# France Passport Photo Maker, 35x45 mm

Country: France

Document: Passport

Page language: en

Page: [France Passport Photo Maker, 35x45 mm](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/fr/passport/)

Requirements last verified: 2026-01-25

## Photo specifications

These are document-specific values from the page data. Printed and digital requirements may apply to different application routes; consult the guide and sources below.

| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Photo dimensions | 35 × 45 mm |
| Photo paper | matte |
| Digital pixel dimensions | 413 × 531 px (see guide/source for applicability and minimum vs exact sizing) |
| Digital file format | JPEG |
| Maximum digital file size | 240 KB |
| Photo age | Taken within 6 months |

## Appearance and composition

- Background: Light grey or light blue background. White is NOT allowed.
- Head size: Face must be 32-36mm from chin to top of skull (70-80% of photo height)
- Glasses: Permitted; check the source for restrictions.
- Even lighting; no harsh shadows.
- Filters, beauty modes and retouching are forbidden.
- Color photo.
- Head coverings are permitted for religious reasons; check the source for conditions.
- Uniforms are restricted; check the source for exceptions.
- No earphones or wireless devices.

## Common rejection reasons

- White background — France requires light grey or light blue, NOT white backgrounds

- Wrong face size — Face must measure 32-36mm from chin to skull top (70-80% of photo)

- Thick glasses frames — Only thin frames allowed; frames cannot hide the eyes

- Tinted or reflective lenses — Glasses must have clear lenses with no reflections

- Head covering — Head must be uncovered except for religious reasons

- Photo too old — Must be taken within the last 6 months

## Source for the document requirements

[Source linked by the document page](https://passeport.ants.gouv.fr/home/all-about-identity-documents/identity-photos)

The complete guide below includes additional sources and application-specific qualifications when available.

## Create a photo with One Dollar Passport Photo

The service sizes, crops and checks a photo for the selected document. Its output settings are service choices, not additional government requirements.

- Digital photo download: $1 USD.
- Print-ready sheet download: $5 USD. Printing is separate.
- Optional human expert review: +$4.99 USD.

[Open the photo tool](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/fr/passport/)

Complete Guide

## French passport photo: the no-white-background rule and the ANTS e-photo code

France refuses a white background and wants light grey or light blue, so a photo that passes for a UK or German passport fails here. This covers the spec, the e-photo code that lets you finish the pre-demande online, and how the mairie appointment works.

Written by

Jake

Community & Writing, One Dollar Passport Photo

Reviewed by

Lisa

Expert Reviewer, One Dollar Passport Photo

Fact-checked & verified

June 30, 2026

## The official requirements

France uses the ICAO 35x45 mm format, but the background rule is the one that catches people: it is **not white**. The spec set by ANTS (Agence nationale des titres sécurisés):

-   **Size:** 35x45 mm, portrait
-   **Background:** plain light grey or light blue. **White is not accepted**
-   **Head size:** 32-36 mm from chin to crown (70-80% of the photo height)
-   **Expression:** neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight ahead
-   **Glasses:** allowed only with thin frames and clear lenses, no reflections, frames must not cover the eyes
-   **Head covering:** none, except for medical or religious reasons (face fully visible from chin to forehead)
-   **Recency:** taken within the last 6 months
-   **Color:** color photo on quality paper, no filter, no retouching

For a digital photo on an online pre-demande, the file is a JPEG of at least 413x531 pixels and no larger than 240 KB.

## Why a white background is rejected in France

This is the rule that bounces more foreign-prepared photos than any other. France requires a **light grey or light blue background** (the official tint is a neutral _gris clair_, around #D3D3D3); a plain white background is **forbidden**, not merely discouraged. It is written into French identity-photo regulation, so a town hall agent or the ANTS portal will reject a white-background photo on sight.

The practical consequences:

-   **A US or UK photo will not transfer.** Those countries require white. The same headshot reprinted on a grey background passes; on white it fails. If you are an expatriate reusing a recent photo, this is almost certainly why it was refused.
-   **“Off-white” is not grey.** A cream or very pale wall reads as an attempt at white and gets rejected. Use a genuinely grey or blue-grey backdrop.
-   **You can fix it after the shot.** If your only wall is white, replacing the background digitally with a light grey (about #D3D3D3) before printing is accepted, provided the rest of the photo is untouched (no retouching of the face).

## How to take a compliant photo

The 35x45 mm framing is standard across Europe; the background is where France diverges. The setup that works:

1.  Stand 1.5-2 metres in front of a plain **light grey or light blue** wall, never white. A pale, unpatterned wall is ideal.
2.  Light yourself evenly from the front. Face a window, or use two soft lamps either side. Overhead light drops shadows under the eyes and chin.
3.  Have someone else shoot it from chest height, straight on. Selfies distort proportions and frame the head wrong.
4.  Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open, hair clear of the eyes.
5.  Crop to 35x45 mm with the head at 70-80% of the height, or upload the shot to a tool that crops and validates the head ratio and replaces the background with the correct grey.

