Benin Passport Photo Requirements — 35 × 45 mm, White Background
For a Benin biometric passport the photo is a straightforward, strict set: a colour identity photo taken within the last six months, in the passport format 35 × 45 mm, on a white background, supplied as PNG or JPEG — and scanned photos are not accepted. Verified against the official gouv.bj requirement, September 2026.
The 15-second answer
- Size: 35 × 45 mm (official “format passeport”).
- Background: white (fond blanc).
- Colour: colour identity photo — not monochrome.
- Recency: taken within the last six months.
- Format: PNG or JPEG; scans are refused.
- Count & head height: not published in the text we verified.
Size and background, in the official wording
The requirement lists the photo’s characteristics directly. It asks for “format passeport (35mm/45mm)” — the standard portrait passport frame of 35 mm wide by 45 mm high — and a “fond blanc”, a white background. Both are given as explicit conditions rather than guidance, so aim for a clean white wall and frame the photo to 35 × 45 mm exactly. The general light-setup advice is in the backgrounds guide.
Colour, recency and the digital file
The same clause fixes three more points. The photo must be “en couleur” (in colour) and “datant de moins de six (06) mois” — taken within the last six months. For the file itself, the wording allows “format PNG ou JPEG” and then adds a hard stop: “aucune photo scannée ne sera acceptée” — no scanned photo will be accepted. That rules out photographing a print or running a print through a flatbed and submitting the result; supply a genuine digital image or a fresh capture. Check the file side with the passport photo checker before you upload, and see the digital file requirements guide for the general pixels-and-kilobytes rules.
What is not published
Two things are worth stating plainly because people expect to find them and this page will not invent them. The official text we verified does not state a number of photos to submit, and it does not publish a head-height or face-proportion figure. Rather than borrow another country’s thresholds, both are left open here — confirm the count when you book or apply, and frame a clear, full-front colour portrait inside the 35 × 45 mm size.
60-second Benin check
- ☐ Photo is 35 × 45 mm (passport format)
- ☐ White background, plain and even
- ☐ Colour photo — not black and white
- ☐ Taken within the last six months
- ☐ Supplied as PNG or JPEG — not a scan
- ☐ Clear, full-front view; confirm photo count with the authority
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Benin passport photo?
The official requirement gives the passport format as 35 mm x 45 mm.
What background colour does a Benin passport photo need?
A white background (fond blanc). This is stated directly in the official requirement.
Does the photo have to be in colour, and how recent?
Yes, it must be a colour identity photo taken within the last six months.
What file format should the digital photo be?
The official wording allows PNG or JPEG. Scanned photos are not accepted.
How many photos do I need for a Benin passport?
The section of the official requirement we verified does not state a number of photos, so this page does not give one. Confirm the current count with the passport authority or the ePassport portal.
Is there a head-height rule for Benin passport photos?
No head-height or face-proportion figure is published in the official text we verified, so none is stated here. Follow the 35 x 45 mm frame with a clear, full-front colour portrait.
Official source: gouv.bj (Government of Benin portal) — biometric passport renewal notice for Beninese citizens abroad (DEI announcement / Washington embassy release, 2021-07-27), retrieved 2026-09-27. Confidence A (official text, quoted verbatim). The same text does not publish a photo count or a head-height figure, so neither is stated here.
Related: the 35 × 45 mm frame is also used by the Malta passport photo and the Czech passport photo; browse every format on the size chart. Confirm the digital file against the digital file requirements guide, lay copies out with the photo print sheet, and check a finished image with the passport photo checker.