French Foreign Legion Tattoo and Tattoo Policy

French Foreign Legion and the tattoo. Are legionnaires tattooed or not? Are you allowed to be tattooed, when you are joining the French Foreign Legion? What is the French Foreign Legion tattoo policy?

Within the Foreign Legion, a tattoo has a long tradition. Only legionnaires, mariners and prisoners were well-known in France for being tattooed 100 years ago. So, there is no problem if you have got a tattoo and want to become a legionnaire. But, as always, there are some tattoo rules that can disqualify you from joining the Foreign Legion.

French Foreign Legion legionnaire - old tattoo 1949 — A tattooed legionnaire in Algeria in 1949. In the old days, the tattoo was predominately a symbol of French legionnaires (like this one in the image). Foreigners with rich tattoes were rare in the Legion.

Banned or inappropriate tattoos for enlistment in the Foreign Legion:

the Nazi and racist tattoo (Nazi-swastika, A.Hitler, Ku-Klux-Klan for example)
a stupid tattoo on your face/arms, even if it seems to be small
(if you have a little drop near your eye, you can try to join; if you have a vagina tattoo between your eyes or a penis tatoo on your arm, stay at home)
a larger tattoo across your face (a genuine tribal tattoo is allowed in some cases)

Be aware, as a legionnaire, you will represent the Foreign Legion during your service years. So, if you have a tattoo, it is better to look at it and ask yourself: “Will my tattoo harm the Legion in public?” If your answer is NO, you can try to join in…