The examples come from the U.S. Department of State’s published passport photo rules. Other authorities ask for much the same, with their own sizes and wording. The State Department publishes no figures on how often each reason occurs, so the order below is not a ranking.
Under each reason we say what our check does with it. Every rule in the report gets one of four results: “Looks right”, “Needs fixing”, “Needs a closer look” or “Not checked”. You cannot pay while a rule shows “Needs fixing” or a confirmation we asked for is missing. If a rule could not be measured, the report says so.
1. Shadows and uneven light
A dark side of the face, a shadow under the chin, or your own shadow on the wall behind you. The State Department asks for a background “free of shadows”, and a face that is too bright or too dark fails as well.
Fix. Face a window in daylight, switch the ceiling light off, and stand about a metre in front of the wall so your shadow falls on the floor. Do not brighten the photo afterwards. Take a new one.
Our check. Judged automatically: exposure, burnt-out or blocked-up areas, and how even the background is. By the ICAO portrait standard we also judge the range from dark to light from your hairline to your chin and from ear to ear. A shadow across the face alone is not measured separately, so look for it yourself. For a paper application you can ask us to correct the brightness once if the exposure of the photo you upload fails the check or, if it passes, to raise the contrast once when that range is below the 50% ICAO recommends. Before each of these edits you confirm that the State Department may reject such a photo. For online renewal we never change the photo.
2. The background
“Background must be white or off-white, free of shadows, and plain without texture, objects, or lines.” A door frame, a light switch, a skirting board or the folds of a sheet are enough.
Fix. Find a plain, light wall, or hang a white sheet and pull it tight. The State Department does not accept a background replaced in software. For this case it writes: “Do not enhance or change the photo using software or artificial intelligence tools.”
Our check. Judged automatically with three background measurements: colour, evenness and plainness. If one of them finds a problem with a photo for a paper application, you can ask us to replace the background, after you confirm that the State Department may reject such a photo. For online renewal we never change the background.
3. Head size and position
The head is too large or too small in the frame, off centre, tilted or turned. On a US paper application the head must measure 25 to 35 mm from chin to crown on the 51 x 51 mm print.
Fix. Have someone hold the camera at the height of your eyes, at least a metre away, with your head and shoulders in view and space around them. Move the camera instead of zooming. Keep your shoulders square to it.
Our check. Judged automatically on the finished photo: the number of faces, head tilt, centring, eye position and head height, measured from your chin to the top of your hair. The report names the standard behind each result. If a measurement is not possible on your photo, the row shows “Not checked”. If the face is too close to an edge to frame a photo at all, the report says why and payment is blocked.
4. Glasses
For US passports: “Take off any eyeglasses, sunglasses, or tinted glasses.” Glasses pushed up onto the head count too. If you cannot remove them for medical reasons, the State Department asks for a signed note from your doctor.
Fix. Take them off and take the photo again.
Our check. An image model looks at the finished photo. Glasses fail where the document bans them, as US passports do, or when they are tinted. With no answer the report shows “Not checked”.
5. Expression, eyes and anything covering the face
An open mouth, closed eyes, an exaggerated expression, hair across the eyes, a scarf or mask over part of the face. Hats come off. The State Department allows a religious or medical head covering with a signed statement, and the full face must stay visible. Uniforms and camouflage clothing are not allowed.
Fix. Relax your face, close your mouth, open both eyes and look straight into the camera. Move hair away from your eyes.
Our check. An image model looks at the finished photo: closed eyes or an open mouth block payment, and a smile is only pointed out. With no answer these show as “Not checked”. Before paying you confirm that your head covering and your clothing follow the rules.
6. An old photo
“Submit 1 color photo taken in the last 6 months.” An older photo can be refused even if you look the same.
Fix. Take a new one.
Our check. If the file carries a capture date, the age is judged automatically. If it does not, you confirm the age of the photo before paying.
7. An edited or filtered photo
“Submit the original, unchanged photo. Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence.” This covers beauty mode, skin smoothing, portrait effects, background removers and editing out red eye. The same page says: “Do not stretch or compress your image to resize it.”
Fix. Switch off every camera effect and take a new photo. Editing less does not rescue an edited one. For red eye, turn the flash off and add light in the room.
Our check. Judged automatically from the file data: if it names editing software, the report says so. A filter that leaves no trace in the file cannot be detected. Our own processing crops the photo and scales both sides by the same factor. For a paper US passport application it replaces the background, corrects the brightness or contrast, or softens shine on the skin only if you ask for it and confirm that the State Department may reject such a photo. For Polish, Spanish, French and Argentine documents it may also replace the background with a plain colour and turn the whole photo to level a tilted head. For Mexican passports and the Colombian online passport it may replace the background with white. For all of these it may also change the overall brightness or contrast and reduce a colour cast from the light, each once for the whole photo, and it softens shine on the skin only if you ask for it. We never enlarge the photo or change your features or the shape of your face.
8. A blurry photo or a poor print
The State Department describes the result it wants: “not blurry, grainy, or pixelated”. On paper the print itself is examined: “Print your photo on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.” Photocopies, scans and prints with holes, creases or smudges are refused.
Fix. Grain usually means a dark room, so add light. Print at actual size on photo paper and measure the print with a ruler before you attach it. A lab that scales the sheet “to fit” shrinks the photo. Printing guide
Our check. Sharpness is judged automatically. A photo for printing is made at 300 dpi from real pixels and never enlarged. We cannot see your print, so that check is yours.
9. The wrong file
This applies where the photo is uploaded, as in US online renewal: “The file size should be between 54 KB and 10 MB.” Messaging apps compress photos, and a photo of a printed photo is refused.
Fix. Use the original file from the camera. Move it by cable, email or your phone’s own sharing, never through a messaging app.
Our check. Judged automatically: format, file size, pixel dimensions and whether the file opens at all.
After a rejection
The letter or email from the authority names what was wrong and how long you have to answer. It is more specific than any checklist, this one included.
- Read the stated reason and fix that.
- Take a new photo. Do not send a corrected version of the old one.
- Run the new photo through the photo checker. The check and the preview with a watermark are free.
- Send it back the way the letter tells you to. We cannot submit anything for you.
If you already have a paid order with us. Upload the new photo to the same order. It costs nothing extra, as often as you need, and a photo that passes is approved automatically.
Refunds follow our refund policy. Send the request within 30 days of the payment.
Payments are in test mode. No order on this site can be paid with real money yet. The free check works.
The check is automatic. No person looks at your photo unless you ask our support to, and any such view is logged. We do not promise that a photo will be accepted. The issuing authority decides.
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Sources
Quotations are the U.S. Department of State’s wording as recorded in our document profiles. Read the source before you rely on a detail.