Argentina Passport Photo Requirements
Argentina's passport photo is a 4 × 4 cm square — not the 35 × 45 mm most of Europe uses — on a plain white background, taken face-on and half-bust with the head uncovered. The requirement is set in the passport regulation itself, so the wording below is taken straight from it. Verified against the official RENAPER / argentina.gob.ar regulation, October 2026.
The requirements at a glance
| Size | 4 × 4 cm (40 × 40 mm) — a square |
| Background | Uniform, white and smooth — no pattern, no shadow |
| Pose | Front-facing, half-bust (head and top of shoulders), head fully uncovered |
| Colour | Colour (not black and white) |
| Recency | Current — the photo must show you as you are now |
| Eyes & hands | Eyes open; no third party's hands visible holding you up |
| Editing | No alterations or distortion of facial features |
What the regulation says, in its own words
Argentina's passport regulation (Decreto 261/2011, the Reglamento para la Emisión de Pasaportes) states that the photograph placed in the passport “deberá ser actual, tomada de frente, medio busto, con la cabeza totalmente descubierta, en color, con fondo uniforme blanco y liso, tamaño de CUATRO CENTÍMETROS (4 cm) por CUATRO CENTÍMETROS (4 cm)” — that is, current, taken front-on, half-bust, with the head fully uncovered, in colour, on a uniform white and smooth background, 4 cm by 4 cm. It adds that the image must be free of alterations or distortions of facial features, and that in all cases the eyes must be open and no third party's hands may be visible holding the person.
The same wording applies to the ordinary passport for Argentine citizens, the travel document for stateless people or refugees, and the exceptional passport for foreigners — one photo standard covers all three.
The exceptions in the regulation
- Covering the hair — for religious reasons or medical treatment, the photo may be taken with the hair covered, provided the main features of the face remain visible.
- Covering the face — where religious reasons cover the face partly or fully, the applicant may ask for the procedure and the photo (meeting the same 4 × 4 cm rules) to be handled in a private room and by staff of the same sex.
What the official text does not publish
The regulation sets the print size in centimetres and describes the framing qualitatively (“half-bust”). It does not publish a DPI figure, a pixel size or a head-height percentage, so none is invented here. If you are preparing a digital copy, keep the square proportion and the white background and check the current requirement with RENAPER when you lodge the application. The print size chart lists the country preset.
Getting a compliant shot
- Shoot against a plain white wall with even, shadow-free light — see the home photo guide.
- Crop to the 4 × 4 cm square with your head and the top of your shoulders in frame; the size chart has the preset.
- Print it and check it holds true size with the print calibration step and the print sheet.
- Keep it unedited — no filters, no reshaping — and renew it if your appearance has changed.
Everything runs locally in your browser — the photo never leaves your device. Related: all size chart · printing guide · rejection reasons · all guides.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an Argentine passport photo?
4 × 4 cm (40 × 40 mm) — a square. This is set in the passport regulation, not left to the photographer.
What colour must the background be?
A uniform, white and smooth background — no pattern and no shadow.
How should I pose?
Face-on, half-bust (head and top of shoulders), head fully uncovered, in colour, and current. Your eyes must be open and no one else's hands may be visible.
Can I wear a head covering?
Only under the regulation's exceptions: for religious reasons or medical treatment, provided the main facial features stay visible. Where religious reasons cover the face, the photo can be taken in a private room by staff of the same sex.
Does Argentina publish a DPI or pixel size?
No. The regulation gives the size as 4 × 4 cm and does not publish a DPI or pixel figure, so none is stated here.
Can I retouch the photo?
No. The regulation requires the image to be free of alterations or distortions of your facial features.
Related: the home setup in the at-home photo guide, the full check in the passport photo checker, the country size chart, and everything else in all guides.
Source: Decreto 261/2011, Reglamento para la Emisión de Pasaportes, artículo 30 (texto actualizado; artículo 40 in the original text) and artículo 31 — argentina.gob.ar/normativa/nacional/decreto-261-2011-179846 (and /actualizacion), retrieved 2026-10-06. Requirements can change, so confirm them on the official page before you apply.