Italian Passport Photo

Biometric photo for the Italian Passport

You can’t just submit any photo for the Italian Passport. The photo you use for this document must be a professional biometric one that is suitable for identification. By biometric photo we mean a photo that comprises only the frontal view of your head and shoulders, without any alterations, objects, shadows, or reflections that would make it difficult to identify your face. We will outline the requirements for the Italian passport photo below.

Size & general requirements for the Italian passport photo

A really important part of any official document is the photograph, whether it be Italy or anywhere else in the world. We will help you generate the photo for your Italian Passport by offering you some tips and guidelines. Below we’ll go over the size of an Italian Passport photo, and a list of requirements to consider when taking a biometric photo.

The photographs must be:

• No more than 6 months old
• 35–40mm in width
• In sharp focus and clear
• Of high quality with no ink marks or creases

The photographs for an Italian passport also must:

• Show you looking directly at the camera
• Show your natural skin tone 
• Have appropriate brightness and contrast
• Be printed on high quality paper, in high resolution

Passport images for your Italian passport - technical requirements 

• In color
• The photo must show your head and top of your shoulders and your head should take up 70 – 80% of the photograph
• The resolution should be 1200dpi or higher
• The size must be 35 x 40mm

Colors and shadows in the photo for your Italian passport 

The passport photo should not be overexposed or underexposed, because it would not reflect your natural hair color and skin tone. If you use daylight you will get the best results to eliminate any possible shadows. 

Here are our tips:

• To take the picture, stand in front of a window.
• Position yourself 2 meters away from the camera.
• Make sure the light is evenly distributed on your face.
• Turn off the flash, as it could create a "red-eye" effect that could cause your image to be rejected.

Wearing makeup, jewelry, or headgear in your Italian passport photo

Makeup, and even headwear, are allowed (in some particular cases) for your official biometric photo for the Italian Passport.

However, you have to keep in mind that excessive makeup may cause your photo to be rejected. Whereas headwear is only approved for religious purposes. Wearing a cap, or any other type of head covering that is not worn for religious purposes, is prohibited according to the biometric photo specifications. Your ears must be fully visible. If you wear an excessive amount of jewelry, your application for the passport may be rejected.

Italian passport photo requirements - prescription glasses and hair 

It is forbidden to wear sunglasses in passport photos. While prescription glasses are permitted, you must make sure that they don’t obscure your eyes or facial features. Although the Italian biometric photo regulations do not totally prohibit glasses in photos, we advise you to remove your everyday glasses when having your photo taken, to be 100% sure that your photos get accepted by the Italian passport authorities. 

If you have a voluminous hairstyle, make sure it doesn’t not go beyond the margins of the photo. Another hairstyle to be careful with when having your passport photo taken are your bangs, you should make sure that no hair covers your face as this could be grounds for rejection of the photograph.

There is no specific mention of beards in the biometric photo requirements. Therefore, if you wear a beard on a daily basis, thankfully you don’t need to shave it off to have your passport photos taken. 

Clothing

You can pretty much dress however you want for your photo, but there are some things to take into consideration. First of all, we recommend that you don’t wear light-colored or uniform clothing. Light colors may cause you to blend in with the background, and uniforms are just not allowed in passport photos. 

Because this is an official photo, which will identify you for the next 10 years, we advise you to not wear a tank top (it might make you look naked), and it’s not the best attire choice for a photo that you will show over and over again.

Recent changes in appearance and the validity of the Italian passport photo 

Italian passport photos must portray their holders’ current appearance. In the event that you already have a photo template and wish to use it for your application, you may of course do so, but you should note that the image selected cannot be more than six months old. 

However, if your appearance has changed drastically within this recent period, you will need to use a new photograph. Neither cutting or coloring your hair, nor growing a beard requires a new photo from you. In the case of children and adolescents under the age of 16, it is not necessary to take a new biometric photo, even if they change quite a bit during the validity period of the document. However, a new photo is required in certain situations, such as:

• You have experienced permanent facial deformation.
• You have gotten or removed tattoos/facial piercings.
• You have lost/gained a considerable amount of weight.
• You have undergone a gender change.
• You have had facial plastic surgery.

