France photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 4 documents issued in France, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
France uses one Interior Ministry norm for passports, identity cards (CNI), driving licences and residence permits: 35 x 45 mm, face 32 to 36 mm, plain light background with white forbidden, taken by an approved photographer or booth. Passports and identity cards take one paper print; licences take an e-photo code or a posted print. Visa applicants bring two ICAO prints, 35 to 40 mm wide, through France-Visas.
Overview
A French passport photo is one 35 x 45 mm paper print, with the face 32 to 36 mm from chin to top of the skull and a plain light background such as light blue or light grey, never white; passports take no uploaded file. Passports and identity cards are issued under the Ministry of the Interior, with France Titres (ANTS) running the system: you apply in person at an equipped mairie in France, or at an embassy or consulate abroad, and hand in one printed photo. The driving licence is applied for online on the France Titres site, so its photo travels as an e-photo code or as a print glued to a form and posted. Visas are handled by consulates and their visa centres through France-Visas, which asks for two ICAO prints and records a live or scanned photo with your fingerprints.
The biggest difference is who may take the picture. For the passport, the identity card and the licence, the photo must come from a professional photographer or a booth using a Ministry-approved system. France-Visas sets no such rule for visas, but once you live in France, residence permit applications on ANEF require an e-photo code from an approved provider.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain and light-coloured, for example light… |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain, light-coloured background |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 35 × 45 mm | — | Uniform light colour such as light blue or… |
Driving licences
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving licence | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain and light |
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Both follow the same Interior Ministry norm, and one photo is enough when you apply for the two documents at the same appointment. The print must be less than six months old and still look like you when you collect the documents.
The driving licence application on the France Titres site and residence permit applications on ANEF. Passports and identity cards still take a paper print; in September 2026 France Titres said extending the e-photo to them was under study.
Not for passports, identity cards, driving licences or residence permits: the Ministry norm forbids white and suggests light blue or light grey. For visas, France-Visas only asks for a plain, light-coloured background.
3.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm high. The face, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull without the hair, must be 3.2 to 3.6 cm, or 70 to 80% of the height. The photo must be less than six months old and look like you, with the head bare and the mouth closed.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Western Europe:
Official sources
- Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Quelle photo fournir pour un titre d'identité (passeport, carte d'identité...) ? service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Détérioration du permis de conduire service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
- France-Visas, official visa website of the French government. Questions fréquentes france-visas.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior (hosted by the French Embassy in Suriname). Nouvelle norme relative à l'apposition des photographies d'identité (leaflet) sr.diplomatie.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"France photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/france