France visa photo size
A French visa photo is a print 35 to 40 mm wide, on a plain light background.
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France-Visas states no height, so this tool makes 35 by 45 mm, where a 32 to 36 mm face falls inside its 70 to 80 percent. Bring two, no more than six months old.
What the authority specifies
- Photo size
- 35 to 40 mm wide. No height stated
- Size this tool makes, in pixels at 300 DPI
- 413 x 531
- Background
- plain and light coloured
- File size
- No limit published
- Source
- france-visas.gouv.fr
- Read at the source on
Each size on this page was read at the issuing authority's own website, not copied from another converter or from a search result.
The page it came from and the date it was read are printed above, so you can check the same source in one click.
Why this size?
France-Visas is the official site French consulates send visa applicants to, and it states the photo three times. Its answers do not match.
The FAQ and the English photo guide both say 35 to 40 mm wide and give no height. The French guide, the one the FAQ links to, says the width and the length are each between 4 and 5 cm.
The face figures settle it. The FAQ asks for a face of 32 to 36 mm that is 70 to 80 percent of the picture. At 45 mm high those are 71 and 80 percent, so this tool makes 35 by 45 mm.
The French guide ends by saying it is only indicative, and that the visa service alone accepts or refuses a photo. If your visa centre's checklist names a size, follow that.
Where the pixel figure comes from
Passport offices publish millimetres, not pixels, because the photograph is printed. Turning millimetres into pixels needs a resolution, and most authorities do not name one.
This one does not, and it names a width with no height. So two things above are ours: the height, which makes the box 35 by 45 mm, and the 300 DPI the pixels are worked out at.
The width is the requirement; the height and the pixel figure are our choices on top of it.
The file you download records that resolution in its header, so a print dialog set to actual size uses it instead of guessing at 72 or 96 DPI and printing the photo several times too large.
That matters if you are uploading rather than printing.
An online form usually states its own pixel size or file size limit, and where an authority publishes one this page uses that instead of converting anything.
Check before you submit
Requirements change, and the only version that counts is the one on the authority's own page on the day you apply.
Every size here links to the page it came from and shows the date it was read. If that date looks old, spend a minute at the source before you print anything.
What happens to your photo?
Your selected photo is processed in your browser, without an image upload to a server. The page may download code and codecs needed for editing.
Save your result before closing the tab; unsaved edits are kept in memory rather than in an online account.
Common questions
What size is a French visa photo?
France-Visas asks for a photo 35 to 40 mm wide, with a face of 32 to 36 mm from chin to forehead, hair excluded. That face should be 70 to 80 percent of the picture.
It states no height. This tool makes 35 by 45 mm, the height those face figures fit.
Is a French visa photo 35 by 45 mm?
France-Visas does not say so. Its FAQ and its English guide give a width, 35 to 40 mm, and no height. A 35 by 45 mm print is inside that width.
Its French guide, dated 3 January 2006, says 4 to 5 cm each way. Only a print 40 mm wide meets both documents.
What background does a French visa photo need?
Plain and light coloured. The English guide asks for a plain light-coloured background, and the French one for a background in one light colour. Neither names a colour.
Neither forbids white, which the French passport rule does. A light grey or light blue background meets both rules.
Do I upload the photo to France-Visas, and how many KB?
France-Visas publishes no pixel size, no file size and no DPI for the photo. We searched its FAQ, its process page and both photo guides on 3 October 2026.
The process page lists two recent ID photos to bring with your file. At the appointment, it says, one photograph is scanned or taken on the spot.
The 120 KB limit some guides give is on none of those pages.
How many photos do I need, and how old can they be?
Two. The France-Visas process page asks for two recent ID photos in ICAO format. Both photo guides say no more than six months old.
You need one even when fingerprints from a visa issued in the last 59 months are reused. The FAQ says an identity photo must always be in the file.
What size is a French visa photo in pixels?
None is published, because the photo is a print. This tool makes 413 by 531 pixels, which is 35 by 45 mm at 300 DPI, and writes 300 DPI into the file so it prints at size.
The guides ask only for good photo paper and a high resolution.
Is a French visa photo the same as a French passport photo?
No. The passport rule fixes 35 by 45 mm, forbids a white background, and requires an approved photographer or booth.
The visa documents state a width only, ask for a plain light background, and do not say who may take the photo.
Can I wear glasses or a head covering?
Glasses are allowed if your eyes show clearly: no tinted lenses, no flash reflection, and frames that do not cover your eyes. The guide suggests lighter frames if you have them.
Head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons, with your face visible from chin to forehead and both edges clear.
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