Moroccan Passport Photo Requirements in Montreal

A Moroccan passport photo is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, about the size of a large postage stamp. That is the format Morocco's consular services ask for, and it is the same for adults, teenagers and children.

You hand in two identical photos, from the same shoot, and they must be recent. The official pages do not put a number of months on "recent", so the safe reading is simple: a photo that looks like you on the day you file, not one left over from an older application.

The print has to be clean and sharp, with no stains, ink marks or creases, and in colour.

The Moroccan passport photo background is the one rule where the official sources do not say exactly the same thing, so it is worth a minute.

Morocco's consular services page for passports issued abroad asks for a white or light blue background. The photo standards published by Morocco's national passport service list light blue or light grey, and do not mention white.

Light blue appears in both lists. That makes it the colour that keeps you clear of either reading, and it is what we recommend for a Moroccan passport. Whatever the colour, the background must be plain and even, with no shadow behind your head.

If your consulate gave you its own instruction sheet or form, follow it: those instructions are written for your application. Bring the sheet when you come for your photo and we will match it.

Headscarf. A Moroccan passport photo can be taken with a headscarf, as long as the whole face shows, from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. A veil that covers the face is refused, and so is any hat or cap.

Glasses. You do not have to wear them. If you keep them on, the lenses must be clear, never tinted, the frames must not hide your eyes, and there can be no reflection on the glass. Taking them off for the photo is the easiest way to avoid glare.

Children. A child is photographed alone. If a parent holds or steadies the child, nobody else may show in the photo, not even a hand or a shoulder at the edge. For a baby or a very young child, the official standards ask less: the head straight and the face turned towards the camera are enough. The two photos are still required for children under 12.

Many people renew their Moroccan passport and their national ID card (CNIE) at the same time, and each application asks for its own photos.

Passport: two identical, recent 35 x 45 mm photos, on a white or light blue background.

CNIE: two recent, front-facing colour photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm, which is the same 35 x 45 mm, on a light background, with the face uncovered and no dark glasses.

So for both documents, plan on four photos from the same shoot. An adult's passport is issued on the basis of a valid CNIE, or the receipt for a CNIE application, so the two files often go together. Asking for a few extra prints costs far less than a second trip.

A Moroccan passport application from Canada is filed in person at the consular service for your place of residence, by appointment, and you must be registered with the consulate. The official rules make your presence compulsory when you file. Minors come with a parent or legal guardian, and teenagers aged 12 to 18 without a CNIE have their fingerprints taken at the consulate.

The passport is valid for five years, or three years for a child under three, and it cannot be extended. The document list, the consular fees and the appointment system are set by the consular services and can change, so check them on the official pages below before you go.

• A Canadian-format 50 x 70 mm photo, or one trimmed down from a larger print

• A background that is not plain and light, or a shadow behind the head

• A smile, an open mouth, or eyes half closed

• The head tilted or turned instead of facing the lens

• Tinted glasses, frames over the eyes, or glare on the lenses

• A hat or cap, or a veil that hides part of the face

• A child's photo with a parent's hand or shoulder in the frame

• Two photos that are not identical, or prints with stains or ink marks

Moroccan passport photos are part of our international passport photo service at 683 Rue Jean-Talon O in Montreal. We shoot on the plain light background the Moroccan rules call for and print two identical 35 x 45 mm photos, or four when you are renewing your CNIE at the same time.

No appointment is needed, and photos are usually ready in about 15 minutes.

You can get prints, a digital file or both. Current prices are on our international passport photo service page. We have been taking passport and visa photos for over 20 years, and we check the current official requirements before each shoot. If your consulate gave you an instruction sheet, bring it along.