PHOTO GUIDE

Italy Schengen Visa Photo Requirements (Type C)

Photo requirements for an Italy short-stay Schengen visa (Type C): the photo size, background, and face-position conditions to meet for the application. Most Italian missions confirm 35×45 mm, but the size can vary by application location.

Checked: 2026-07-13

Key photo requirements

Print size: 35 mm wide × 45 mm high is the format confirmed by most Italian missions. However, some application locations differ — for example, US Detroit requires 2×2 inch (51×51 mm), some Canadian consulates (Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver) use 35×40 mm, and the London consulate does not publish exact dimensions. Confirm the size for your specific application location.
Face and pose: the face must cover 70–80% of the photo, measured from the base of the chin to the forehead. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible.
Age of photo: no more than 6 months. Use a recent photo that looks like you today.
Background: white with uniform light; a light grey that some other Schengen states allow is not acceptable for Italy. Even lighting, no shadows.
Glasses and head covering: eyes fully visible with no tinted or reflective lenses and no flash reflections; head covering allowed only for religious reasons with the full face from chin to forehead still clear.
Copies and submission: the number of prints and the submission route depend on the office that accepts your application. Confirm the count and steps on the official checklist of the Italian mission responsible for your place of residence.

Photo size and shooting rules

These are the photo rules for an Italy short-stay Schengen visa (Type C), the visa for short stays. National visas (Type D) follow a different document list.

Most Italian missions specify the format at 35×45 mm on a white background, full face and front view, in colour, following the ICAO standard. The face must fill the required share of the photo, measured from the base of the chin to the forehead. The background must be plain white and evenly lit. Scanned or photocopied photos are not accepted.

The number of prints and the exact submission steps are set by the office that accepts applications where you live. One consulate checklist, for example, asks for a single 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 white, evenly lit. Avoid busy backgrounds 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). Italy does not set a separate face-ratio range for children; it follows the general ICAO/Schengen standard, so apply the same face-ratio rule and the same ICAO framing as for adults.

Children must also attend in person; the office takes a face photo at the appointment (children under 12 are exempt from fingerprints). The photo you bring follows the same quality rules as for adults.

Illustration of preparing a child visa photo

Common mistakes and how to fix them

These are the mistakes to avoid with an Italy visa photo, and how to fix them.

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 the size confirmed by most Italian missions. 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.

Illustration of common visa photo mistakes

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Check before you apply

Photo requirements can change. Before you submit, re-check the Italian mission checklist that will accept your application, the Italian missions ICAO photograph guidelines, and the European Commission ICAO photograph guidelines PDF. The official Italian sources do not state a face-height value in millimetres or a fixed print count; the face sizing follows the common ratio and the print count follows the office-specific checklist.

shoumei.org helps users prepare photo files based on publicly available requirements. It does not submit visa applications, and it is not an official government service, Schengen authority, embassy, consulate, VFS Global, TLScontact, or BLS International service. Please verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or visa application center before submitting.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What size is an Italy Schengen visa photo?

Most Italian missions confirm 35×45 mm on a white background, full face, front view, in colour, ICAO standard, with the face at 70–80% (base of chin to forehead). However, some application locations differ — for example US Detroit (2×2 inch / 51×51 mm), some Canadian consulates (35×40 mm), and the London consulate (exact size not published). This service prepares a 35×45 mm print; confirm the size on the live checklist of the office that accepts your application before you submit.

Can I reuse a photo from another application?

Only if it already meets every rule: 35×45 mm, white background, the required face proportion, taken within 6 months, matching your current appearance, and with no tinted or reflective glasses. The photo must also be an original print, not a scan or photocopy. Matching the outer size alone is not enough, and the photo must still look like you today.

What background colour is required?

White. Italian missions require a white background with uniform light. A light grey that is acceptable for some other Schengen states is not acceptable for Italy; use white with even lighting and no shadows.

May I wear glasses?

Only if the eyes are fully visible with no tinted lenses, no flash reflection on the lenses, and no frames covering the eyes. Otherwise remove the glasses for the photo.

Can I take the photo with a smartphone?

The official Italian sources do not name a required camera. If you use a smartphone, the final print must still meet every rule: 35×45 mm, white background, the required face proportion, sharp focus, even lighting, and high-resolution colour printing on photo-quality paper. Do not submit a scan or photocopy of the print.

How many photos do I need?

The number of prints depends on the office that accepts your application. The San Francisco checklist asks for one ICAO-standard photograph glued to the Schengen visa application form in the top right; other offices may differ. Confirm the required count on the official checklist of the Italian mission responsible for your place of residence.

Do the same rules apply to children?

Yes. Italy does not set a separate child face-ratio range; children follow the same ICAO standard as adults (white background, the common face ratio, full face, alone in the frame). Under 12, fingerprints are not taken, but the child must attend in person and a compliant photo is part of the file.