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France Passport Photo Maker

Upload any photo, the tool removes your existing background, drops in the plain light grey or blue background required for France passport, and produces a spec-exact 35×45mm image ready to submit.

Drop your photo here
or click anywhere in this box to choose a photo

JPG, PNG, HEIC or WebP · Max 25 MB · Face forward, eyes on the camera.

100% private, deleted after processing No sign-up to preview Spec-exact 35×45mm output

How to make a France passport photo in 3 steps

Upload any photo of yourself, and the tool handles the entire France passport spec pipeline, background removal, colour swap, spec-exact crop, file-size compression, in one pass.

1

Start from a photo you already have

A phone shot against any wall works, because the background gets replaced. France accepts a photo taken within the last 6 months, so an older picture will not pass.

2

Background replaced with plain light grey or blue

Your outline, including hair and clothing edges, is separated from the original photo and composited onto the plain light grey or blue that France requires for a passport.

3

Cropped to 35×45mm at 600 DPI

That is 827×1063 pixels (1.38×1.77 inches). The head is placed 32-36mm from chin to crown, 71-80% of the frame height. Drag the crop box if you want the face sitting differently in the frame.

Understanding the France passport spec

French passport and CNIE photographs are 35×45mm to the ISO/IEC 19794-5 biometric standard, with the head 32-36mm from chin to crown. Two French rules catch people out. First, the background must be plain and light, light grey, off-white or very pale blue, and pure white is specifically not accepted, which is the opposite of the US, UK and most Asian requirements. Second, and more important: for the ANTS online pre-demande, the photograph normally has to come from an approved photographer or an agreed booth, which issues an ePhoto code you enter in the form. A photo you make yourself cannot generate that code.

Dimensions
35×45 mm
1.38 × 1.77 in
Resolution
600 DPI
Print-ready
Background
plain light grey or blue
AI-swapped
Head height
32–36 mm
Chin to crown

Requirements at a glance

  • 35x45mm ISO/IEC 19794-5 biometric
  • Plain light background (light grey, off-white, or very light blue)
  • Head 32-36mm centered
  • Neutral expression, no smile
  • Photo less than 6 months old
  • Photographer must be certified (for print submissions)

Where France passport photos are actually used

Be clear about what this does and does not solve. If you are completing the ANTS pre-demande with an ePhoto code, you need an approved photographer or booth, no online tool can substitute for that, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling you a rejection. Where a self-made photo is genuinely useful is in checking compliance before you pay for prints, in consular files where supplied photos are still accepted, and for the many French administrative forms that ask for a photo d identité without requiring an ePhoto. The light grey background is the detail to carry with you: a photographer who defaults to white is producing something the French administration will not take.

Applications that accept this photo spec

  • Checking whether a photo meets the French 35×45mm biometric spec before an appointment
  • Titre de séjour and residence permit files where photos are supplied
  • Applications lodged at a French consulate abroad, where rules can differ
  • Student, transport and administrative cards that ask for a photo d'identité
  • Visa applications made on a French passport
  • Reference photo to take to an approved photographer

France passport photo FAQ

Can I use a photo I made myself for a French passport application?
Not for the ANTS pre-demande that requires an ePhoto code, that code is issued by an approved photographer or agreed booth and cannot be generated from a photo you made at home. Self-made photos are useful for checking the spec before you pay for prints, for consular applications where supplied photos are accepted, and for the many other French forms that ask for a photo d'identité without an ePhoto requirement. Confirm what your specific application needs.

Why is a white background not accepted in France?
French requirements call for a plain light background rather than pure white , light grey, off-white or very pale blue. A white background leaves too little contrast against light hair, fair skin and light clothing for reliable automated face detection. This is a real difference from the US, UK and most Asian standards, and it means a photo made for one of those will usually be refused in France.

Can I smile in a French passport photo?
No. The expression must be neutral with the mouth closed, eyes open and looking straight at the camera. France applies this strictly, as do the other Schengen states using the same ISO biometric standard.

What size is a France passport photo?
35×45mm (1.38×1.77 inches) at 600 DPI, on a plain light grey or blue background. The head must measure 32-36mm from chin to the top of the head.

What background color does France require for passport photos?
Plain light grey or blue. A background that does not match, the wrong shade, a gradient, a shadow cast behind you, or any visible texture or pattern, is one of the most common reasons a photo is sent back. This tool replaces whatever is behind you with the one the spec asks for.

Can I take a France passport photo with my phone?
Yes. Modern phone cameras produce more than enough resolution for the 35×45mm output. What matters is even lighting (no harsh shadows on your face), a straight-on angle, and a neutral expression. This tool handles the background and sizing.

What file size does this tool produce?
The output JPEG is kept under 240 KB while preserving the 600 DPI resolution the spec requires. Upload limits vary between government portals and consulates, so check the one you are filing through, if it caps lower, use our Image Compressor to reduce further.

Is my uploaded photo saved on your servers?
No. It is processed in memory and discarded as soon as the result is produced. The background model runs on the server because it is too large to run in a browser; nothing is written to disk or logged.

Can I print the France passport photo at home?
Yes. The output is a 600 DPI JPEG at exactly 35×45mm, so any inkjet or laser printer produces the correct physical size when you print at 100% scale (not "fit to page"). Use the 4×6 print sheet option to get multiple copies on one sheet of photo paper.

Do I need to sign up or pay?
No sign-up. Making the photo and checking it against the spec is free, guests get 5 a day and a free account 0. The finished photo without the watermark is $3, paid once, or included on Pro and Business plans.

What if the background removal is not perfect?
Hair, clothing edges and skin tones come out cleanly in most photos. If an edge looks wrong, re-shoot in indirect daylight, or skip the background swap and use the crop alone.
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