Monaco Passport Photo: Get the Exact Official Standard Right
Prepare a perfectly standard-compliant 35x45 mm Monaco passport photo with the correct light (not white) background, neutral expression and uncovered head.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Monaco 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 Monaco photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Monaco Passport 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 Passport photo: what matters
A Monaco passport application begins with a photo that meets the precise standard published by the Principality's official portal, monservicepublic.gouv.mc. The biometric image must be recent, in colour, and follow the same European-style requirements used across the Schengen area, with one distinctive twist that catches many applicants off guard. Getting the photo right before your appointment saves a rejected file and a second trip to the office.
The peculiarity in Monaco is the background. The rules call for a light, plain background that must NOT be pure white — a soft neutral grey (around #E6E6E6) is exactly what is expected. A bright white wall, a coloured backdrop, or any visible shadow behind the head will cause the photo to be refused. The image must also be recent, taken within the last 6 months, and reflect your current appearance.
- Size: 35x45 mm (827x1063 px), portrait orientation.
- Background: light plain grey (#E6E6E6) — never white or coloured.
- Face: fills 70-80% of the frame height, centred and facing the camera.
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, no smile.
- Glasses: not allowed.
- Headwear: head uncovered; religious headwear permitted only if the full face, from chin to forehead, stays visible.
- Recency: taken within the last 6 months.
- Common reasons photos are rejected in Monaco:
- A pure white or coloured background instead of the required light neutral grey.
- Eyes hidden by glasses, frames, or glare on the lenses.
- Ears or part of the face obstructed by hair or headwear.
- Smiling, an open mouth, or shadows falling across the face.
Our tool automatically crops and formats your picture to the exact Monaco 35x45 mm standard, so you can see precisely how a compliant photo must look. Please note an important honesty point: for the Monaco passport, the authority now requires the photo to be captured digitally on-site at the office or by a certified photographer with secure upload — a downloaded or home-made photo is generally not accepted for submission. Use the prepared image to verify the standard, plan your appointment, or for other personal needs, then have the official capture done by a professional.
What an accepted Passport photo looks like
Monaco · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
- Background
- Light plain
- Head in frame
- 70–80%
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Facial expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Headwear
- Only for religious reasons
- File
- JPG · ≤ 2 MB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.
Official requirements source: monservicepublic.gouv.mc
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Monaco Passport 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 Monaco Passport photos
What size is a Monaco passport photo?
Can the background be white?
Can I wear glasses in the photo?
Is a self-made or scanned photo accepted?
How recent must the photo be?
Can I smile in the photo?
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.