Portugal Passport Photo

Portugal passport photo requirements

Portugal uses the EU-standard 35×45 mm size for passport photos.

What's different about a Portugal photo

Portugal issues both the Cartão de Cidadão and the Passaporte Eletrónico Português (PEP) through the IRN, and for both of them the photograph is normally captured at the counter when you attend your appointment at a Loja do Cidadão or Conservatória. As in India, the standard route does not ask you to bring prints.

Supplied photos still matter for everything around those documents: Schengen and third-country visa applications, residence paperwork, driving-licence and IMT forms, university enrolment, and renewals handled through a consulate abroad. All of them use the same EU-standard 35 × 45 mm format, which is why preparing one good photo covers most of what you will be asked for.

Portugal photo rules in detail

At the counter

For the Cartão de Cidadão and the passport, the photo and fingerprints are taken on site by the IRN operator. What you wear and how your hair sits still matters — you just do not supply the file.

Consular renewals

Portuguese citizens renewing abroad through a consulate are often asked for supplied photos, and those must meet the 35 × 45 mm ICAO specification.

Glasses

Permitted if the eyes are clearly visible without glare or tint. Removing them is the safer option, particularly under the strong counter lighting used at a Loja do Cidadão.

Expression

Neutral, mouth closed, facing the camera. The image feeds a biometric chip, so expression and head angle are checked automatically.

Head size

32–36 mm from chin to crown, filling roughly 70–80% of the frame — the same ICAO framing used across the Schengen area.

Photos must have been taken within the last 6 months. The authority for these rules is the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN) — check there before you apply, since requirements do change.

Babies and children

Children need their own Cartão de Cidadão and their own passport, and must attend the appointment in person with a parent or legal guardian, who signs the application. The photo is captured at the counter for them too. Where a consulate asks for supplied prints for a minor, infants may have their eyes closed and can be photographed against a plain light background with nobody else in frame.

How the Portugal application works

Appointments are booked through the IRN or the Loja do Cidadão network, and the whole capture — photo, fingerprints, signature — happens in a few minutes at the desk. The document is then posted to you or collected.

For everything that does need supplied prints, a 35 × 45 mm export at 300 DPI (413 × 531 pixels) is the right file. The 6×4 inch sheet option tiles several copies onto one standard print, which any Portuguese pharmacy or photo counter can produce cheaply.

Why Portugal photos get rejected

• Bringing prints to a Cartão de Cidadão appointment, where they are not used.
• For consular applications, photos that have drifted past six months old.
• Backgrounds with visible texture — a painted wall with a rough finish is a common culprit.
• Glare on glasses under the counter's own lighting.
• Hair covering the eyebrows or the outline of the face.

How to make your Portugal photo

1. 1. Upload a portrait

   A clear, front-facing photo with even lighting. The background is removed automatically.

2. 2. Fit the guides

   The 35×45 mm frame is pre-selected — line your head up with the crown and chin guides.

3. 3. Download or print

   Export the exact size at 300 DPI, or a 6×4 inch sheet of copies for any photo kiosk.

Preguntas frecuentes

Passport photo sizes for other countries