Driving licence photo: format and requirements

A recent passport-style photo is needed for an initial licence application. With the digital medical certificate, the doctor sends it to the Ministry; you do not attach printed photos to the application.

Use a recent photo that meets the requirements

For your first driving licence, take a recent passport-style photo to your medical examination. The doctor sends the digital medical certificate to the Ministry together with your photo and signature; you submit the receipt to the Civil Motorisation Office. If the doctor uses this procedure, you do not need to attach additional printed photos to the application. The image must be clear and recent, with your face visible.

Do not prepare a photo by cropping a digital image at home without asking the doctor: it must be captured and sent in the format required by the system. Before your appointment, ask whether to bring a printed passport-style photo or a digital file. MIT requires a recent passport-style photo, but the way it is captured can depend on the clinic. For a renewal, the doctor sends it through the same digital process.

Where and when to provide it

Give the photo to the doctor at your examination; for a standard application, you do not upload it yourself to the Motorist Portal. The doctor sends the image and certificate to the Ministry’s archive. Older instructions asking for two printed photos refer to previous procedures or different cases: follow the digital-certificate process.

Provide the photo as instructed and check that it is not folded, cropped or uploaded in a different format. If the office rejects it, ask which requirement is missing and whether you need another appointment. Keep the original high-quality file if the channel is digital, but do not send it to unofficial addresses or unauthorised people. A photograph is personal data: share it only with the authority, photographer or driving school involved, using a trusted channel.

Before taking the photo

• Ask what format, number of copies and delivery method your application requires.
• Tell the photographer it is for a driving licence, not just a generic identity document.
• Ask the UMC about exceptions or digital capture requirements.

Do you need a driving licence? Study and practise with Quiz Patente Ufficiale: exam-style quizzes, topic explanations and a review of your mistakes.