France · passport
French passport photo — the real rules
The French passport photo is 35×45 mm with the face measuring 32–36 mm from chin to crown, against a light grey or light blue background — white is explicitly rejected. And there's a rule most sites skip: France requires the photo to come from a professional photographer or an approved booth under the AFNOR standard.
- Size
- 35×45 mm
- Digital file
- 413×531 px JPEG
- Background
- light grey or blue
- Head height
- 70–80%
- Price
- €5.99 · once
Select country and document
Step 1/3
Popular: · ·
- Head size62.4% · 50–69%
- Eye line61.2% · 56–69%
- Backgroundwhite · σ 6
- Lightingeven
- Resolution1832px
MEETS SPEC — ESTIMATED
Checked against the official specification — source cited on every document.
Worth knowing: Photos for French passports must come from an accredited photographer or approved booth ('agréé services en ligne' for e-photo). We don't pretend otherwise. A self-made compliant photo remains genuinely usable for foreign visa applications filed from France, many residence permits, student and transport cards — and the free check tells you whether your booth result will pass before you pay for it.
How it works
01
Choose your document
58 documents across 29 destinations, each with the official specification built in.
02
Add your photo
Ten checks measure it live on your device — nothing is uploaded.
03
Pay once, download everything
Exact-spec file, print sheet and compliance report. One price, no subscription.
What is a France Passport (Passeport) photo?
A French passport photo is a 35×45 mm photograph with the face measuring 32–36 mm from chin to crown — 70–80% of the frame — on a light grey or light blue background; white backgrounds are explicitly rejected. Expression neutral, mouth closed, head bare except for religious coverings.
France's distinctive rule is provenance: under the AFNOR standard, photos must come from a professional photographer or an approved booth, which can also issue the digital e-photo code used by online ANTS procedures. Self-printed photos are refused at the mairie, making France one of the few countries where a compliant home photo cannot be submitted for the passport itself.
That means a self-printed photo can't be used for the passport itself. This page gives you the full specification, lets you pre-check your framing and background before paying a photographer or booth, and points to the many uses where a compliant self-made photo does work.
France Passport (Passeport) photo requirements
| Size | 35×45 mm · 413×531 px @300 DPI |
|---|---|
| Digital file | 413×531px JPEG |
| Background | light grey or blue |
| Head height | 70–80% of frame height |
| Digital upload | not accepted — printed photos only |
| Background editing | not permitted — we keep you compliant by not touching it |
- France requires the photo to come from a professional photographer or an approved booth (norme AFNOR) — a self-printed photo is not accepted for the passport itself.
- 35×45 mm, face 32–36 mm (70–80%), light grey or light blue background — white is explicitly rejected.
Source: official requirements · verified 2026-07
What you get for €5.99
- High-resolution file in the exact spec (413×531px)
- Compliance report — everything we measured, printable
- Print-ready 10×15 cm sheet with 4 copies and cut lines
one-time payment — no subscription
Photos that pass
- Exact dimensions — 413×531px
- Plain light grey or blue background, evenly lit
- Head filling 70–80% of the frame
- Taken in the last 6 months, neutral expression
Photos that get rejected
- Edited, filtered or AI-retouched photos
- Shadows on the face or background
- Busy walls, gradients or the wrong background colour
- Head too large, too small, or off-centre
- Glare on glasses or tinted lenses
- Old photos, or photos of printed photos
Why PassportClerk
Private by architecture
The free check runs on your device, and paid photos are deleted after 48 hours.
Measured, not guessed
Ten checks against the official specification — with the numbers shown, not a vague thumbs-up.
Exact files, first time
Correct pixels, DPI and file size for the portal, plus a print-ready sheet.
Fair by default
One price, no subscription. Wrong files? We fix them or refund you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print my own French passport photo?
No — France accepts only photos from professional photographers or approved booths meeting the AFNOR standard. Home prints and pharmacy prints of your own file are rejected at the mairie.
What background colour is required?
Light grey or light blue, uniform and shadow-free. France is one of the few countries that explicitly rejects white backgrounds — the head must contrast with the backdrop.
What are the size rules?
35×45 mm with the face (chin to crown) at 32–36 mm — roughly 70–80% of the frame — neutral expression, mouth closed, bare head except for religious coverings, and no smiling.
What is an e-photo code?
Accredited photographers and booths can issue a digital code ('e-photo') that online ANTS procedures fetch directly. For the passport pre-demande it complements the printed photo you bring to the mairie appointment.
So what's this page for?
Preparation and everything else: check your framing, lighting and background against the AFNOR geometry before the booth visit, and use the full service for the documents that do accept self-made photos — foreign visas, many titres de séjour, student cards.
Compliance, honestly
- We validate your photo against the official rules — we never retouch your face, and we only normalize the background where the destination country permits it.
- Every requirement is cited from official government sources, with the verification date shown on the page.
- You get a measured report, not a guarantee — final acceptance always rests with the issuing authority.
official requirements · verified 2026-07