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Guide

Why passport photos get rejected, and how to fix each problem

Most passport and visa photos are rejected for a handful of reasons: a shadow or texture on the background, uneven light on the face, a head that is too small or too large, a tilted head or a sideways look, glare on glasses, a blurry or low-resolution image, a wrong file size, or any kind of editing. Almost all of them are fixed by retaking the photo, not by editing it. IDPlain checks your photo for each of these for free before you submit it.

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  1. 1

    Shadow on the background

    A dark patch behind your head or on one side of the wall. Fix it by standing about 1 m (3 ft) in front of the wall and facing a window so the light comes from the front. Don't remove it with software: replacing or cleaning up the background counts as altering the photo.

  2. 2

    Background not plain or not light enough

    Patterns, texture, door frames or objects behind you, or a grey wall where the document asks for white. Use a plain white or off-white wall or door, with nothing else in the frame.

  3. 3

    Uneven light on the face

    One side of the face much brighter than the other, or dark shadows under the eyes. Face a window in soft daylight, switch off ceiling lights and don't use the flash.

  4. 4

    Head too small, too large or off-centre

    Each document sets the head size as a share of the photo (for example 50–69% for a US visa photo). If the head is too small, the photo would have to be enlarged and would look blurry; if it is too large, there's no room above the head. Retake from about 1.5 m (5 ft) with your shoulders and some space above your head in the frame.

  5. 5

    Head tilted or not facing the camera

    Keep your head level and look straight into the lens, with your chin neither raised nor tucked in. Ask the helper to hold the phone level at your eye height.

  6. 6

    Eyes closed, mouth open or a big smile

    Keep a neutral expression with both eyes open and your mouth closed. Take several shots and pick one where you didn't blink.

  7. 7

    Glasses, glare or tinted lenses

    Several documents no longer allow glasses at all (the US says "Take off any eyeglasses"). Where they are allowed, the frames must not cover your eyes and there must be no glare; tilt them slightly down or move the light. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are never accepted.

  8. 8

    Blurry or low-resolution photo

    A photo taken in low light, with a moving hand, or a small copy from a chat app or screenshot. Use the original photo from the camera, in good light, with the phone held still.

  9. 9

    Wrong size, file size or file type

    Online systems check the pixel size, file size and file type, and print counters check the printed size. Use the exact size your document asks for, and print at 100% scale.

  10. 10

    An edited or filtered photo

    Beauty filters, background removal, AI enhancement and skin smoothing all count as altering the photo, and authorities say so explicitly. The US, for example: "Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence." Submit the photo as the camera took it, only cropped and resized.

Retake, don’t edit

Nearly every reason above comes down to the conditions when the photo was taken: the wall, the light, the distance and the pose. That’s why a retake fixes it, and why editing usually makes it worse: official systems look for signs of alteration, and a smoothed face or a replaced background can be enough for a rejection on its own.

Check before you submit

IDPlain measures each of these against your document’s official rule, on your device, and marks what to retake with a number and the rule it comes from. Items it can’t measure reliably, such as glare on glasses, are marked for you to confirm rather than passed automatically. Checking is free; the photo is never uploaded.

If an official site already showed you an error message, look it up in official photo upload errors, explained: each page quotes the message exactly and says what to change.

Frequently asked questions

My photo was rejected. Do I have to pay again?

Not with IDPlain within 30 days: redoing the same document is free. Retake the photo following the reason you were given, check it again and make new files. If a photo made with IDPlain is rejected even after a redo, you can tell us in My documents and get that document back.

Can I fix a rejected photo with editing software?

No. Editing is itself a reason for rejection under almost every official rule. The fix is a better photo: different wall, better light, the right distance.

Why was my photo accepted by an app but rejected by the official site?

An app's check is a pre-check; the official system or the person at the counter decides. Checks that measure against the published rule (head size, file limits) are reliable; things like texture or glare are harder to judge automatically, so IDPlain asks you to confirm those yourself instead of guessing.

What does a specific error message from an official site mean?

See our explanations of official photo upload errors, which quote each message exactly and say what to change.

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