You can’t make a France passport photo online — not with IDPhotoBy, and not with any self-service tool. France’s Ministry of the Interior requires your identity photo to be taken by an approved professional photographer or in an approved photo booth (a booth running a system approved by the ministry). Because no application channel accepts a self-made, uploaded or software-cropped photo, IDPhotoBy does not prepare photos for a France passport.
This page explains the official rule, the exact photo requirements, how the approved route works — and where IDPhotoBy can help with document photos online instead.
The French government is specific about who takes the photo. The official public-service page for identity-document photos — published by the DILA (Prime Minister’s office) for the Ministry of the Interior — states:
« La photo doit être prise par un professionnel habilité ou dans une cabine utilisant un système agréé par le ministère de l’intérieur. »
“The photo must be taken by an approved professional or in a booth using a system approved by the Ministry of the Interior.”
This is about the origin of the photo, not just its size. The same page warns that a non-compliant photo is rejected outright:
« Si la photo ne respecte pas les caractéristiques, elle sera rejetée et le titre d’identité ne sera pas délivré. »
“If the photo does not meet the requirements, it will be rejected and the identity document will not be issued.”
What about applying online? France’s online pre-application (pré-demande, via the ANTS national agency) still relies on a photo produced by an approved photographer or approved booth — either a conforming printed photo you bring to your in-person appointment, or a signed digital ANTS ePhoto code the photographer or booth issues. Submitting online is not the same as making your own photo: there is no channel in which a self-service, uploaded, cropped or background-changed photo is accepted for a France passport.
For reference, here are the official photo requirements from service-public.fr. An approved photographer or approved booth produces a photo to this specification:
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|
| Size | 35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm) |
| Number of photos | 1 |
| Face size | 32–36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull, excluding hair (70–80% of the photo) |
| Background | Plain, light-coloured (for example light blue or light grey); a white background is not allowed |
| Colour | A colour photo is strongly recommended |
| Recency | Taken within the last 6 months, and a true likeness |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible, looking straight at the lens |
| Head | Bare and straight, facing the camera; hair must not cover the face; no shadow on the face or in the background |
| Glasses | Optional; a thin frame that does not hide the eyes, with lenses that are not tinted, coloured or reflective |
All of the values above are official French requirements as published on service-public.fr (fiche F10619, verified 11 March 2026). The same photo rules apply to a France passport and a French national identity card.
To get an accepted France passport photo:
- Go to an approved photographer or an approved photo booth. The photo must come from a professional or booth approved by the Ministry of the Interior — that is the only accepted source.
- Find one near you with the official ANTS tool. service-public.fr links to the national agency’s finder to “find the contact details of approved photographers and approved booths.”
- Choose printed or digital. For a paper photo, the photographer or booth gives you a conforming print for your in-person town-hall (mairie) appointment. For the online pre-application, they issue a signed ANTS ePhoto code — a digital photo — that you enter during the pré-demande.
A couple of generic things help at any photographer or booth: keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed, and remove hats or headbands so your head is bare. The photographer or booth handles the sizing, the light-coloured background and the print or ePhoto code so the photo meets the specification.
IDPhotoBy prepares document photos online only where the issuing authority accepts a self-prepared, uploaded photo. A France passport isn’t one of those — and neither is a French national identity card, which follows the same rule. There is nothing for us to prepare for a France passport.
If you’re preparing a different document whose authority does accept an uploaded photo, IDPhotoBy can help — see the documents we support.
See the documents IDPhotoBy supports →
Requirements can change — check the official service-public.fr requirements for identity-document photos before you apply, and treat the official application portal (ANTS) as the final authority.
