Monaco Passport Photo Requirements — 35 × 45 mm, Light Background
Monaco’s official note is short and specific: a recent colour identity photo, a photographer’s photo (de photographe), on a light background, taken face-on, with the head bare, without smiling, at 35 × 45 mm, and with clear lenses if glasses are worn. The note we verified does not publish a head-height, a number of photos or a resolution, so none is claimed here. Verified against the Monaco government explanatory note, September 2026.
The 15-second answer
- Size: 35 × 45 mm.
- Background: light (fond clair).
- Colour: colour identity photo, and recent.
- Taken by a photographer (de photographe), face-on.
- Head bare (tête nue) and no smiling (sans sourire).
- Glasses: clear lenses (lunettes claires) if worn.
The rules, in the official wording
The Monaco note compresses the whole specification into one sentence: “La photo d’identité couleur doit être récente, ‘de photographe’, sur fond clair, de face, tête nue, sans sourire, de format 35 x 45 mm, lunettes claires le cas échéant.” Read it as a checklist: the photo is in colour and recent; it is a photographer’s photo rather than a casual selfie; the background is light; the pose is face-on; the head is bare; there is no smile; the format is 35 × 45 mm; and if you wear glasses, the lenses must be clear.
Getting the size and background right
35 × 45 mm is the portrait frame shared with many European and African passports; it is the same as the Malta and Benin frames. The background requirement here is a description — light — not a colour code, so pick a plain, evenly lit light wall rather than chasing an exact shade. The general approach is covered in the backgrounds guide, and you can lay the frame out with the photo print sheet.
What is not published
The official note we verified states the size, the background description and the pose and accessory rules, but it does not publish a head-height or head-proportion figure, a number of photos, a resolution (dpi) or a file-size rule, and it has no back-annotation clause. Rather than borrow another country’s thresholds, this page states none of them. Supply a recent colour photographer’s photo at 35 × 45 mm on a light background, and confirm any remaining requirement with the Monegasque authority handling your application.
A note on scope
This specification comes from the Monaco government’s official passport explanatory note (Note explicative passeport). The copy we verified is an archived official version, so treat it as the published rule while confirming current practice with the authority. The heading rules it shares with its neighbours are gathered on the size chart.
60-second Monaco check
- ☐ Size 35 × 45 mm
- ☐ Light background, plain and even
- ☐ Colour, recent, taken by a photographer, face-on
- ☐ Head bare; no smile
- ☐ Glasses only with clear lenses
- ☐ Check the finished image before you submit
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Monaco passport photo?
35 x 45 mm, as stated in the official Monaco passport explanatory note.
What background does a Monaco passport photo need?
A light background (fond clair). The official note describes it rather than giving a colour code.
Can I take the photo myself?
The official note asks for a recent photo 'de photographe' - a photographer's photo - taken face-on.
Can I smile in the photo?
No. The official note specifies 'sans sourire' - without smiling.
Can I wear glasses or a hat?
The note requires the head to be bare (tete nue). If glasses are worn, the lenses must be clear.
How many photos, and is there a resolution rule?
The official note we verified does not state a number of photos, a resolution or a file size, so none is given here. Supply a recent colour photographer's photo at 35 x 45 mm.
Official source: gouv.mc (Gouvernement Princier de Monaco) — “Note explicative passeport”, official PDF retrieved 2026-09-27 via an archived official copy. Confidence A (official text, quoted verbatim). Head proportion, number of photos, resolution and file size are not published in this note.
Related: the 35 × 45 mm frame is also used by the Malta passport photo, the Czech passport photo and the Benin passport photo; compare all formats on the size chart. Produce a clean print with the printing guide and check a finished photo with the passport photo checker.