head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceService-Public.fr and the French Ministry of the Interior (prefectures)
Verified
Quick answer: A France residence permit photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be visible without reflections or tinting. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
For a French residence permit (titre de séjour) the photo goes through two routes. Online, Service-Public and the Ministry of the Interior ask you to enter the «e-photo» code — «provided by the approved photographer or booth on the photo sheet» — and if you have none you are sent to a «digital photo and signature service». On paper, the lists of the prefectures ask for «3 recent identity photographs (35 mm x 45 mm — ISO/IEC 19794-5: 2005), not a copy»; the Service-Public page for the ICT trainee card also says «3 photos», and the number can differ by permit and prefecture. The pages for residence permits do not repeat the detailed norms; those are on Service-Public's page for passports and identity cards, which says the photo is «less than 6 months old and a good likeness», taken by an approved professional or in a booth using a system approved by the Ministry of the Interior: 3.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm high, the face from chin to crown 3.2–3.6 cm (70–80 % of the photo), a plain light-coloured background — «light blue or light grey, for example» — and white is forbidden, a bare head, straight, facing the lens, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes open and visible, ears and face uncovered, glasses only with a thin frame and clear, uncoloured, reflection-free lenses. «If the photo does not meet the characteristics, it will be rejected».
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons France residence permit photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Service-Public.fr and the French Ministry of the Interior (prefectures) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that does not meet the characteristics — «it will be rejected» | Have the photo taken by an approved photographer or in an approved booth to the French norms. |
| A white background | Use a plain light-coloured background such as light blue or light grey. |
| A photo older than 6 months, or a copy instead of an original print | Take a new photo within six months and supply original prints, not copies. |
| A face outside 3.2–3.6 cm (70–80 %), shadows, or a tilted head | Keep the head straight to the lens with the face at 3.2–3.6 cm and even light. |
| Tinted or coloured lenses, reflections, thick frames over the eyes, a head covering, hair over the face | Clear lenses without reflection, a bare head and hair off the face. |
How to take it
Background: plain light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A residence permit is applied for through the Ministry of the Interior's online service (ANEF) or at the prefecture; online you enter the e-photo code from an approved photographer or booth, and on paper you hand in 3 identity photographs.
Service-Public.fr — your permit type; the ANTS search tool for approved photographers and booths
e-photo code on the photo sheet; the photo is taken digitally with the signature.
Authority pageThe list of documents of your prefecture for your permit type
3 recent identity photographs 35 × 45 mm, ISO/IEC 19794-5, not copies.
Authority page| Authority | Service-Public.fr and the French Ministry of the Interior (prefectures) |
|---|---|
| Source | Service-Public — residence permit application, with the linked identity-photo standard |
| Verified |
Questions
Online, an e-photo code from an approved photographer or booth; on paper, 3 recent identity photographs of 35 × 45 mm to ISO/IEC 19794-5, not copies. The French norms: under 6 months, face 3.2–3.6 cm, plain light background (white forbidden), bare head, neutral expression with the mouth closed.
It is the code printed on the photo sheet given by an approved photographer or booth, which you enter in the online application instead of uploading a picture; if you have none, Service-Public points you to a digital photo and signature service.
Three on the paper lists read here (the Paris Police Prefecture list and the ICT trainee page); the number can differ by permit type and prefecture, and an online application uses the e-photo code instead.
The French identity-photo norms forbid a white background and ask for a plain light colour such as light blue or light grey; they are written on Service-Public's page for passports and identity cards.
The France residence permit photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height.
For this document the photo must be no older than 6 months. Take a new photo that looks like you on the day you apply.
Only if the size and rules are the same and the photo is still recent. Otherwise take a new one: the same selfie can be turned into photos for both documents.
Take a new photo: it should show how you look now — hairstyle, beard, glasses.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the France immigration office.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: asylum application, driver's license, EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, provisional residence authorisation (APS), refugee travel document.