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Mayotte passport photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA) for the Mayotte passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Mayotte passport photo?

People in Mayotte apply for the French passport, which takes a 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) photo with the face 32 to 36 mm tall. The backdrop must be plain and light, for example light blue or light grey, never white. You need a bare head, a neutral expression and a picture under 6 months old. Bring a print from a professional or approved booth; the town hall counter takes it only where no professional photographer can.

Mayotte residents hold the French passport and apply for it at one of the 17 town halls (mairies) of the department. The prefecture's passport page says the application file is collected and handed in there, and that you must appear in person both to file and to collect the passport. Service-public adds that you can use any town hall that has a registration station, whatever commune you live in, and that an online pre-application on the ANTS site is optional.

What sets Mayotte apart is how the photo is handled. Service-public lists Mayotte among the few territories where the counter may take the picture, but only when no professional photographer is able to do it, and the passport then costs extra. Otherwise the rule is the national one: a photo from an authorised professional or an approved booth, under six months old, on a plain light background with white forbidden. This page explains how to make that choice in practice.

Mayotte passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA):[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in)
Digital sizeNo digital file: hand over one printed photo, or have the counter take it where allowed
Head height32 to 36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull, hair excluded
BackgroundPlain, light colour (for example light blue or light grey); white is forbidden
ColourColour photo strongly recommended
Photo ageTaken less than 6 months ago and a true likeness
Print qualitySharp, no folds or marks; not over- or underexposed; no cast shadow on face or background
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm32–36 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 32–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain.

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)

Quelle photo fournir pour un titre d'identité (passeport, carte d'identité...) ?[1]

Key requirements

  • Counter photo only as a fallback

    Service-public says that in Mayotte the town hall may take the photo, but only if no professional photographer is able to do it. When the counter takes it, the cost of the passport rises. Treat this as a last resort rather than a plan.

  • Professional or approved booth

    Otherwise the photo must come from an authorised professional or from a booth using a system approved by the Ministry of the Interior. A picture that does not meet the characteristics is rejected and the passport is not issued.

  • Face 32 to 36 mm tall

    The face is measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull, hair not counted. Service-public gives the range as 3.2 to 3.6 cm, or 70 to 80 % of the photo.

  • Light backdrop, white refused

    Choose one even, light colour. Light blue and light grey are the examples on the official page, and white is stated to be forbidden. No shadow may fall on the face or on the background.

  • Face the lens, mouth closed

    Keep the head straight and turned to the camera with your gaze on the lens. The expression must be neutral, the mouth closed and the eyes open and perfectly visible. Hair must not cross the face and the ears must be clear.

  • One print, under six months

    A single photo is requested for a passport. It has to be less than six months old and look like you on the day you file.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Look for an authorised photographer or approved booth before the appointment.
  • Bring one printed photo to one of the 17 town halls.
  • Check the 32 to 36 mm face height on the print.
  • Use a light blue or light grey background.
  • Prepare a pre-application on the ANTS site if you can.
  • Begin the renewal in good time before your passport expires.

Don't

  • Do not rely on the counter taking your photo.
  • Do not choose a white backdrop.
  • Do not cover your head with a hat, scarf or headband.
  • Do not smile or show your teeth.
  • Do not wear tinted lenses or heavy frames.
  • Do not reuse an old photo.

Sample photos

How a Mayotte 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.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Wearing glasses for the photo is optional. If you do, the frame cannot be thick or cover the eyes, and the lenses must be clear of tint, colour and reflections. Leaving them off settles the question altogether.

Headwear and religious dress

The official photo page requires a bare head and names a hat, a scarf and a headband as examples. It publishes no exception for religious or medical headwear. A fringe is allowed only when it leaves the eyes uncovered, and earrings or piercings may stay if the face stays easy to read.

Babies and children

The service-public photo page has no special rule for children, so the same measurements and expression apply to a baby's picture. The child and the legal representative must come to the counter together, and the representative brings their own identity document. A minor's passport is valid for 5 years.

The standard route is one printed photo, brought from a studio or booth. In September 2026 France Titres said the paid e-photo code, an alternative to paper, was still being studied for passport applications, so it is not available for a Mayotte passport.

Counter capture is the exception: service-public allows it in Mayotte only where no professional photographer can do the job, and it makes the passport cost more.

Where to submit the photo

Collect and file the application at one of the 17 town halls. The prefecture, in a December 2022 release, says you may pick any town hall rather than the one in your commune, and suggests starting a renewal up to six months before the expiry date. The ANTS site has a search engine for appointment slots in equipped town halls.

Not every town hall has its own recording station. In a June 2020 answer to Parliament, the Interior Ministry said the passport files of Mayotte are processed by the titles centre in Réunion, that two extra stations were allocated to the department in 2019, and that a commune without a station can help with the pre-application or use a mobile station supplied by the prefecture.

How to get your Mayotte passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Mayotte passport: 35 × 45 mm print, plain background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: counter photo only as a fallback; professional or approved booth; face 32 to 36 mm tall; light backdrop, white refused.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The standard route is one printed photo, brought from a studio or booth. In September 2026 France Titres said the paid e-photo code, an alternative to paper, was still being studied for passport applications, so it is not available for a Mayotte passport.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Collect and file the application at one of the 17 town halls. The prefecture, in a December 2022 release, says you may pick any town hall rather than the one in your commune, and suggests starting a renewal up to six months before the expiry date.

Make this photo online

Mayotte passport photo FAQ

It is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high (1.38 x 1.77 in), the French national size. The face, from chin to top of skull without hair, must be between 32 and 36 mm. The prefecture's Mayotte page itself gives no photo rule and sends you to the national sites.

Only if no professional photographer is able to do it. Service-public gives that exception for Mayotte, and when the photo is taken at the counter the passport costs more. Otherwise you must bring the photo yourself.

No official page allows it. Service-public requires an authorised professional or an approved booth, and rejects a photo that does not meet the rules. Look for one before your appointment.

One of the 17 town halls of the department. The prefecture says you may choose any of them, not necessarily where you live, and the town hall must have a registration station. You attend in person to file and to collect.

The prefecture said in December 2022 that you can start the renewal and book a town hall appointment from six months before the expiry date shown on the passport, especially if you plan to travel soon or an exam needs an identity document.

No. The official photo rules forbid a white background. Use a plain, light one such as light blue or light grey, evenly lit, so that no shadow appears on the face or behind you.

The town hall records it, and the file is then processed by the titles centre in Réunion, according to the Interior Ministry's answer to Parliament of June 2020, which said Réunion handles both departments. The passport is not made on the spot, so you collect it later at the same town hall.

Related photo specifications

Passports nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. 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.
  2. Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Carte d'identité / Passeport : la photo peut-elle être prise au guichet ? service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  3. Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Passeport d'un majeur : première demande service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  4. Service-Public.gouv.fr (DILA). Passeport d'un mineur : première demande service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  5. Préfecture de Mayotte. Passeport mayotte.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  6. Préfecture de Mayotte. Renouvellement de vos titres d'identité : anticipez vos démarches (communiqué du 8 décembre 2022) mayotte.gouv.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  7. Assemblée nationale (answer by the Ministry of the Interior). Mayotte - Délivrance des pièces d'identité - Délais et modalités (question écrite n° 22893, réponse du 16 juin 2020) questions.assemblee-nationale.fr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  8. 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 3 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

"Mayotte passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/mayotte/passport-photo

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