Mali Residence Card Photo — Exact Requirements & Ready File

A correctly prepared photo is one of the most common sticking points when applying for a Mali residence permit (carte de séjour or titre de séjour). Mali's immigration authorities follow the national ICAO-aligned standard: a 35×45 mm print (827×1063 px at 600 dpi) on a pure white background, with the face occupying 71–80% of the frame height. Submitting a photo that meets every requirement precisely means your application moves forward without unnecessary delays or costly repeat appointments.

Mali's residence permit is issued to foreign nationals residing in the country and is processed through the Direction Générale de la Police Nationale and related prefectural offices. While Mali follows the broadly recognised ICAO 35×45 mm format shared across much of Francophone West Africa, officials apply the standard strictly at the counter — a slightly off-white background, a shadow across the face, or a photo older than six months is enough to have the entire dossier returned. Because appointment slots can be difficult to reschedule, getting the photo right the first time is genuinely important.

• Size: 35×45 mm (827×1063 px)
• Background: pure white (#FFFFFF) — no off-white, cream, or grey tones
• Face coverage: face must fill 71–80% of the total frame height
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes fully open and looking directly at the camera
• Glasses: permitted only when eyes are completely visible; no tinted lenses, no reflective glare
• Head covering: allowed for religious reasons only; face must remain fully uncovered from forehead to chin
• Recency: photo must have been taken within the last six months
• Lighting: even, no shadows on the face or background; no red-eye
• Print quality: sharp focus, natural skin tones, no pixelation or compression artefacts

• Common reasons photos are rejected in Mali:
• Background is ivory, light grey, or has a visible gradient rather than true white — a very frequent issue with home-printed or phone-booth photos
• Face proportion falls outside the 71–80% range — either too small (full-body visible) or cropped so tightly the forehead is cut off
• Shadows across the chin or neck caused by overhead lighting, which is common in informal photo studios
• Photo is more than six months old — prefectural staff routinely ask for a recent photo even when the applicant presents one taken only a few months earlier

To get your photo ready, upload a clear, forward-facing picture taken against any plain background — our tool automatically crops and sizes it to the exact 35×45 mm (827×1063 px) specification, corrects the background to pure white, and checks face proportions against the 71–80% standard. You receive a free watermarked preview before any payment, so you can confirm the result fits before you commit. If the photo is ever rejected by the issuing authority, we will redo it at no charge or provide a full refund — you only pay for a photo you are satisfied with.