Morocco visa photo rules from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Morocco’s visa photo standard is set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad. The canonical print is 35 × 45 mm on a pure white background, and the same image is what the acces-maroc.ma eVisa portal expects as a digital upload. The Ministry references ICAO Doc 9303 for the biometric details it does not spell out locally, so expression, pose, and framing are held to the standard international civil aviation rules.
Submission channels differ by jurisdiction, but the photo spec does not. Applicants going through TLScontact in Europe, BLS International in India, or VFS Global in select markets all need a 35 × 45 mm print, while the Moroccan Embassy in Washington DC and BLS centres in India also accept a 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in) variant for walk-in and mail-in dossiers. The eVisa portal is restricted to ordinary passports and accepts only JPG, JPEG, or PDF files up to 1 MB.
Enforcement is strict. A pure white background is mandatory, and Schengen-style light grey photos are routinely refused at TLScontact centres. The photo must be no older than six months, must reflect the applicant’s current appearance, and must differ from the one in the passport already held. A non-compliant photo means the application is returned at intake or rejected later in processing, which delays travel.
Morocco visa photo requirements
The rules below come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, the acces-maroc.ma eVisa terms of use, and the TLScontact and BLS visa application centres that intake on Morocco’s behalf.
Expression & pose
- Neutral expressionThe applicant must hold a neutral expression with the mouth closed. Smiling, frowning, and visible teeth are not accepted.
- Eyes open and visibleBoth eyes must be open, looking straight at the camera, and free of hair or frames crossing the pupils.
- Square to cameraThe head must face the camera directly with both edges of the face visible. Tilting or turning the head causes rejection at TLScontact and BLS intake.
Eyewear & lenses
- Prescription glassesClear prescription glasses are permitted by rule, but lenses must be free of glare and reflections and frames must not obscure the eyes. TLScontact often advises applicants to remove glasses entirely to avoid rejection.
- Tinted lensesSunglasses, photochromic lenses, and any tinted lenses are not accepted.
- Heavy framesThick frames that hide part of the eyes or eyebrows are not accepted.
Hair
- Hair off the faceHair must not cover the eyes, eyebrows, or the outline of the face. Bangs that sit above the eyebrows are acceptable.
Headwear
- General ruleHats, caps, and decorative head coverings are not accepted.
- Religious head coveringsHead coverings worn daily for religious reasons are permitted, provided the full face from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead remains visible and the covering casts no shadows on the face.
Jewelry & accessories
- Face must be unobstructedItems that cross or obscure the facial features, including large earrings near the jawline and facial piercings that sit on the photographed area, should be removed if they break the outline of the face.
Clothing
- Avoid white topsBecause the background is pure white, white or very pale clothing blends into the backdrop and is rejected by TLScontact. Wear a colour that contrasts with white.
- UniformsUniforms are not accepted unless the travel is on official business associated with that uniform.
Photo quality
- No shadows on the faceThe face must be evenly lit with no shadows cast by hair, hat brims, or strong side lighting.
- No red-eyeRed-eye is not accepted and cannot be digitally corrected after the fact.
- Current appearanceThe photo must be no more than six months old and must reflect the applicant’s current appearance. BLS India also requires the photo to differ from the photo in the applicant’s current passport.
Dimensions, resolution & background.
Head position & camera distance.
- Head height, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, must be between 33 mm and 37 mm (roughly 74–82% of the photo height).
- Eyes must sit between 20 mm and 25 mm from the bottom of the photo.
- The head must be centered horizontally in the frame with a small symmetrical margin on each side.
- Both shoulders must be square to the camera and visible. Three-quarter angles or rotated torsos are not accepted.
- The full face from chin to crown must be inside the frame with proper top margin.
How recent the photo must be.
Your visa photo must have been taken within the last six months. A new photo is required sooner whenever your appearance has changed in a way that makes the old photo no longer recognizable.
You need a new photo if you’ve had…
- Facial surgery or a major change to facial structure
- A significant gain or loss of weight that visibly changes your face
- Large facial tattoos or piercings added or removed
- A gender transition that has changed your appearance
You do not need a new photo just because of…
- A new hair color
- Growing or removing a beard or moustache
- Ordinary, minor aging
- A new hairstyle that still leaves the face fully visible
Photos for infants and young children.
Moroccan official sources do not codify infant-specific rules, but the standards applied in practice at consulates and visa centres relax the adult requirements as follows.
Infants (under 12 months)
Applies to infants below their first birthday submitted through any Moroccan visa channel.
- EyesEyes may be closed if the infant will not hold them open. Open eyes are still preferred where possible.
- ExpressionA neutral expression is not required. Any natural expression is accepted as long as the mouth is not wide open.
- Head positionStrict frontal alignment is relaxed. Modest head tilt is tolerated provided both eyes and the full face remain visible.
- Posing surfaceThe infant may be photographed lying on a plain white sheet so the background still reads as pure white.
- No other people in frameHands, arms, supporting cushions, and other people must not be visible anywhere in the frame.
Other things to know.
A few quirks of the Moroccan visa process do not fit cleanly into the subject rules above.
Jurisdictional size variants
The canonical Moroccan visa photo is 35 × 45 mm, and that is the size TLScontact requires across Europe. The Moroccan Embassy in Washington DC and BLS International in India accept US-style 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) prints instead. Submitting a 2 × 2 in print to a European TLScontact centre will be rejected.
eVisa channel restrictions
The acces-maroc.ma eVisa portal is open only to ordinary passport holders. Diplomatic, service, special, and refugee or stateless travel documents must be processed through a consulate or visa application centre instead.
Pure white, not Schengen grey
Morocco requires a pure white background. Photos taken to the common Schengen light-grey standard are routinely rejected at TLScontact intake, so a Schengen photo cannot be reused for a Moroccan visa application.
Must differ from passport photo
The submitted photo must be different from the one already inside the applicant’s current passport. Re-using the existing passport image is grounds for rejection at BLS India and is treated the same way at other Moroccan intake points.
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Print-quality requirements for in-person submissions.
When you submit a printed photo at a visa application centre, the paper, finish, and ink all matter. The points below cover the standards most consular missions accept.
- Print on photographic-quality paper at 300 DPI minimum.
- Use a matte or semi-gloss finish; high-gloss can produce reflections that confuse biometric scanners.
- Do not retouch, crop, or alter the photo after printing.
- Bring at least two identical prints when the submission channel calls for paper photos.