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French Passport Photo

Get your biometric photograph within 3 minutes, with your smartphone, comfortably from home.

3-minute passport photo
Take your picture at home. No driving or waiting in line
3-minute passport photo
Professional service
AI technology + passport photo experts = instant feedback
Professional passport photo service
100% compliance
Acceptance or a double money-back guarantee
100% passport photo compliance

How do our mobile and web apps work?

Snap the perfect biometric passport photo in under 3 minutes!

Find out just how simple it can be!

Take or upload a photo

Take or upload a photo

Use a photo you already have or take a new one. We'll double-check it and make sure it passes all compliance tests.

Get your photo tuned-up by AI

Get your photo tuned-up by AI

Our AI system will crop, resize, and adjust the background of your image.

Get expert verification

Get expert verification

One of our experts will carefully review your passport photo, providing you with feedback in under a minute!

Key benefits of using our passport photo tool

Get comfy at home, grab your phone, and snap a few pictures. End up with a result you’re 100% satisfied with!

Take a passport photo with only your smartphone
Trusted passport photo service
Professional passport photo support
Passport photo acceptance guarantee

Independence

No need to drive or wait in line. Take a photo wherever you are with only your smartphone.

Trusted service

Over a million users worldwide, 18 million photos processed, and thousands of 5-star reviews on TrustPilot.

Professional support

Questions or doubts about your photos? Our photography experts and support agents will be happy to help you out.

Acceptance guarantee

Once you place your order, our AI and human expert will verify your photo to ensure it's 100% compliant.

Passport photo-taking tips

Follow these guidelines to create the perfect passport picture.

Distance from the camera while taking a passport photo
1

Consider the distance

Keep your front-facing camera 16–20 inch (40–50 cm) away from the face. For rear cameras, keep a 4–6 foot (1–2 meter) distance.

face in front of the camera during passport photo
2

Keep your head and body straight

Look directly into the camera and avoid tilting your body. Remember, portrait mode is unacceptable for passport photos.

Passport photo lighting
3

Prepare good lighting

Take your passport photos in a daylight setting, like near a window on a sunny day. Shadows on your face or in the background are not permitted.

French Passport Photo- size, requirements and common mistakes

Here’s a quick overview of all requirements for your photo.

Biometric photo
Passport photo size icon

Size

35x45 mm

Passport photo resolution icon

Resolution

600 dpi

Online submission icon

Is it suitable for online submission?

Yes

Printable passport photo icon

Is it printable?

Yes

Passport photo background icon

Background Color

Image definition parameters icon

Image definition parameters

Head height: 34.5 mm

Top of the Photo to Top of the Hair: 3 mm

Need more info on passport photos? Read these FAQs

French passport photo requirements

The same format as the one required for a passport photo is commonly used in many official French documents. The photograph for a French passport must be 35 mm in width and 45 mm in height and must show your head from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin. The head should cover 70-80% of the whole surface of the photo- between 32 mm and 36 mm.

Validity

Remember that the photo used for your French passport application must be recent - taken within the last 6 months. If your appearance has undergone a major change (if you underwent a sex change, gained or lost a significant amount of weight, had plastic surgery or were in an accident that left marks or scars on your face), you might want to retake your photo, as providing a valid photo that is representative of the current appearance of the applicant is one of the most important requirements.

Background

Your French passport photo’s background needs to be plain, uniform and in a light color. A good choice would be light grey or light blue, but not white, as this color is not permitted.

Quality

The photo must be taken in color and:

  • in high-quality resolution (not pixelated),
  • have good contrast, to show the natural colors of the skin, hair and eyes,
  • not overexposed or underexposed,
  • clear, not blurry,
  • in the event that you wish to use a scanned photo, it has to be free of scratches or creases.

Shadows and lighting

Shadows in the background, or on your face and neck can result in your French passport picture being rejected, so be careful to take your photo in a well-lit area. Natural light is ideal, so take your picture during daylight hours, preferably where you will be able to stand in the natural light.

Facial expression

The photo should show your entire face, with open eyes and a closed mouth. You should be facing the camera directly and your head must not be tilted in any direction. Smiling or frowning is also forbidden- you should maintain a neutral facial expression during the photoshoot.

Glasses

You cannot wear sunglasses or other glasses with tinted or colored lenses, but everyday prescription glasses are allowed. Your eyes, including the pupil and the iris, have to be fully visible, so be careful about wearing glasses with thick frames. While taking a picture, don't let the light reflect in the lenses.

Head covering

You are not allowed to wear:

  • a hat,
  • a cap,
  • a scarf,
  • headphones,
  • facial piercings that obscure any part of your face,
  • any other accessory that would cover your forehead or eyes.

French passport picture - common mistakes 

A passport photo cannot be a selfie. If you want to take your picture at home, you need to have someone to help you or a tripod and a camera with a timer. Enlisting the help of a professional photographer is both expensive and time consuming, so try us instead!

You are forbidden from submitting a damaged photo, a photo taken over 6 months ago or one that has a white background. A photo that is either underexposed or overexposed, pixelated or blurry also cannot be used when applying for your French passport. Keep in mind the appropriate size of the photo, which is 35 x 45 mm. Take a look at your outfit: don't wear any items that cover your head or face, remember to close your mouth, open your eyes and maintain a neutral facial expression. 

Taking a photo for your French passport at home

  • choose the right location, with a natural, bright light - in front of a window in daytime is the best choice,
  • prepare the correct background (light, but not white),
  • ask someone to take a picture of you or place your tripod at about 1.2m away from the place where you are standing,
  • remember to keep your eyes open, your mouth shut and your facial expression neutral,
  • take as many shots as you like, choose the image that you like most, and let us do the rest of the work!

If you followed the guidelines described above and managed to avoid the most common mistakes, all that is left for you to do is to upload your photo to our PhotoAiD website. Artificial Intelligence will carefully analyse your photo, and then our tools will take care of:

  • deleting the existing background from the photo and replacing it with a more suitable one, if necessary,
  • resizing your photo by preparing a template, which you’ll then be able to use as when cutting your printout,
  • verifying your facial expression, as well as your head’s position , the colors, lighting, and other elements,
  • finally- letting you know if you need to take an additional photo.
Last update: 9/26/2023

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