Portuguese Citizen Card Photo (Cartão de Cidadão, taken at the counter): size and requirements
The Portuguese Citizen Card Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches). Not stated by IRN or gov.pt; the counter camera uses its own backdrop. Light grey is our rendering choice; neither the authority nor the saved ICAO excerpt states a colour; head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN) via gov.pt, with ICAO Doc 9303.
For the Cartão de Cidadão requested or renewed at an IRN desk, Loja de Cidadão or Portuguese consulate, where the photo is captured live as biometric data. Not for a Portuguese visa, which takes printed passport-type photos, and not for the passport, which is also photographed at the counter.
The IRN captures your photo for the Cartão de Cidadão at the counter as biometric data. See the Portugal documents we can prepare.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches)
- Head height
- Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (No Portuguese photo geometry is published (the photo is captured at the counter); ICAO Doc 9303: crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent of the image height)
- Background
- not stated by IRN or gov.pt; the counter camera uses its own backdrop. Light grey is our rendering choice; neither the authority nor the saved ICAO excerpt states a colour
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Allowed without glare or tint
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 827 x 1063 px (600 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckYou do not bring a photo: the Cartão de Cidadão photo is one of the 'dados biométricos (impressões digitais e fotografia) registados no sistema do IRN' and is taken at the desk together with fingerprints and signature.
- CheckOnline or automatic renewal reuses the photo already in the IRN system and is only possible once in a row; the next renewal must be in person precisely 'para atualizar os seus dados biométricos, como a fotografia'.
- CheckBabies: the first Cartão de Cidadão for a child under one can be requested online right after the birth is registered; from the first birthday the first request is in person only.
- CheckNo gov.pt or IRN page lists a photo among the documents to bring. Our advice, not an IRN rule: if a third-party site tells you to bring 35 x 45 mm prints for a Cartão de Cidadão, check it against the gov.pt document list first.
Source and verification
No national rule published; ICAO 9303 standard applies. Last checked 2026-10-07 (archived copy dated 2024-09-12) at Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN) via gov.pt, with ICAO Doc 9303.
Ter os dados biométricos (impressões digitais e fotografia) registados no sistema do IRN
Não pode renovar o Cartão de Cidadão duas vezes seguidas online. Nesse caso, tem de se dirigir a um balcão e renovar presencialmente, para atualizar os seus dados biométricos, como a fotografia.
Não precise de alterar dados impressos no cartão (nome, assinatura, fotografia, morada)
Para pessoas de cidadania portuguesa que já completaram o primeiro aniversário ou para pessoas com o Cartão de Cidadão ao abrigo do Tratado de Porto Seguro, o primeiro pedido só pode ser feito presencialmente.
Submitted portraits should be 45.0 mm x 35.0 mm (1.77 in x 1.38 in) in dimension.
The crown-to-chin portion of the facial image shall be 70 to 80 per cent of the longest dimension defined for Zone V, maintaining the aspect ratio between the crown-to-chin and ear-to-ear details of the face of the holder.
A submitted portrait shall have been captured within the last six months before application, as outlined in [ISO/IEC 39794-5].
Quotes 1-3 are in Portuguese from the gov.pt service page 'Renovar o Cartão de Cidadão' (Atualizado 2026) at source.url and quote 4 from 'Pedir o primeiro Cartão de Cidadão' https://www.gov.pt/servicos/pedir-o-cartao-de-cidadao (both read via the r.jina.ai text proxy; sources/pt/govpt-renovar-o-cartao-de-cidadao.txt and sources/pt/govpt-pedir-o-cartao-de-cidadao.txt). Neither page, nor the consular page https://portaldascomunidades.mne.gov.pt/pt/atendimento/no-estrangeiro/servicos-consulares/cartao-de-cidadao (sources/pt/mne-comunidades-cartao-de-cidadao.txt), lists a photograph among the documents to bring; the 'no' verdict rests on the photo being described as biometric data captured and updated at the counter. Quotes 5-7 are ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/icao-9303-part3-portrait-excerpt.txt, Wayback 2024-09-12) and supply the physical size, head fraction and the six-month maxPhotoAgeMonths only; neither gov.pt nor the IRN states a photo age. background 'light-grey' is our rendering choice (neither the authority nor the ICAO excerpt names a colour); glasses and head-covering values are ICAO-style defaults, not Portuguese rules. justica.gov.pt service pages return only a JavaScript shell to curl and the text proxy and are not quoted.
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.
Frequently asked questions
