Shadows on the face or background
The number one reason. Stand facing a window, away from the wall, and avoid lamps from the side. A light plain background with no shadow is needed.
Wrong head size or position
The head must be centred and between the minimum and maximum size for your country. Use the right passport photo maker to crop it correctly.
Expression and eyes
Eyes open, looking straight at the camera, mouth closed and a neutral face. Read can you smile in a passport photo.
Glasses, hats and reflections
Glare on glasses is a common reason for rejection, and many countries now require glasses to be removed. See glasses in a passport photo.
Poor quality or editing
Blurry, grainy, over-filtered or heavily retouched photos are refused. Do not use beauty filters or change your features.
Wrong background colour
Colours differ by country. See background colour by country. If your background is not plain, use the ID photo background remover, then confirm that digital editing is allowed.
Wrong size or file
Wrong millimetre size, low pixels or a file over the KB limit. See digital size in pixels and KB.