Ivory Coast Passport Photo: The Exact ONECI Biometric Standard

The Ivory Coast passport photo follows the strict facial-image standard used for the Ivorian biometric ECOWAS passport, issued through the Office National de l'Identification (ONECI). The portrait must be a sharp, front-facing image on a plain white background with a neutral expression — the same ICAO-aligned format used across West African biometric travel documents.

Here is the most important point that sets this document apart: for the Ivorian biometric passport, the facial photo is captured live on-site during biometric enrollment at an ONECI agency. When you attend your appointment, an operator photographs you directly alongside your fingerprints and signature. Because of this, a self-made or downloaded photo is generally not submitted for the passport itself. The official reference standard still matters, though — knowing exactly how a compliant image must look helps you arrive ready, groomed, and confident that your live capture will pass.

The governing reference specification is:

• Size: 35x45 mm (827x1063 px)
• Background: plain white (#FFFFFF), evenly lit, no shadows
• Face size: the head fills roughly 70-80% of the frame height
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and visible
• Glasses: not allowed
• Headwear: forbidden (no hats, caps or non-religious head coverings)
• Recency: the portrait must reflect your current appearance (taken within the last 6 months)

Common reasons photos are rejected in Ivory Coast:

• Wearing glasses — reflections and frames obscure the eyes and break biometric matching, so lenses must be removed.
• A tinted or off-white background — anything other than pure white interferes with facial recognition.
• Smiling or an open mouth — only a neutral, closed-mouth expression is accepted for the biometric template.
• Head too small or too large in the frame — the face must fill 70-80% of the height; cropping outside this range is refused.

Our tool automatically crops and formats your own picture to this exact 35x45 mm ONECI/ECOWAS standard, so you get a perfectly compliant reference image in seconds. Be aware, though: because Ivory Coast now requires the passport portrait to be captured digitally on-site at an ONECI agency, a downloaded or self-made photo is generally not accepted for the actual submission. Use the generated image to see precisely how a compliant photo should look, to prepare for your enrollment appointment, or for other documents and personal use. Honest preparation is the surest way to walk into your appointment ready.