Guides · Updated 2026-07-13
Passport photo rejected? The 8 most common reasons (and how to fix them)
A rejected photo is the single most common reason passport applications get delayed. The good news: rejections are almost always caused by one of eight well-known problems, and every one of them is fixable at home in minutes.
1. Shadows on the face or background
The most frequent rejection reason. Authorities require even lighting with no shadows behind your head or under your chin. Face a large window or place two light sources at 45 degrees on either side of your face, and stand at least half a metre away from the wall so your body doesn't cast a shadow onto it.
2. Head too large or too small
Every country specifies a head-height range — for a US passport it's 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm), for most 35 x 45 mm formats it's 32–36 mm from chin to crown. If you crop the photo yourself it's easy to get this wrong. Our tool overlays crown and chin guide lines for the exact document you select, so you can position your head correctly before downloading.
3. Wrong background color
The US wants white or off-white; the UK and Ireland want light grey or cream; France explicitly does not accept white. Check the requirement for your country and use the background replacement feature to apply a compliant color — it's more reliable than repainting a wall.
4. Glasses
The United States has banned glasses in passport photos since 2016, and Australia and several other countries follow the same rule. Where glasses are still allowed, frames must not cover any part of the eyes and lenses must not reflect light. The safe move: take them off.
5. Non-neutral expression
Mouth open, visible teeth, raised eyebrows or a tilted head all trigger rejections. Look straight at the camera with a relaxed, closed mouth. Some countries tolerate a slight natural smile; none tolerate a wide one.
6. Photo too old
Most countries require the photo to be taken within the last 6 months (Singapore: 3 months). If your appearance has changed significantly — new facial hair, major hairstyle change, glasses to no glasses — retake the photo even if the old one is technically recent.
7. Low resolution or over-compression
Digital submissions have minimum pixel requirements (600 x 600 for the US DS-160, 900 x 1200 for New Zealand). Phone photos are fine — the problem is usually screenshots, WhatsApp-compressed copies, or aggressive JPEG re-saving. Always upload the original file from the camera.
8. Printing at the wrong size
A perfectly composed photo still fails if it's printed at the wrong dimensions. Print the photo on a standard 4 x 6 inch sheet with cut lines — our HD download includes exactly that — and have it printed as a normal photo, never scaled to 'fit the page'.
Fix your photo now — free preview, exact official sizes