Why passport photos get rejected: 12 reasons and how to fix them

The 12 most common reasons

1. Wrong size or head size. The outer size is right but the head is too small or too big. Fix: crop by head height, not just by outer size.
2. Shadows on the face. Light from one side. Fix: face a window, turn off overhead lights.
3. Shadow or texture on the background. Fix: stand half a metre from a plain wall.
4. Glasses. Not allowed for US and Australian photos; risky elsewhere. Fix: take them off.
5. Edited or filtered photo. Beauty mode, skin smoothing or AI background replacement. Fix: submit the original and only crop it. More on the editing rule.
6. Blurry, grainy or pixelated. Fix: good light, steady camera, original file.
7. Too close or too far. The State Department says photos taken too close or too far away are rejected. Fix: 1–1.5 m distance.
8. Head tilted or turned. Fix: face straight on, shoulders level.
9. Wrong expression. A big smile outside the US, or eyes not fully open. Smiling rules.
10. Hair or a hat covering the face. Fix: hair away from eyes and eyebrows; hats only for religious or medical reasons.
11. Uniform, camouflage or headphones. Not allowed in US photos. Fix: everyday clothes, nothing in your ears.
12. Old photo. US photos must be taken in the last 6 months; UK photos within the last month.

The cost of a rejection

A rejected photo usually means your application is put on hold until you send a new one, which can add weeks. That's why it's worth checking before you send.

Check before you send

Upload your photo to the free passport photo checker. It measures head size and eye height, checks the background, light and colour, and tells you what to fix. To take a new one, the passport photo maker guides you live through the camera.