Photo requirements guide
Italy permesso di soggiorno photo requirements
A guide to the photo size and conditions you need for the application.
Checked: 2026-08-30
Photo requirements at a glance
- The official sources require 4 card-format photographs (foto tessera) for a permesso di soggiorno application, at 35 x 45 mm (width x height). The official page sets the height as a minimum (45 mm), so the tool output is fixed to the standard 45 mm that matches that floor (whether heights above 45 mm are accepted is not specified).
- A white background (fondo bianco) is required by both the central portal and the official information leaflet included in the postal application kit (Informativa Generale). The colour/monochrome question, face geometry, and recency are not stated in the official guidance.
- The photos are not part of the postal application envelope: you bring the printed photos in person to the Questura convocation (the postal submission checklist "I documenti da allegare" contains no photographs). One of the 4 photos is affixed to the permit card by the authority. No digital photo upload route exists in the current official flow, so printing the 4 photos and bringing them is done by the applicant yourself (this tool prepares the print photos only and does not submit them for you).
- The tool shows a generic 35×45 mm face guide as a reference; it is not an official composition rule (the authority publishes no face geometry).
Face photo requirements
A permesso di soggiorno is applied for by non-EU nationals who entered Italy on a visa, within 8 working days of arrival, at the Questura of the province of residence (Ministero dell'Interno). The application requires 4 card-format photographs with a white background: "4 fotografie formato tessera con fondo bianco" and "Altezza minima: 45 mm / Larghezza: 35 mm" are verbatim from the central Portale Immigrazione "La Procedura" page. The regulation (DPR 394/1999 art. 9) likewise requires a photo "in formato tessera, in quattro esemplari" (four copies: for the application form, for the permit, for the office records, and for the information system).
Regardless of the application channel (postal kit or direct Questura filing), the photos are brought to the Questura convocation (which includes fingerprinting). The postal document checklist contains no photographs. The regulation also allows the authority, at its discretion, to photograph the applicant with automated equipment instead of collecting printed copies. One of the 4 photos you bring is affixed to the permit card by the authority. The Italy visa (consular applications) is in the same size family but is a separate application route.
What to check before you submit
The phrase “passport-size” alone does not set a fixed value such as 35×45 mm. In the Tool, enter the dimensions shown by the current application guidance.
From creation to submission
- Keep the application guidance available and enter the output type and dimensions you have confirmed.
- No face guide is shown for values the official guidance does not specify.
- After editing and review, confirm the accepted format and conditions in the application portal before submitting.
Create your photo in the browser
Prepare the photo for Italy Permesso di Soggiorno Photo directly in your smartphone or computer browser. Creating and reviewing are free.
Open the web toolWhat this tool creates
- the required face photo (for printing)
Official information
The photo conditions on this page are based on the official guidance.
Check the latest official portal guidance before applying.
Frequently asked questions
Is the photo automatically converted to 35×45 mm?
No. The tool does not substitute 35×45 mm or any other value when the official requirement is unspecified.
What if the application portal shows updated conditions?
Check the current application screen or official guidance and enter those conditions in the Tool.
Official sources
- Portale Immigrazione - La Procedura (permesso di soggiorno) Checked: 2026-08-30
- Portale Immigrazione - Informativa Generale (kit A blocco 1) Checked: 2026-08-30
- DPR 31 agosto 1999, n. 394 - Regolamento di attuazione del testo unico dell'immigrazione (art. 9) Checked: 2026-08-30
- Ministero dell'Interno - Visto e permesso di soggiorno Checked: 2026-08-30