Italy Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo size and shooting rules

This page covers the photograph for an Italy short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) — the visa for short stays. National visas (Type D) for longer stays, residence, work, or study follow a different document list on the MAECI portal and are not covered here.

Most Italian consulate sources confirm the format at 35×45 mm on a white background, full face and front view, in colour, following the ICAO standard (Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles web page; Consulate General in San Francisco checklist PDF; Consulate General in Houston ICAO guidelines). The face must cover 70–80% of the photo, measured from the base of the chin to the forehead (Houston). The official Italian sources do not state a face-height value in millimetres; the 70–80% ratio is the primary sizing rule, so use the ratio rather than a derived millimetre figure. Scanned or photocopied photos are not accepted (Los Angeles). Prints should be in colour with natural skin tones on photo-quality paper. Note that some application locations use a different size (see below); the common shooting rules are drawn from the same sources and Schengen/ICAO guidance.

The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the office that accepts applications where you live. The San Francisco checklist asks for one ICAO-standard photograph glued to the Schengen visa application form in the top right; the required count can vary by office, so confirm the live checklist on the official Italian mission page for your country of residence before you book or print.

• Recency: no more than 6 months old; must look like you today.
• Quality: colour, sharp focus, high quality, no creases or ink marks. Digital captures printed on photo-quality paper at high resolution.
• Background: plain light-coloured (a plain light grey can work if even). Avoid busy scenes and strong shadows on the face or behind the head.
• Lighting: even light, natural skin tones, appropriate brightness and contrast; no flash reflection on skin, no red-eye.
• Pose and expression: look straight at the camera; face square-on, not tilted; eyes open and not covered by hair; neutral expression, mouth closed; alone in the frame.
• Glasses: eyes fully visible; no tinted lenses; no flash reflection on the lenses; frames must not cover the eyes. Remove glasses if those conditions are hard to meet.
• Head covering: only for religious reasons, and the full face from chin to forehead and both edges of the face must still be clear.
• Editing: keep brightness and crop adjustments that do not change how you look. Avoid contour reshaping, eye or nose changes, and heavy beauty filters. The photo must remain realistic with natural skin tones.

Photos for children

Children need a photograph that meets the same quality rules: recency, a white background, full face, and the child alone in the frame (no toys or other people). The Italian-specific sources do not set a separate face-ratio range for children; Italy follows the general ICAO/Schengen standard rather than a national ID-document photo standard with age bands. There is therefore no Italy-specific wider face range for children — apply the same 70–80% rule and the same ICAO framing as for adults.

Under 12, fingerprints are not taken, but the child must attend in person and a compliant photo is part of the file (MAECI Informazioni Utili: biometric data — ten fingerprints plus photo captured at application, stored in the Visa Information System (VIS) for 59 months; under-12 exempt from fingerprints). The biometric capture at the appointment is separate from the paper print you bring. Fingerprint and live-photo capture rules for children are part of the application process rather than the photo specification; the office that accepts your application can confirm the current biometric procedure for children.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These points combine the Italian consulate photo wording (Los Angeles web page, San Francisco checklist PDF, Houston ICAO guidelines) with general ICAO-style preparation checks.

Italy-specific risks: wrong print size (not 35×45 mm); non-white background (a light grey that works for some other Schengen states is not acceptable for Italy — use white); scanned or photocopied photo (not allowed); half-length or angled portrait; shadows or overexposure on the white background; tinted or reflective glasses; head covering other than religious; tilted head; photo older than 6 months; low-resolution print.

Italy's photo size depends on the application location. 35×45 mm is confirmed by most Italian missions (Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco). However, some application locations publish different sizes: the US Detroit consulate requires 2×2 inch (51×51 mm); some Canadian consulates (Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver) specify 35×40 mm; and the London (UK) consulate describes a passport-style white photo but does not publish exact millimetres. Use 35×45 mm only when it matches the checklist for your specific application location; otherwise follow that location's published size.

• Head cut off or tilted: retake with more distance, face square-on to the camera, both edges of the face visible.
• Uneven colour, shadows, or blow-out on the background: use a plain light background and even light so the face and the back of the head stay free of hard shadows.
• Glasses glare: remove glasses if practical, or use clear lenses and lighting that shows the pupils fully.
• Old photo: replace any portrait older than six months or that no longer matches your appearance.
• Heavy beauty filters: start again from a natural image; do not change face shape or skin texture.
• Pixelated print: export a high-resolution colour file and print on photo-quality paper.