head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceFrance-Visas (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior) and the TLScontact centres
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended France Schengen visa photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background per ISO/IEC and ICAO standards. 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 per ISO/IEC and ICAO standards. |
| Pose | Full face, face and shoulders centred, no tilt. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | No dark glasses or reflections; eyes must be fully visible. 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 |
The French visa photograph is described by France-Visas, the portal of the French foreign and interior ministries, in an ISO/IEC leaflet that is the same text the visa centres of several countries use. It asks for a photograph no more than six months old, 35–40 mm in width (the leaflet gives no height), a close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders so that the face takes up 70–80 % of the picture, sharp, without ink marks or creases, printed on high-quality paper, on a plain light-coloured background, with even light and no shadows, flash reflections or red-eye, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression and the mouth closed, eyes open with no hair across them, and no head covering except for religious reasons with the face from chin to forehead visible.
Other France-Visas pages are stricter on age: the Morocco page lists «two recent photos (less than 3 months old), unretouched, on a light background to the standard». And in the TLScontact centres the photograph and the fingerprints are taken in the biometric booths.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons France Schengen visa photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules France-Visas (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior) and the TLScontact centres publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Width outside 35–40 mm, or a face outside 70–80 % of the photograph | Print 35 × 45 mm and frame the head and top of the shoulders so that the face fills 70–80 %. |
| A busy or dark background, shadows or flash reflections on the face, red-eye | Use a plain light-coloured background with even light and no flash on the face. |
| A photo older than three months (Morocco list) or six months (ISO leaflet), or retouched | Take a new, unretouched photo within three months of applying. |
| Tinted lenses, reflections on the glasses, frames over the eyes, or hair across the eyes | Keep the eyes fully visible: clear lenses, no reflection, hair away. |
| A non-religious head covering, head tilted or turned, mouth open, or another person in the picture | Face the camera squarely, alone, with a neutral expression and the mouth closed. |
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 French short-stay visa is applied for on the France-Visas portal, then at the visa centre of the country you apply from (TLScontact in Morocco, VFS Global or another provider elsewhere); the biometric photograph and the fingerprints are taken at the centre and the printed photos go with the form.
Fill in the form on France-Visas first, then book at the centre; the photo and fingerprints are taken in the biometric booths
Standard list: two recent photos under 3 months, unretouched, on a light background to the standard.
Authority pageThe centre named for your country on France-Visas
The ISO/IEC leaflet applies: 35–40 mm wide, face 70–80 %, plain light-coloured background, within six months.
Authority pageQuestions
From the France-Visas leaflet: no more than six months old, 35–40 mm wide, a close-up with the face at 70–80 % of the photograph, sharp and of high quality, on a plain light-coloured background with even light, looking at the camera with a neutral expression and the mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible, no tinted lenses, and no head covering except for religious reasons with the face visible.
The France-Visas leaflet writes «35–40 mm in width» and no height; a 35 × 45 mm photo with the face at 70–80 % of the height meets it and is what centres normally expect. The Morocco list asks for two photos.
A plain light-coloured background: the leaflet and the Morocco list both write «light», not «white». White is not forbidden; keep it plain, evenly lit and free of shadows.
The ISO leaflet says no more than six months, while the Morocco page says less than three months. Take the photo within three months of your appointment.
In the TLScontact centres in Morocco, yes: «in the biometric booths your photograph will be taken and your fingerprints collected»; children under 12 are exempt and an ICAO photograph of the child is scanned. You still bring the printed photos the list asks for.
The recommended size for the France Schengen visa photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Often yes, but not always: tourist, student, work and transit visas can have different size or background rules. Compare the requirements of each France visa — if they match, one photo will do.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the consulate’s rejection notice.
No dark glasses or reflections; eyes must be fully visible. If you keep them on, tilt them slightly downwards by lifting the arms a little above your ears: this usually moves reflections of a window or lamp off the lenses.
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: national visa (Type D).