Passport photo guides
When something goes wrong with a document photo, it's almost always one of a handful of known problems. These guides cover the ones that actually cause rejections.
Passport photo rejected? The 8 most common reasons (and how to fix them)
Why passport photos get rejected: shadows, wrong head size, glasses, expression, background, resolution, age of photo and printing errors — with fixes for each.
Updated 2026-07-13
How to take a baby passport photo at home (that actually gets accepted)
Step-by-step guide to taking an acceptable passport photo of a baby or infant at home: positioning, lighting, expression rules and country-specific exceptions.
Updated 2026-07-13
Can you wear glasses in a passport photo? Country-by-country rules
Where glasses are banned (US, Australia), where they're allowed with conditions (UK, Canada, EU) and the reflection/frame rules that cause rejections.
Updated 2026-07-13
Passport photo rules for hijabs, turbans and religious head coverings
How to take a compliant passport photo with a hijab, turban, kippah or other religious head covering: face-visibility rules by country and common rejection causes.
Updated 2026-07-13
Germany's 2025 digital-only passport photo rules, explained
Since May 2025 Germany only accepts digitally transmitted passport photos. What changed, how the QR-code photo process works, and what it means for photos taken at home.
Updated 2026-07-13
Is your passport photo too blurry? A 30-second self-check
How sharp does a passport photo need to be, how to check focus and resolution before submitting, and why compression — not the camera — usually causes blur rejections.
Updated 2026-07-13