France passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA) for the France passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the France passport photo?
A French passport photo is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), with the face 32 to 36 mm tall from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull, hair excluded. The background must be plain and light, such as light blue or light grey; white is banned. The photo must be under 6 months old, bare-headed, with a neutral expression and closed mouth, and it must be taken by a professional photographer or an approved photo booth. You hand in one print.
French passports are biometric documents issued under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior, with France Titres (the Agence nationale des titres sécurisés, ANTS) running the application system. In France you apply in person at a mairie (town hall) that has a passport registration station. It does not have to be the mairie where you live, and many accept applications only by appointment. You may prepare an online pre-application first, which gives you a number and QR code to bring. Abroad, you apply in person at a French embassy or consulate. Your fingerprints are taken at the counter, which is why you must attend.
The photo is a paper print that you supply, and only one is needed. It must be made by a professional photographer or in a photo booth that uses a system approved by the Ministry of the Interior; France Titres publishes a map of approved photographers and booths. The digital e-photo code used for driving licences is not part of the passport process: in September 2026 France Titres said that extending it to passport and identity card applications was still under study. The technical norm is set by the Interior Ministry decree of 5 February 2009, which follows the ISO/IEC 19794-5 standard, and the Ministry's leaflet illustrates each rule with accepted and refused examples.
France passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload: hand in one paper print; e-photo for passports was still under study in September 2026 |
| Head height | 32 to 36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull, hair excluded |
| Background | Plain and light-coloured, for example light blue or light grey; white is not allowed |
| Colour | Colour strongly recommended |
| Photo age | Under 6 months old, and still a likeness when you apply and when you collect the passport |
| Print quality | Sharp, with no creases or marks; neither over- nor underexposed; no shadow on the face or background |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
The photo must be taken by an authorised professional or in a booth using a system approved by the Ministry of the Interior. (translated from French)
Key requirements
- Approved photographer or booth only
The Interior Ministry requires the picture to be taken by a professional photographer or in a booth using a system it has approved. In a June 2025 answer to Parliament, the Ministry traced this to article 104 of the amending finance law of 30 December 2008, and warned that a booth's "compliant" label does not guarantee acceptance: the prefecture centres that issue passports make the final check and refuse photos that fail the norm.
- Face 32 to 36 mm
On the 35 x 45 mm print, measure from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull, ignoring the hair: the result must fall between 32 and 36 mm. The Ministry leaflet shows a face cropped too tightly and a head too small in the frame as two of its refused examples.
- Light blue or light grey, never white
France is stricter than many countries about the backdrop. It must be plain and light-coloured, with light blue and light grey given as examples, and white is expressly forbidden. A garden or any scenery behind the head is also refused.
- Bare head, straight pose
No hat, scarf or headband. Face the lens with your head straight, look into the camera, keep a neutral expression with the mouth closed, and keep both eyes fully open and visible. Hair must not cover the face, a fringe is tolerated only if it leaves the eyes clear, and the ears must be visible.
- Even light and true exposure
The print must be sharp and correctly contrasted, neither overexposed nor underexposed, with no shadow cast on the face or behind it. Colour is strongly recommended rather than compulsory. Red eyes caused by a flash and a gaze turned away from the lens appear among the refused examples.
- A recent likeness
The photo must be under six months old and must still resemble you on the day you lodge the application and on the day you collect the passport. France Titres warns that reusing the picture from an older official document can get the application rejected.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Have the photo taken by an approved photographer or in an approved booth.
- Choose a light blue or light grey backdrop.
- Check that the face measures 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown.
- Bring the print to your mairie or consulate appointment.
- Keep both ears and both eyes uncovered.
- Photograph a baby alone, facing the camera with the head straight.
Don't
- Do not use a white background.
- Do not wear a hat, scarf or headband.
- Do not smile or open your mouth.
- Do not reuse a photo from an older passport or identity card.
- Do not wear tinted lenses or thick frames.
- Do not assume the consulate will take the picture for you.
Sample photos
How a France passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
You are not required to wear glasses in a French passport photo, and removing them avoids most problems. If you keep them on, thick frames are forbidden, the frame must not hide the eyes, the lenses must be neither tinted nor coloured, and there must be no reflection on them. The Ministry leaflet refuses a pair of darkened lenses and a flash glare across clear lenses, and accepts thin frames with the eyes plainly visible.
Headwear and religious dress
The head must be bare. The decree of 5 February 2009 forbids head coverings, and the government's service-public guidance gives hats, scarves and headbands as examples. The Ministry leaflet refuses both a headscarf and a close-fitting cap. France Titres states that being bare-headed is compulsory under the ISO standard and the passport decree, and the passport rules publish no exception for religious or medical coverings.
Earrings and piercings may stay as long as the features of the face remain clearly visible.