## Why photos get rejected

French town halls and the ANTS portal bounce a predictable list. Each one and the fix:

-   **White background.** The most common French-specific rejection. Use light grey or light blue, or replace the background.
-   **Head too small or too large.** It must fall in the 32-36 mm chin-to-crown window. Re-crop or re-shoot from a different distance.
-   **Glasses reflections.** Even the permitted thin-frame glasses fail if there is glare on the lenses. Tilt the head down a few degrees, or take them off.
-   **Thick or tinted frames.** Frames that cover any part of the eye fail. Remove them.
-   **Smile.** Even a closed-mouth smile that lifts the cheeks can fail. Stay neutral.
-   **Shadows** on the face or the wall. Step away from the wall and light from the front.
-   **Filtered or beautified photos.** Phone portrait-mode smoothing and any retouching are grounds for rejection.
-   **Photo older than 6 months.** It must reflect your current appearance.

## What to wear (and not wear)

Because France shoots against light grey rather than white, the usual advice inverts: here a pale grey top is the one that vanishes into the background. Wear a darker, solid colour to define the head and shoulders.

**Avoid:** sunglasses, hats and caps, hoods, large jewellery near the face, headphones or earbuds, uniforms, and a light grey or pale top against the grey background.

**Fine:** ordinary everyday clothing in a contrasting colour, light makeup that keeps your everyday look, hearing aids and other daily medical devices, and religious head coverings worn for religious reasons (the face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead).

Glasses are a grey area: French rules permit them with thin frames and clear lenses, but acceptance hinges on reflections at the moment of the shot. Many _photographes agréés_ now recommend taking them off to remove the risk entirely.

## ANTS e-photo code and agréé booths

For a French passport the photo must come from a source the mairie accepts. In practice that is an _agréé_ (approved) Photomaton booth, a _photographe agréé_, or a digital photo carrying an ANTS e-photo code. Prices and trade-offs:

| Where | Price | Appointment | Speed | ANTS code / digital file |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Photomaton booth (agréé ANTS) | €5-€10 | No | ~5 minutes | Yes, prints with ANTS e-photo code |
| Photographe agréé (high-street studio) | €10-€20 | Usually | Same day | Yes, prints and digital file |
| Pharmacie with photo booth | €5-€10 | No | ~5 minutes | Only if the booth shows the agréé-ANTS logo |
| Mairie / préfecture photo service | Free-€5 | With application | At appointment | For that application only |
| Our online tool | $1, or $5 with the print sheet | No | ~2 minutes | Digital file (grey background); print sheet in the $5 pack |

Only booths and photographers showing the _agréé ANTS_ logo can issue the **e-photo code**, the digital reference that lets you finish a passport pre-demande fully online without bringing prints. A purely online tool gives you a compliant grey-background file you can print at any Photomaton or photo lab, but without an e-photo code you will still bring printed photos to the biometric appointment. Whichever route, the photo must meet every rule above.

## Submitting at the mairie (pre-demande + appointment)

A French passport application is filed at any _mairie_ with a biometric station, not only the one for your area of residence:

-   **Online pre-demande.** Start on the ANTS portal, pay the _timbre fiscal_ (revenue stamp) online, and book a biometric appointment at a participating mairie. If you have an ANTS e-photo code from an _agréé_ booth or photographer, you enter it here and skip bringing prints.
-   **Biometric appointment.** You appear in person with your supporting documents. Without an e-photo code, you bring **one** recent printed photo to the spec; the agent attaches it to the file. Fingerprints are taken at the counter. Some mairies can shoot a photo at the appointment, but availability is not guaranteed, so call ahead.
-   **Renewals and lost/stolen passports.** Same channel: pre-demande online, then biometric appointment. The photo rules do not change.
-   **French nationals abroad** apply through their consulate. The 35x45 mm spec and the no-white-background rule are identical; only the appointment channel changes.

## Frequently asked questions

**Can I use a white-background photo for a French passport?** No. France requires light grey or light blue and forbids white. A US- or UK-style white-background photo is rejected. Replace the background with a light grey before printing.

**Are glasses allowed?** Yes, but only thin frames with clear lenses, no glare, and the frames must not cover the eyes. Because reflections cause most glasses rejections, many approved photographers advise removing them.

**What is the ANTS e-photo code and do I need it?** It is a digital photo reference issued by _agréé_ booths and photographers that lets you complete the pre-demande online without bringing prints. You do not strictly need it; without one you bring a printed photo to the mairie appointment instead.

**Does the mairie take my photo there?** Sometimes, but not reliably. Some mairies have an in-house photo service, many do not. Treat the booth or studio photo as the default and call your mairie before relying on an on-site one.

**My old French passport photo had a white background and was fine. Why is it rejected now?** The light-background rule is enforced strictly through the ANTS portal and biometric stations. A white background that slipped through years ago will not now; produce a grey or blue-grey one.

### Sources & References

This guide is fact-checked against official government publications and updated regularly to reflect the latest requirements.

1.  \[1\]
    
    [ANTS — Photos d'identité (official passport photo standard)](https://passeport.ants.gouv.fr/home/all-about-identity-documents/identity-photos)
    
    passeport.ants.gouv.fr
    
2.  \[2\]
    
    [Service-Public.fr — Demande de passeport](https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N360)
    
    service-public.fr