Italian passport photo size

The guidelines say the face must cover 70 to 80 percent of the photo, measured from the base of the chin to the forehead. That is a large face. On the 531 pixel tall file it means about 372 to 425 pixels between chin and forehead, with only a narrow strip above.

Make the frame tight around the head when you place it. If the result shows lots of shoulder and wall, the face is too small.

Unlike France or Austria, which ask for a light background that is not white, the Italian guidance asks for white. It adds uniform light, which means no shadow behind the head and no darker corner. Light the wall as well as your face, or stand far enough from it that your shadow falls on the floor.

"Replace the background" fills with pure white for this preset if your wall is not suitable. Look at the edges of the hair afterwards, and if they look cut out, retake the picture against a real white surface instead.

Glasses are allowed if the eyes are clearly visible and the lenses do not reflect the flash; tilting the head slightly helps. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not accepted, nor are heavy frames that cover part of the eyes. The guidance also rules out flash reflections on the face and red eyes, so turn the flash off when there is enough daylight.

The photo must show you alone, with no objects or other people behind you, be in sharp focus and be no more than six months old. It must be printed on high quality, high definition paper. A head covering is accepted only for religious reasons, and the contours of the face from chin to forehead and both sides must remain visible.

Copy the file to a memory stick or your phone and print it at a photo kiosk as a 4 by 6 inch print, with any automatic resizing turned off. With the printable sheet switched on you get eight photos at once, separated by thin white margins. Before cutting, check one of them with a ruler: it should measure 35 by 45 millimetres.