Uruguay National ID Card Photo — Meet the DNIC Biometric Standard
Everything you need to know about the DNIC's 35×45 mm ICAO biometric requirements for Uruguay's Cédula de Identidad, so you arrive at your appointment fully prepared.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Uruguay 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 Uruguay photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Uruguay National ID card 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 National ID card photo: what matters
Uruguay's national identity document — the Cédula de Identidad (DNI) — is issued by the Dirección Nacional de Identificación Civil (DNIC), the government body responsible for civil identification in Uruguay. The DNIC follows the ICAO 9303 international biometric standard, which requires a 35×45 mm photograph on a plain white background with a neutral frontal expression. Understanding these requirements precisely ensures your appointment runs smoothly and your card is issued without unnecessary delays.
One important aspect of Uruguay's process sets it apart from most countries: the DNIC captures all biometric data — your photograph, signature, and fingerprints — digitally on-site during a scheduled appointment at their offices. You do not bring or submit a printed photograph; a DNIC technician photographs you there using calibrated biometric equipment. What this means in practice is that preparation is everything — arriving without glasses, with the correct expression, and in suitable clothing means no retakes and no delays in processing. A compliant reference image gives you a clear, concrete picture of exactly what the standard requires before you walk through the door, so there are no surprises at the desk.
- Size: 35×45 mm (827×1063 pixels) — ICAO 9303 biometric format
- Background: plain white (#FFFFFF), entirely free of shadows, gradients or patterns
- Face coverage: 70–80% of the frame height from chin to crown
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes fully open, direct gaze at the camera
- Glasses: not permitted under any circumstances, including prescription lenses
- Headwear: allowed only for documented religious observance; the full face from forehead to chin must remain clearly visible
- Head position: perfectly frontal — no tilting or turning of the head
- Recency: the image must reflect your current appearance, taken within the last 6 months
Common reasons for retakes at DNIC offices in Uruguay:
- Glasses present — even lightweight prescription frames are rejected under the DNIC biometric standard without exception
- Head not fully frontal — a slight tilt or rotation to one side causes an immediate retake at the appointment desk
- Shadows on the face or background caused by improper positioning under the office lighting rig
- Expression not fully neutral — a faint smile or a slightly open mouth does not satisfy the ICAO requirement
Our tool automatically sizes and crops your photo to the precise 35×45 mm ICAO dimensions used by the DNIC, producing a ready reference image that shows exactly how a compliant photo must look. You walk into your appointment fully confident about your appearance and knowing what to expect from the technician. The same standardised image is also ready to use for other documents and visa applications that require a photo submitted by the applicant. Start with a free watermarked preview — no payment required to check that your photo meets the standard.
What an accepted National ID card photo looks like
Uruguay · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
- Background
- White plain
- Head in frame
- 70–80%
- Glasses
- Not 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 827 × 1063 px.
Official requirements source: dnic.minterior.gub.uy, gub.uy
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Uruguay National ID card 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 Uruguay National ID card photos
Is the photo for the Uruguayan Cédula de Identidad taken at the DNIC office?
What is the required photo size for the Uruguay national ID card?
Can I wear glasses in my Uruguay Cédula de Identidad photo?
What background colour is required for the Uruguay ID card photo?
Can I wear a headscarf or religious head covering in the photo?
If the photo is taken at the DNIC office, how does a reference image help me?
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.