Burkina Faso National ID Card (CNIB) Photo — Exact Standard, Ready in Minutes
Get a perfectly standard-compliant 35x45 mm reference image for your Burkina Faso CNIB national ID card, prepared automatically to the exact official specification.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Burkina Faso does not accept a self-prepared photo. By law it must be captured on site by an authorised service and submitted electronically, so we cannot produce a submittable file for it. The official specification is shown below so you know exactly what to expect at your appointment.
This photo is captured on site — but we can make your Burkina Faso photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Burkina Faso National ID card photo has strict requirements, and a mistake costs time and money. We’ll show you how to pass on the first try.
It gets rejected
Wrong size, background or cropping — and the system returns the application.
Expensive and slow
A trip to a photo studio means a queue, time and €7–12 for a reshoot.
Confusing requirements
Exact size, head height, light background, facial expression — easy to get wrong.
Redo it all over
Rejected — take another photo, pay and submit again. Round and round.
«Below are the exact requirements from the official source, so you arrive at your appointment prepared.»
Ordinary photo → ready for submission
We remove the background and clutter, set the framing and lighting — keeping your face without «beautifying».
Your face stays yours — we do not change features, only the background, lighting and framing.
Your National ID card photo: what matters
The Carte Nationale d'Identite Burkinabe (CNIB) is the CEDEAO/ECOWAS biometric identity card issued by the Office National d'Identification (ONI). Its photo follows the West African biometric standard: a sharp, front-facing portrait on a pure white background, sized to 35x45 mm. This page prepares your picture to that exact specification so you can see precisely how a compliant CNIB photo must look.
There is one crucial peculiarity you must know. For the CNIB, the portrait is captured live during biometric enrollment at an ONI/CNIB center. When you attend your appointment, an agent photographs you on the spot together with your fingerprints and signature, so a downloaded or self-made photo is generally not accepted for domestic enrollment. The practical consequence: your job is not to bring a photo, but to arrive looking exactly like a compliant portrait — neutral, unobstructed, well-lit. Diaspora applicants processed through embassies or consulates may, in some cases, submit printed photos to the same 35x45 mm white-background standard, so always confirm the rule for your specific channel.
The official specification for a compliant CNIB-style portrait is:
- Size: 35x45 mm (827x1063 px at print resolution)
- Background: plain pure white (#FFFFFF), no shadows
- Face height: the face must fill 70-80% of the frame height
- Expression: neutral, eyes open, mouth closed
- Glasses: not allowed
- Headwear: forbidden (no hats, caps or scarves except for permanent religious wear)
- Recency: the portrait must reflect your current appearance (taken within the last 6 months)
- Common reasons photos are rejected in Burkina Faso:
- Wearing glasses or tinted lenses that hide or reflect on the eyes during capture
- A non-white or shadowed background, common with phone snapshots taken at home
- Smiling, an open mouth or tilted head instead of a neutral, straight-on pose
- Headscarves or caps that cover the hairline or cast shadow across the face
To prepare, upload any clear photo and it is automatically cropped and formatted to the exact 35x45 mm white-background standard, giving you a precise reference image. Be aware, honestly: because the CNIB requires on-site digital capture, this image is not a submission-ready photo for domestic enrollment. Use it to understand the standard, check your framing before your ONI appointment, prepare for a diaspora application that accepts prints, or for other personal needs. Knowing exactly how a compliant photo looks is the surest way to avoid a wasted trip.
What an accepted National ID card photo looks like
Burkina Faso · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
- Background
- White plain
- Head in frame
- 70–80%
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Facial expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Headwear
- Not allowed
- File
- JPG · ≤ 2 MB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.
Official requirements source: consulatburkinaparis.org
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Burkina Faso National ID card photo gets rejected — and how to avoid them. Compare good and bad shots.
1Format and freshness
A color photo taken no more than 6 months ago.
2Lighting and background
Even light with no shadows on the face; a plain light background, without glare.
3Head position
Face head-on, head centered, no tilt or turn.
4Facial expression
Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.
5Glasses and accessories
No glasses (especially sunglasses); eyes fully visible, without glare.
6Headwear
Only for religious reasons and not covering the face — the face fully visible.
7Clothing
Ordinary everyday clothes; no uniforms or face-covering clothing.
Common questions about Burkina Faso National ID card photos
Can I submit a self-made photo for the Burkina Faso CNIB?
What size must a Burkina Faso ID card photo be?
Can I wear glasses in my CNIB photo?
What background colour is required?
Is headwear allowed on the photo?
Why does the CNIB use on-site photo capture?
Your photo is protected
A photo is personal data, so we handle it carefully and in line with GDPR. We process it only to prepare the document and delete it within clear deadlines.
- Only with consentWe process the photo only after your explicit consent before upload.
- Auto-deletionWe delete the source photo within a day, the ready file after 7 days.
- No sharing with third partiesYour photos are not sold or used to train any third-party systems.
- Deletion on requestYou can ask to delete your data at any time — with a single request.