San Marino Passport Photo: Exact 35x45 mm Standard Made Simple
Everything you need to know about the San Marino biometric passport photo standard — the exact 35x45 mm spec, why it is captured on-site, and how to prepare a perfectly compliant reference image.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, San Marino does not accept a self-prepared photo. By law it must be captured on site by an authorised service and submitted electronically, so we cannot produce a submittable file for it. The official specification is shown below so you know exactly what to expect at your appointment.
This photo is captured on site — but we can make your San Marino photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A San Marino Passport photo has strict requirements, and a mistake costs time and money. We’ll show you how to pass on the first try.
It gets rejected
Wrong size, background or cropping — and the system returns the application.
Expensive and slow
A trip to a photo studio means a queue, time and €7–12 for a reshoot.
Confusing requirements
Exact size, head height, light background, facial expression — easy to get wrong.
Redo it all over
Rejected — take another photo, pay and submit again. Round and round.
«Below are the exact requirements from the official source, so you arrive at your appointment prepared.»
Ordinary photo → ready for submission
We remove the background and clutter, set the framing and lighting — keeping your face without «beautifying».
Your face stays yours — we do not change features, only the background, lighting and framing.
Your Passport photo: what matters
The Republic of San Marino issues a biometric e-passport compliant with ICAO Doc 9303, carrying a contactless chip that stores your facial image. Because that image is read by automated border systems worldwide, the portrait must follow a strict technical standard administered by the Ufficio Passaporti under the official GOV.SM Carta dei Servizi. Getting the framing, background and proportions right is what makes a passport photo machine-readable and accepted.
The most important San Marino peculiarity: for adults, the photo is taken on-site at the Ufficio Passaporti at the moment of application ("La fotografia viene fatta in Ufficio"). The office performs the live digital capture itself, so a self-supplied fototessera is only accepted for children aged 0–5. This is unusual — most countries let any applicant bring their own print — and it is the single most common source of confusion for San Marino applicants.
- Size: 35x45 mm (413x531 px), portrait orientation
- Background: plain white or off-white (#FFFFFF), evenly lit, no shadows
- Face height: the head measures roughly 31–36 mm, filling about 69–80% of the frame
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera
- Glasses: allowed only if the eyes are fully visible with no glare or tint
- Headwear: not permitted, except for genuine religious reasons with the full face visible
- Recency: must reflect your current appearance (taken within the last 6 months)
- Common reasons photos are rejected in San Marino:
- Bringing a self-made print for an adult application — only the on-site office capture (or supervised capture for ages 0–5) is valid
- A grey, cream or textured backdrop instead of a clean white/off-white field
- Head too small or too large — the face falls outside the 31–36 mm range
- Reflections on glasses, a slight smile, or hair crossing the eyes
To prepare, you can upload your own picture and have it automatically cropped to the exact San Marino standard — correct 35x45 mm dimensions, white background and proper face proportions. Be aware, in full transparency: for adult passports the authority requires the photo to be captured digitally on-site, so a downloaded or self-made image is generally not accepted for submission. Use the result as a precise reference to see exactly how a compliant photo must look, to prepare for your Ufficio Passaporti appointment, for a child's 0–5 fototessera, or for other documents — an honest, ready-to-use compliant image, with no false promises.
What an accepted Passport photo looks like
San Marino · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 35 × 45 mm · 413 × 531 px
- Background
- White plain
- Head in frame
- 69–80%
- Glasses
- Allowed
- Facial expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Headwear
- Only for religious reasons
- File
- JPG · ≤ 2 MB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 413 × 531 px.
Official requirements source: gov.sm, sanmarinosite.com
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a San Marino Passport photo gets rejected — and how to avoid them. Compare good and bad shots.
1Format and freshness
A color photo taken no more than 6 months ago.
2Lighting and background
Even light with no shadows on the face; a plain light background, without glare.
3Head position
Face head-on, head centered, no tilt or turn.
4Facial expression
Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.
5Glasses and accessories
No glasses (especially sunglasses); eyes fully visible, without glare.
6Headwear
Only for religious reasons and not covering the face — the face fully visible.
7Clothing
Ordinary everyday clothes; no uniforms or face-covering clothing.
Common questions about San Marino Passport photos
Can I submit a self-made photo for a San Marino adult passport?
When is a self-supplied photo allowed?
What is the exact size of a San Marino passport photo?
What background colour is required?
Can I wear glasses or a head covering?
Does the passport have a chip?
Your photo is protected
A photo is personal data, so we handle it carefully and in line with GDPR. We process it only to prepare the document and delete it within clear deadlines.
- Only with consentWe process the photo only after your explicit consent before upload.
- Auto-deletionWe delete the source photo within a day, the ready file after 7 days.
- No sharing with third partiesYour photos are not sold or used to train any third-party systems.
- Deletion on requestYou can ask to delete your data at any time — with a single request.