Babies and children
A French child can hold a passport at any age, even as a baby, and the photo must meet the same norm as an adult's. The child and a parent or guardian go to the counter together. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting, and a minor's passport is valid for 5 years instead of 10. From age 13 the child may sign the passport if the legal representative agrees.
The Ministry leaflet uses a baby to show two common faults: a second person visible beside the child, and an adult's hand holding the head. Only the accepted version, with the baby alone and looking at the lens, would pass.
Printed and digital photos
For the passport you hand over a paper print, not a file. The image must come from a professional photographer or an approved booth system, so a picture taken at home does not meet the rule even when its size and background are correct. A booth or studio usually supplies a sheet of identical prints; one of them is enough.
Capture at the counter is the exception. The passport decree lets embassies and consular posts record the applicant's face image digitally, and in French Guiana, Mayotte, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna the photo can be taken when the application is lodged if no professional photographer is available. Communes in Tahiti stopped taking photos on 1 January 2019, and in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion and mainland France you must bring the photo yourself.
Where to submit the photo
In mainland France, book an appointment at any mairie with a registration station; France Titres has a search tool for free slots. You may complete the online pre-application beforehand. Bring the photo, the documents service-public lists for your situation and your old passport if you have one. Your fingerprints are recorded at the appointment.
Abroad, apply in person at the French embassy or consulate that covers your area, usually by appointment. Do not expect a photo service there: the consulate in Tel Aviv, for example, states that photos are not taken on its premises, and that without a compliant photo the application cannot be lodged and a new appointment must be booked.
How to get your France passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the France passport: 35 × 45 mm print, plain and light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: approved photographer or booth only; face 32 to 36 mm; light blue or light grey, never white; bare head, straight pose.
- Prepare a print or digital file. For the passport you hand over a paper print, not a file. The image must come from a professional photographer or an approved booth system, so a picture taken at home does not meet the rule even when its size and background are correct.
- Submit the photo with your application. In mainland France, book an appointment at any mairie with a registration station; France Titres has a search tool for free slots. You may complete the online pre-application beforehand.
France passport photo FAQ
It is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high (1.38 x 1.77 in). The face, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull without the hair, must be 32 to 36 mm tall. These figures come from the Interior Ministry decree of 5 February 2009, which reflects the ISO/IEC 19794-5 standard.
No. The photo must be taken by a professional photographer or in a photo booth that uses a system approved by the Ministry of the Interior. France Titres publishes a map of approved photographers and booths. A consular reply to a passport applicant in New York in December 2024 made the same point for applications abroad.
No. White is expressly forbidden. Use a plain, light-coloured background such as light blue or light grey, evenly lit, with no shadow behind your head and no scenery.
Not as a general rule. The e-photo code is used for driving licence applications. In September 2026 France Titres said that extending it to passport and identity card applications was under study, so bring a printed photo to the appointment.
Not in mainland France: you must supply the photo when you lodge the application. Counter photos are possible only in French Guiana, Mayotte, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna, and only where no professional photographer can do it. Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion also require you to bring one.
No. The norm asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes open and fixed on the lens, and the head straight. The Ministry leaflet refuses a photo where the gaze is turned aside and one with red eyes from the flash.
No. The Ministry of the Interior has said that neither a "compliant" label on a booth or print nor the use of a professional guarantees acceptance. The prefecture centre that processes the application checks the photo against the norm and can refuse it; you can then go back to the photographer.
Less than six months old, and it must still look like you on the day you apply and on the day you collect the passport. Do not reuse the picture from an expired passport or identity card that is older than six months.
Related photo specifications
Other France documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Austria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Belgium passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Germany passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Luxembourg passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Monaco passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Netherlands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Switzerland passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All France photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in 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 2 November 2026.
- Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). La photo peut-elle être prise au guichet ? service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Passeport d'un majeur : première demande service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Passeport d'un mineur : première demande service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- France Titres (ANTS). La photographie d'identité passeport.ants.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Légifrance. Arrêté du 5 février 2009 relatif à la production de photographies d'identité dans le cadre de la délivrance du passeport legifrance.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Légifrance. Décret n° 2005-1726 du 30 décembre 2005 relatif aux passeports (article 6-1) legifrance.gouv.fr. Checked 2 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 2 November 2026.
- Assemblée nationale (answer by the Ministry of the Interior). Question écrite n° 3334 : conformité des photographies d'identité (answer of 10 June 2025) questions.assemblee-nationale.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Services Publics+ (reply from France Titres - ANTS). Coût financier injustifié et gaspillage imposé pour les photos de passeport (reply of 23 September 2026) plus.transformation.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Services Publics+ (reply from France consulaire). Photo pour renouvellement de passeport consulat New York (reply of 20 December 2024) plus.transformation.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of France in Tel Aviv. Passeport il.diplomatie.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Find authorised photographers and approved booths service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Adult ID card, first application service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Légifrance. Passport decree no. 2005-1726, article 6-1 legifrance.gouv.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"France passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/france/passport-photo