Identity photos

Who can collect your digital headshot?

• Professional photographers
• Embassies and consular posts.

In French Guiana, Mayotte, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the territorial divisions of Wallis and Futuna, passport/ID photos may be taken directly at the counter when the application is submitted, if there is no professional photographer available.

Since 1 January 2019, Tahiti's communes no longer take photographs.

What are the requirements for an identity photo?

• Size: The photo must be 35mm wide by 45mm high. The size of the face should be 32 to 36mm, from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull (excluding hair).
   
• Photo quality: The photo must be clean, with no creases or marks.
   
• Brightness/contrast/colour: The photo should be neither over- nor underexposed. It must be correctly contrasted, with no shadows cast on the face or in the background. A colour photo is strongly recommended.
   
• Background: The background should be plain and light-coloured (light blue, light grey). White is not permitted.
   
• Head: The head must be uncovered; headgear is forbidden. The head must be looking forward.
   
• Gaze and expression: The subject must be facing the lens. The subject must be focused on the lens. Their expression must be neutral, and their mouth closed.
• Face and eyes: The face must be unobstructed. The eyes must be perfectly visible and open.
   
• Hair: Hair should not be covering the face. Bangs are acceptable as long as they do not cover the eyes. The ears must be unobstructed.
   
• Glasses and frames: Thick frames are not permitted. The frame must not hide the eyes. Tinted (or coloured) lenses are prohibited. There should be no reflections on the glasses.

Standard for affixing identity photographs to French identity and travel documents, in particular national identity cards and passports, as well as driving licences and residence permits for foreign nationals: ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005 standard