Italian ID card photo: size, rules and how to prepare it
For an Italian Electronic Identity Card (Carta d’Identità Elettronica, or CIE), prepare a recent, color photo measuring 35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 in). You can bring a printed photo to the municipality, or upload a digital one through Agenda CIE when booking your appointment.[1][2]
Photo size and position
The photo must be 35 mm wide and at least 45 mm high. The whole head and the top of the shoulders must show. The face must take up 70% to 80% of the photo’s height, and the head must be vertically centered. The Ministry does not set a separate chin-to-top-of-head measurement.[1]
Place the eyes 23 to 31 mm above the bottom edge of the photo. Keep the face straight, facing the camera, with your eyes looking at the lens. Both earlobes should be visible, and the image should show the face from forehead to chin and from ear to ear.[1]
For a digital photo, the Ministry requires at least 400 dpi, JPG format, and a file no larger than 500 KB. At 400 dpi, 35 × 45 mm works out to at least 552 × 709 whole pixels; that pixel count is a calculation from the official size and resolution, not a separate Ministry dimension.[1]
Background, light and expression
Use a plain, even background. The Ministry prefers light blue, beige, light brown, light gray, or white. Light the background evenly and avoid shadows on it or on your face.[1]
The photo must be in color, with natural colors, and it must be in focus. Your face should be easy to recognize, with facial features clearly defined. Avoid glare or effects from a flash or another light source.[1]
Keep a neutral expression, close your mouth, and keep your eyes open and clearly visible. Do not tilt your face or pose with raised shoulders. Hair must not cover your eyes.[1]
Glasses and head coverings
Tinted lenses are not allowed. If you wear glasses, the lenses must be transparent and your eyes must remain clearly visible. Reflections that hide the eyes can make the photo fail the stated eye visibility rule.[1]
Headwear is not allowed unless worn for religious, cultural, or medical reasons. Even in those cases, your face must be clearly visible.[1]
The Ministry’s listed photo rules do not give separate infant-specific instructions.[1]
Printed photo or digital upload
The usual option is to take a paper photo to your municipality. If you book through Agenda CIE and upload the photo digitally, you do not need to bring the paper photo. The Ministry says the paper photo should be in the same format used for a passport, and its photo instructions specify 35 mm by at least 45 mm.[1][2]
A digital upload must be a JPG file, no larger than 500 KB, with image definition of at least 400 dpi. The Ministry describes bringing the digital photo on USB support as an option, and the application page separately describes uploading through Agenda CIE. Follow the upload steps shown in your booking.[1][2]
For a print, use high-quality photo paper. The Ministry says the photo must not be folded, stapled, written on, tampered with, or damaged.[1]
Take the photo at home
Ask someone else to take the photo, or set your phone on a steady surface. Stand in front of a plain light-colored wall and face a window or other soft, even light. Keep the camera at eye level and step back enough to avoid a wide-angle close-up; these are practical tips, not Ministry requirements.
Look straight at the lens with a neutral expression and closed mouth. Move hair away from your eyes, remove tinted glasses, and take off headwear unless it is worn for one of the permitted reasons. Keep your shoulders level and your whole head and the tops of your shoulders in frame.
Take several pictures and choose one that is sharp, evenly lit, and free of glare or shadows. Check that the face is centered and that the eyes sit 23–31 mm above the bottom when the image is cropped to 35 × 45 mm. Do not retouch, recolor, or otherwise alter the photo. The Ministry says the photo must not be retouched or tampered with, and its colors must be natural.[1]
Prepare a 4×6 print and check for problems
If you are bringing a paper photo, the tool above can crop it to the required size and place copies on a 4 × 6-inch print sheet. Save the sheet and print it as an ordinary 4 × 6 photo on high-quality paper at a kiosk. Cut out one 35 × 45 mm photo without trimming away the background. Check the cut size with a ruler before taking it to the municipality. The Ministry requires a printed photo unless you uploaded one through Agenda CIE.[1][2]
Before printing or uploading, check the final photo against the Ministry’s rules. A photo may be refused if it is the wrong size, blurry, poorly lit, shadowed, or has a non-uniform background. Other listed problems include a tilted face, eyes looking away or covered, a non-neutral expression, an open mouth, tinted lenses, reflections that hide the eyes, or a face partly hidden by headwear.[1]
The photo must be recent: it cannot have been taken more than six months earlier. Do not submit a damaged, folded, stapled, written-on, retouched, recolored, or otherwise altered print or image. The municipality checks the photo as part of the application, so meeting the photo instructions does not guarantee acceptance.[1][2]
Frequently asked questions
What size photo do I need for an Italian ID card?
The CIE photo must be 35 mm wide and at least 45 mm high. The face must occupy 70% to 80% of the photo height, and the eyes must be 23–31 mm above the bottom edge.[1]
Can I upload a digital photo for an Italian CIE?
Yes. If you book through Agenda CIE, you can upload the photo instead of bringing a print. The file must be JPG, at least 400 dpi, and no larger than 500 KB.[1][2]
Can I wear glasses in my CIE photo?
Tinted lenses are not allowed. Lenses must be transparent, and your eyes must be clearly visible.[1]
What background should I use?
Use a uniform background; the Ministry prefers light blue, beige, light brown, light gray, or white. The background must be evenly lit, without shadows.[1]
How recent must the photo be?
It must have been taken no more than six months before you apply.[1]