Portuguese national ID card photo (35×45 mm)

Understanding the Official Size and Rules

For an ordinary in-person Cartão de Cidadão application, IRN captures the facial image at the counter. The official page does not give dimensions for a photo you supply^[1].

The official name of the document is the Cartão de Cidadão, issued in Portugal by the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN)^[1]. When you apply in person, staff members take your photo directly at the counter^[1].

The authority does not publish one official size for a photo you supply. Studios use 35 by 45 millimeters, or 1.38 by 1.77 inches, as the size most often requested for identification photos.

In-Person Capture by the Authority

For ordinary in-person applications, IRN captures the facial image at the counter^[1]. The page does not publish a background, glasses, or headwear specification for that image. You can use the tool above to crop a picture for personal use.

For an ordinary in-person application, IRN takes your photo at the counter, so you do not need to bring a printed photo^[1].

If you want a photo for personal use, you can use our cropping tool to make it 35 by 45 millimeters.

Rules for Infants and Young Children

For a child up to one year old applying online for the first time, the applicant uploads a colour JPEG portrait with a neutral light background^[1]. The infant may lie on a white or light blanket and may have closed eyes. No support or person holding the infant may appear, and accessories are not allowed^[1].

Taking a Practice Photo at Home

For a practice photo, face a window for even light and ask someone to hold the camera at eye level. These are general suggestions, not official photo rules.

If you want to practice taking a portrait at home for your own use, stand about one meter away from a plain wall. Good lighting helps make the picture clear without harsh shadows on your face.

Ask a helper to hold the camera or phone at your eye level rather than tilting it up or down. Keep your shoulders square to the lens and look straight ahead with a relaxed expression.

Printing and Preparing Your Sheet

If you need a print for another purpose, you can use the tool above to place a cropped image on a 4 by 6 inch sheet. The official page does not specify a photo size for a print you supply.

When you print your practice photos at home or at a local print shop, check that the printer scaling is set to 100 percent. Do not use scale-to-fit options because they alter the correct dimensions.

After printing, use a sharp pair of scissors or a paper cutter to trim the edges neatly along the crop lines.

Common Reasons for Refusal

The official page does not list photo rejection reasons. For practice photos, use clear lighting and keep the background simple.

Since standard applications rely on the counter capture by IRN, rejection of self-supplied photos is mostly an issue only for specific online infant submissions^[1].

For these baby photos, do not include a person holding the infant, support, or accessories^[1].