Most frequent reasons Italian passport photos get rejected

It takes a lot of time to plan a passport application, and finding out that you have to go through the whole process again, because your photos for your Italian passport have been rejected may be pretty frustrating. Here is a list of the most frequent reasons why Italian passport photos get turned down:

• The "red-eye" effect: if you take the photo with flash, your eyes will appear red, which will cause your photo to be rejected. Make sure your pupils are clearly visible, and that the lighting is natural, and the shape of your face is well defined to avoid this situation.
• Having your head tilted or not looking directly at the camera. Your photo will be rejected if you take a profile shot or any other photo in which your head is tilted and your eyes are not looking directly into the camera lens.
• Uneven lighting: shadows should be avoided so your facial features can be clearly visible in the biometric photo. The light should be evenly distributed on your face, and there should be no glares.
• Smiling or making a funny face: unfortunately, your passport photo will be rejected if you smile. Your photo should resemble a mugshot - neutral/serious: it’s best to look as knowledgeable and respectable as possible.
• Digital retouching to change or enhance your facial features is prohibited. Therefore, it is forbidden to use image editing programs such as Photoshop to adjust your appearance or use a filter on the official photo - it must show your true appearance and your true colors 
• Passport photos that have staple holes, are wrinkled, or have any other markings will also not be accepted.

Online photo tool for your Italian passport photo

Official authorities will decline your photo if it doesn’t meet all the official requirements: no objects should appear in the background, your face has to be in good focus and the light has to be on both sides of your face. These are just some of the specifications that your passport pic must follow. You don't need to be a photo editing expert, with our Passport Photo Online application, you will see that it is very easy to get the right passport photo. This online photo tool will crop the image to the size according to the official requirements, remove the background and prepare a printable Italian Passport photo template for you.

Cropping tool 

The correct size for a biometric photo for the Italian passport is 35 x 40 mm. The best thing, however, is that you don't even need to remember it. Once you have chosen the document you want, the Artificial Intelligence that powers Passport Photo Online will take care of getting the right dimensions, cropping, and resolution. You just have to focus on taking the best photo of yourself. You only pay for the photo you choose - all other photos are tested for free.

Background removal tool

It doesn't matter if the background of your passport picture is a wall with shadows or shapes, or if other people or objects are visible in your frame. Whatever background color you need, our smart photo tool is capable of producing it. Passport Photo Online takes care of all challenges. Within seconds your background will be transformed into the correct, passport-worthy, plain white background. 

Compliance guarantee 

All photos are scanned by Passport Photo Online AI system, which makes sure that the photos are absolutely compliant. If your passport image gets rejected for whatever reason, after being certified by our authentication tool, just let us know and we will double refund your money. 

Photo template for your official passport photos

Once your photo is produced and accepted, you can order the digital version to be sent to your email address. This way you have the possibility to print the image at a printing shop or nearby pharmacy. Your passport photo will be ready to attach to the application form if you’re submitting it online. You can use a single photo as many times as you want.

Passport Photo Online - an app for Android and iPhone

Our Passport Photo Online app can be used on iOS and Android based phones. You can download it from the Google Play Store of Samsung, LG, Huawei, HTC, Lenovo and Sony or from the AppStore of your iPhone.

Why use an online photo app for your biometric photo?

You may not want any help with taking your own passport photo. Nevertheless, resizing and cropping the frame, as well as getting the background right, takes time and, in certain cases, is overwhelming. And in the end you're still not sure if a picture i's correct. With our photo app, the passport picture will be:

• created with a background required for a biometric photo
• perfectly sized and cropped (if required)
• accepted by embassies or consulates, as well as by the Italian authorities
• 100% satisfactory as you have the opportunity to take one milion shots if you need to, and choose your favorite one!

Sure, you can check for a photo booth or book a visit at a professional photography studio, but do you really want to spend your time and resources on something you can afford for a fraction of the cost and in just a minute? 

Take the right Italian passport photo from home online and feel safe. No matter how many passport photos you take, in the end you only pay for the one you order. You can try different outfits, makeup, and hairstyles, take lots of photos and play with the lighting. And you will always have the guarantee of biometric photo acceptance.

Last update: 9/23/22