Learn About France's Visa Photo Requirements [With Examples & Online Photo Tool]

France is one of the most popular countries to travel. Paris, the capital of France, is known by Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum. Additionally, you can go to the Alps or visit beaches on French Atlantic Coast. Some tourists are obligated to have a visa to come into France.

If you try to get a visa, you will have to take a correct photo, which will be accepted by the embassy. We prepared all the most important information about french visa photo requirements, which help you to get a visa to France.

French visa photo size and colours

The french visa photo has to fulfill some conditions. First of all, you need to prepare two identical photographs. The picture must be taken within the last six months. It is required to submit images in colour (not black and white) with 4.5 cm of height and 3.5 cm of width. Other dimensions will be rejected.

Additionally,  the visa photo in France must have natural brightness and contrast. The photo should be taken on a light-coloured background and with uniform lighting. There is no possibility to show any shadows, flash reflections or red eye effects. It is important that the head should take 70-80% of the photo.

French visa photo specification

In France, visa photo requirements include looking straight at the camera with a neutral face expression, the closed mouth. Secondly, the taken photo must be of high resolution, printed on high quality paper, with no ink marks or creases, in sharp focus and clear. The picture is needed to be printed professionally or taken in a passport photo booth. 

You cannot cover your face and your eyes have to be open and clearly visible, therefore there is no possibility to wear sunglyour head must be fully visible, without any covering, unless worn for religious or medical reasons. If you wear glasses, make sure that the frames do not obscure any part of your eyes.

• Background should be white or off-white in colour. Our photo generator will make it #fcfcfc, as suggested by official requirements.
• The French visa photo must be in colour
• Facial expression should be natural
• Headphones, jewellery, glasses and other items should not be worn
• Both eyes have to be open
• The height of the photo is 45 mm (0,45cm) and the width of the photo is 35 mm (Equivalents to 0,35 cm)
• One should face the camera directly with full face in view

Schengen visa France photo requirements

Schengen visa photo requirements in France are the same, allowing an intended to stay in the territory of the Schengen States for no more than 90 days in any 180 days period. It is called a “short stay visa”. There is also an “airport transit visa”, which permits a transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen States. 

The minimal allowable size of the head on the visa Schengen picture is 32 mm and the maximum is 36 mm. It is a very important requirement that printing resolution must be of at least 600 dpi.

If you have a Schengen visa, you can travel around “Schengen States”. There are 26 countries without border controls between them. These countries are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

What is not allowed in a French visa photo?

If you try to get a visa to France, take care of every element of the photo, otherwise your application will be rejected and you will have to redo the process. We prepared the most important tips and specifications, which will help you take a perfect visa photo to France. 

Your photo cannot be:

• outdated. It must be taken in the last six months;
• uncoloured, too lighted or darked, blurred, marked, creased, pixelated;
• not centered, too close or too far away.

In the picture you must not:

• be looking away,
• have eyes closed,
• cover your eyes and head, unless it is for religious or medical reason;
• smile or show any unnatural facial expression;
• stay sideways.

Baby or children visa photo - France

There are no special requirements for baby or children pictures for a visa. The photos must meet the general conditions listed for adults. Make sure there is only a child in the photo, the background is slightly light coloured and she or he has a neutral face expression and mouth closed. Any other thing like toys, teddy bears etc. cannot be visible on the baby's visa photo. 

Where to take a visa photo to France?

Everybody knows that you should go to the photographer to take a visa picture, because there are a lot of specifications for a photo to be accepted by the embassy or another department. You go, pay and get ready pictures, but it takes some time to look for a photographer, to drive, park and so on.  

Nowadays, today we have a fantastic moment in history, because technology allows us to have things done using your smartphone or computer. There is no difference in taking a photo for a French visa online and at a sport. There are a lot of photo tools, photo editors and validators concerning visa photos. Fortunately, you do not have to look for anything! We will help you. Read our tips, take a photo and upload it to our online app, allow verification of your photo by app and save your money and time! Remember, that you pay only for correct photos with a warranty of acceptance by authorities.

Sources:
https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/