ItalyItaly Visa Photo Requirements: 35 x 45 mm ICAO Photo for Schengen C and National D Visas
Italian consulates ask for a 35 x 45 mm ICAO photo: colour, white background, face 70–80 % of the picture, not older than 6 months.
Key points
5 points- Italian consular checklists for the Schengen type C visa ask for one biometric colour photo, not older than 6 months, ICAO format 35 mm x 45 mm, on a white background.
- The Embassy of Italy in Minsk asks for one recent ICAO-format 35 x 45 mm photo glued to the application form for a type D visa.
- The Italian foreign ministry (MAECI) ICAO guidelines: face covering 70–80 % of the photo, white evenly lit background, colour, neutral expression with the mouth closed.
- The European Commission leaflet describes a Schengen visa photo as no more than 6 months old, 35–40 mm wide, with the face 70–80 % of the picture.
- No source publishes pixel or file-size limits for these visa photos: they are glued or attached as prints.
Italy accepts visa photographs in the ICAO biometric format, and several of its own documents say it in plain numbers. This guide collects what the European Commission, the Italian foreign ministry and two Italian embassies publish for the short-stay Schengen visa (type C) and the national long-stay visa (type D).
Type C (Schengen) visa
The European Commission page “Applying for a Schengen visa” asks for a photo in compliance with ICAO standards and links to its ICAO photograph guidelines leaflet. The leaflet describes photographs no more than 6 months old, 35–40 mm in width, a close-up of the head and top of the shoulders so that the face takes up 70–80 % of the photograph, against a light-coloured background, in colour and sharp focus.
Italian consular practice fixes the frame. The Embassy of Italy in Nairobi’s 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 a white background, full face and front view, in colour.
Type D (national) visa
The Embassy of Italy in Minsk, in its January 2026 document list for a type D family-reunification visa, asks for the application form completed and signed plus one recent ICAO-format photo (35 x 45 mm) glued onto the application form. The list names only the size and the ICAO format; the proportions come from the MAECI “Linee guida foto ICAO”.
The ICAO rules the Italian ministry publishes
| Parameter | MAECI ICAO guidelines |
|---|---|
| Size | 35 x 45 mm |
| Face | 70–80 % of the photo, measured from the base of the chin |
| Background | White, evenly lit |
| Colour | Colour photo |
| Age | No older than 6 months |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed |
| Glasses | Only with clearly visible eyes and no reflections |
| Head coverings | Only for religious reasons |
ItalySchengen Visa Type C · requirements
What no one publishes
None of these sources gives pixel dimensions or a file-size limit: the photo is printed and glued or attached. If a consulate asks you to upload a file, follow its own form.
Mistakes to avoid
- A 30 x 40 mm or 40 x 50 mm photo. Italian checklists name 35 x 45 mm.
- A photo older than 6 months.
- A grey or cream background. Italian lists say white.
- A smile or open mouth. The guidelines ask for a neutral expression with the mouth closed.
- A loose print for the type D form. The embassy asks for it to be glued onto the form.
Our Italy Schengen visa photo tool lays out the 35 x 45 mm frame and white background, and the national visa D tool does the same for type D.
06Questions
5 answers01What size is an Italian visa photo?
35 x 45 mm in the ICAO format, according to the Italian embassy checklists and the foreign ministry guidelines.
02What background colour does an Italian visa photo need?
White, evenly lit, per the Italian ministry ICAO guidelines and the Nairobi checklist.
03How old can the photo be?
Not older than 6 months.
04Do I glue the photo for a type D visa?
The Embassy of Italy in Minsk asks for one recent ICAO-format photo glued onto the application form.
05Are pixels or file size specified?
No source publishes pixel or file-size limits for these visa photos.
07Official sources
- European Commission — Applying for a Schengen visa
home-affairs.ec.europa.eu - MAECI — Linee guida foto ICAO
esteri.it - Embassy of Italy in Nairobi — Checklist for tourism Schengen visa (C), 2026
ambnairobi.esteri.it - Embassy of Italy in Minsk — document list for type D family-reunification visa (January 2026)
ambminsk.esteri.it
Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .
Italy
United Kingdom
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Austria+5National D visa photo requirements: set by each country, not the EU
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