Official error messages
Official photo upload errors, explained
What the error messages of official photo upload systems mean and how to fix them: US online passport renewal, US State Department photo tool, NZ passport photo checker, Thailand e-Visa photo upload, Vietnam e-Visa photo upload, India e-Visa photo upload. Each page quotes the exact message, explains which rule it checks and tells you how to retake or resize the photo.
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US online passport renewal
Looks like your eyes are covered
What the US online passport renewal error “Looks like your eyes are covered” means — closed, hidden or shadowed eyes — and how to retake the photo.
Read moreGlasses detected
The US online passport renewal rejects photos with glasses. What “Glasses detected” means, the medical exception, and how to retake the photo.
Read moreThere's a problem with the background
What the US online passport renewal error about the background means, and how to retake the photo so the background passes.
Read moreThere's a problem with the color in your photo
Why the US online passport renewal flags the color or lighting of your photo, and how to retake it in natural, even light.
Read moreYour head is not centered
What the US online passport renewal error “Your head is not centered” means — head size, position and tilt — and how to retake the photo.
Read moreYour mouth may be open
What the US online passport renewal message “Your mouth may be open” means, when you can still use the photo, and how to retake it.
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US State Department photo tool
Your photo does not need cropping: Photo dimensions are 600x600
What the US State Department photo tool means when it says your photo does not need cropping, and what it doesn't check.
Read moreOverall image quality may be poor (low resolution, lack of clarity, or overly compressed)
Why the US State Department photo tool rejects a photo as poor quality — usually an over-compressed JPEG — and how to make a file that passes.
Read moreMinimum photo dimensions are 600x600
Why the US State Department photo tool says the minimum photo dimensions are 600x600, and how to get a photo that is large enough.
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NZ passport photo checker
Thailand e-Visa photo upload
Image height must be at least 160 pixels.
Why the Thailand e-Visa portal says the image height must be at least 160 pixels, and how to upload a photo it accepts.
Read moreThe photo resolution is too low.
Why the Thailand e-Visa portal says the photo resolution is too low — your face is too small in pixels — and how to upload a photo that passes.
Read moreWe detected that your photograph might fail to meet the guidelines.
What the Thailand e-Visa photo warning means, what each of its suggestions refers to, and how to retake the photo so it passes the automatic check.
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Vietnam e-Visa photo upload
Portrait photo was captured from another source. Your application may be rejected. Please upload another photo
Why the Vietnam e-Visa site says your portrait was captured from another source — a photo of a photo or a screen — and how to fix it.
Read moreThe portrait photo does not meet the required resolution. Your application may be rejected. Please upload another photo
What the Vietnam e-Visa warning about portrait resolution means — usually a face that is too small — and how to upload a photo that won't be rejected.
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