3 x 4 photo for Brazil’s National Identity Card (Carteira de Identidade Nacional, CIN)? Mostly not. State identification institutes now capture the photo themselves — but there are exceptions.
When a 3 x 4 photo is still needed
- Polícia Científica de Santa Catarina (Portaria 043/2024/PCI): a 3 x 4 photograph is no longer required for the identity card, except for children aged 0 to 2, whose photos are brought in print (3 x 4) or digital form.
- At identification posts without digital biometric capture the 3 x 4 photograph remains compulsory in all cases.
- Polícia Civil do Paraná: the photo is captured by the Identification Institute at the in-person appointment, free of charge; for an online request you capture the photo when sending it.
What the photo must show
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Frame | Face, head, neck, both ears and the upper chest, frontal, in 3 x 4 proportion (Decree 9.278/2018; Federal Decree 10.977/22 for ICAO standards) |
| Background | White, without reflections, patterns, stains or shadows |
| Hair | Behind the shoulders and ears, forehead showing (no fringe) — Paraná |
| Expression | Neutral, lips closed |
| Printed photo | Colour, recent (90 days), identical copies, no date, no retouching, matte paper — Santa Catarina |
Clothing and accessories
- Avoid white clothing (Santa Catarina).
- Paraná prohibits earrings, piercings, removable face paint, necklaces, glasses, coloured contact lenses, hats, caps, berets, scarves, beanies and hoods. Ear gauges worn continuously may stay; dark glasses only for total visual impairment.
- A headscarf is allowed for a pathology, medical treatment or religious habit if neutral and light in colour, with the face and neck outline visible.
- Lasting facial paintings of specific ethnic groups are allowed.
- Photographs of the previous identity card are not accepted.
See our Brazil ID card photo page for the 3 x 4 format.
04Questions
5 answers01Do I need a 3 x 4 photo for the Brazilian CIN?
Usually not — the photo is captured at the appointment. Exceptions: children aged 0–2 and posts without digital capture (Santa Catarina).
02Is the photo at the appointment free?
Yes. Polícia Civil do Paraná says it is captured free of charge at the in-person appointment.
03What background is required?
White, without reflections, patterns, stains or shadows.
04Can I wear glasses?
No, Paraná prohibits glasses; dark glasses are optional only in total visual impairment.
05Can I reuse the photo from my old RG?
No. Photographs of the previous identity card are not accepted (Santa Catarina).
05Official sources
- Polícia Científica de Santa Catarina — Fotografias (identity card)
policiacientifica.sc.gov.br - Polícia Civil do Paraná — Informações sobre a Carteira de Identidade Nacional (CIN)
policiacivil.pr.gov.br
Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .
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