France
Use this official-first French passport photo requirements guide to check size, face height, background colour, expression, glasses and the photo route before you prepare a final image.
French identity photo rules are route-specific. Reopen France Titres, Service-Public or your French consulate instructions before final submission.
Upload a portrait to prepare a 35 × 45 mm French passport photo preview with a light blue-grey background preset. Use it as a formatted photo, not as an official e-photo code.
Technical output preset
Loading the France preset...
AI-generated visual comparison, not an actual processing result. The selected preset controls the final dimensions and export format.
This France passport photo maker automatically crops the portrait and requests a light blue-grey background. It cannot confirm your application route, approved booth or photographer requirement, e-photo code, photo recency, printed scale, pose, glasses, or official acceptance. This service handles the stated size and image processing only; final acceptance is decided by the issuing authority.
Official-first check
The fixed measurements are only one part of the decision. France also controls who captures the photo, whether a recognised booth or professional is required, and how overseas applications are handled.
Route first
Choose the application route before editing or printing. The same 35×45 mm crop can fail when the capture or delivery method is wrong.
Step 01
Start from the French application flow and use an identity photo made by a qualified professional or an approved photo booth when that route requires it.
Step 02
Open the French embassy or consulate page for your country. Overseas offices can publish appointment, quantity and submission details that should not be generalised globally.
Step 03
If the process asks for an approved digital capture or code, a normal JPEG from an online editor is not a substitute for that official channel.
Step 04
If your route accepts a physical photo, inspect the print for the official size, face height, background colour, quality and recent likeness before handing it over.
Size and rules
Use these French passport photo requirements as a control sheet, then compare your exact application route with the current French authority instructions.
Photo frame
Required value35 mm wide × 45 mm high
Face referenceFace must remain centred and upright
Acceptance noteDo not use a 2×2 in or other country preset for a French passport application.
Service-Public.fr — Which photo to provide for an identity document?
Face height
Required value32–36 mm
Face referenceMeasured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull, excluding hair
Acceptance noteThis is about 70–80% of the photo height. Leave enough source space before cropping.
Background
Required valuePlain light background
Face referenceLight blue or light grey are suitable examples
Acceptance noteWhite background is explicitly prohibited. Avoid texture, objects and shadows.
Service-Public.fr — Which photo to provide for an identity document?
Recency and quality
Required valueLess than 6 months old
Face referenceClear current likeness
Acceptance noteThe photo must be sharp, undamaged, correctly exposed and free from marks, folds, overexposure or underexposure.
Service-Public.fr — Which photo to provide for an identity document?
Pose and expression
Required valueFront-facing, head bare and upright
Face referenceNeutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible
Acceptance noteHair must not hide the face or eyes. The ears should be visible where possible.
Glasses
Required valueNot required
Face referenceEyes must remain fully visible
Acceptance noteIf worn, frames must not be thick or cover the eyes, and lenses must not be tinted or reflective.
Service-Public.fr — Which photo to provide for an identity document?
Do not invent pixel or DPI requirements when the authority gives physical measurements and route rules. Use the official submission channel as the final decision source.
Appearance and route limits
The most common France-specific mistakes are a white background, the wrong face height, route mismatch, or treating a normal edited file as an official digital photo.
A technically cropped French passport photo still has to look like an authentic identity photo. Use even lighting, a clean physical background and a recent front-facing capture.
The tool above prepares only a technical 35×45 mm preview with a light blue-grey background request. It does not create an official e-photo code and does not replace an approved booth, professional capture or route-specific acceptance check.
Pre-capture quality checks
France accepts a plain light-coloured background and gives light blue or light grey as suitable examples.
White is not accepted, even though many other passport systems allow white. This is the easiest rule to get wrong when using a generic passport photo tool.
The head should be bare, straight and facing the camera. The photo should show a neutral expression with the mouth closed.
Both eyes must be open and clear. Hair should not cover the face or the eye area.
Glasses are not mandatory for a French passport photo. If you keep them on, the eyes must remain completely visible.
Thick frames, tinted lenses, coloured lenses and reflections can make an otherwise correct photo unusable.
If a local office gives a stricter instruction, follow that route-specific instruction.
Preparation workflow
Use this sequence to reduce specification and route failures before the final submission.
01 / 04
Start with the page for your application: France Titres or Service-Public for the general requirement, then the consulate page if you apply abroad.
Confirm whether your route expects a printed photo, an approved booth/professional capture, or a digital photo code.
02 / 04
Use a plain light blue or light grey background with diffused lighting.
Place the camera directly in front of the face and leave enough space for the 35×45 mm crop and 32–36 mm face height.
03 / 04
Check the finished frame, face height, expression, eyes, glasses, background and print quality before you submit.
If one required item fails, retake from the clean source instead of hiding the problem with editing.
04 / 04
Use the output form required by your route. A standard JPEG, print, scan or crop is only safe when the receiving authority accepts it.
For overseas applications, rely on the exact consulate instructions for quantity and delivery.
A generic online French passport photo crop is not an official e-photo and does not guarantee acceptance.
Pre-submission review
Use this matrix to decide whether to retake, reprint or change the route before submitting.
Problem: 01. White background
Why it matters: France explicitly prohibits white backgrounds for identity photos.
Better correction: Retake against a plain light blue or light grey background.
Problem: 02. US 2×2 in or another country size
Why it matters: The finished frame does not match France's 35×45 mm requirement.
Better correction: Prepare a new French 35×45 mm output from an uncropped source.
Problem: 03. Face height outside 32–36 mm
Why it matters: The biometric face area is too large or too small for French identity-photo rules.
Better correction: Reframe from a wider source and measure chin to crown again.
Problem: 04. Head tilted, mouth open or expression not neutral
Why it matters: The pose no longer follows the front-facing identity-photo rule.
Better correction: Retake with the head straight, mouth closed and a neutral expression.
Problem: 05. Hair, frames or lens glare hides the eyes
Why it matters: Required facial features are not clearly visible.
Better correction: Move hair, remove glasses if needed and recapture under softer light.
Problem: 06. Photo is too old or visibly altered
Why it matters: The image may not show a current authentic likeness.
Better correction: Take a new recent photo and avoid retouching that changes identity detail.
Problem: 07. Normal JPEG used where an approved digital route is required
Why it matters: The application may expect an official capture or digital photo code.
Better correction: Use the approved booth, professional or consular route named by the authority.
When a France-specific rule fails, retaking is usually safer than trying to repair the final file.
Final control
Complete every relevant line immediately before handing over the photo or digital code.
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Official sources
This page prioritises French authority pages and separates official requirements from commercial photo-tool claims.
service-public-france-photo
Service-Public.fr — Which photo to provide for an identity document?
Checked: 2026-08-17
france-titres-identity-photos
France Titres — Identity photos
Checked: 2026-08-17
france-titres-approved-photographers
France Titres — Find authorised photographers and booths
Checked: 2026-08-17
france-diplomatie-passport-abroad
France Diplomatie — Passport application abroad
Checked: 2026-08-17
FAQ
Short answers to the French passport photo requirements questions users most often check before preparing a final photo.
Verify before submission
Check the official source, confirm the capture route, then complete the final checklist before printing or submitting a digital photo code.
PassportSizePhoto.ai is an independent information service and is not affiliated with France Titres, Service-Public, an embassy, a consulate or any passport authority. Only the receiving authority can decide whether a photo is accepted.
