Why passport photos get rejected, and how to fix each one

1. The head is too big or too small

This is a distance problem, not a cropping problem. A camera held close fills the frame with the face; one far away shrinks it. On the 2 x 2 inch print, the head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to the top of the head.

Fix: stand several feet from the wall, have the photo taken from a few feet away, and crop afterward so the head lands inside the range. Leave room above the hair when you shoot, so the crop has something to work with.

2. Shadows, or a photo that is too bright or too dark

Shadows under the eyes and nose come from a ceiling light; one dark half of the face comes from a lamp or window off to the side. A washed-out face means too much direct light or flash.

Fix: face a window in daylight, switch off overhead lights, and check the face on the phone screen before you take the shot. If you see a shadow on the wall behind you, step farther away from it.

3. The background is not plain white or off-white

Blue walls, textured paint, tile, door panels, picture frames and visible lines all fail, and so does a white wall with a strong shadow on it.

Fix: use a plain light wall or pin a white sheet flat behind you, and stand a few feet in front of it so your shadow drops to the floor.

4. The photo was edited, filtered or had its background replaced

This includes beauty filters, skin smoothing, red-eye correction and apps that cut you out and paste you onto white. The State Department checks every photo for digital changes, and a background removed with a retouching tool changes the outline of the head, face and neck, which is one of its examples of an unacceptable photo.

Fix: use the original, unedited photo. Cropping and resizing a photo is how it gets to 2 x 2 inches; changing what is in it is the problem. If the background is wrong, take a new photo.

5. Glasses

Glasses are not allowed in U.S. passport photos, and resting them on top of the head does not count as taking them off. Only a medical reason, with a signed note from a doctor, allows them.

Fix: remove all eyewear before the shot, and check for marks from the nose pads if you wear glasses every day.

6. Blurry, grainy or pixelated, or printed on the wrong paper

Blur comes from camera shake or a moving subject; grain comes from dim light; pixelation comes from zooming in on a small photo or sending it by text message, which compresses it. On paper, office paper and photocopies fail.

Fix: use daylight, the camera’s full resolution and a burst of shots. Transfer the file by cable, AirDrop or email instead of text message, and print on matte or glossy photo paper.

7. The head is tilted, turned or looking down

A phone held below the chin makes people look down; a phone held off to one side turns the head and the shoulders. Both show up on the State Department’s list of unacceptable examples.

Fix: keep the camera at eye level and straight in front of you, shoulders square, chin level.

8. Eyes closed or hidden, or the mouth open

Blinks, squinting into bright light, and bangs over the eyes all fail. So does an open-mouth laugh, although a closed-mouth smile is fine.

Fix: push hair away from the eyes and take several shots. A baby’s eyes may be partly closed; anyone older needs both eyes open.

9. The photo is older than 6 months

Reusing a photo from an old application, a visa or last year’s ID card does not work. The photo must be recent and show you as you look now.

Fix: take a new one. It costs nothing if you do it at home.

What happens if the photo is rejected

The application is not thrown out over a photo. It is put on hold until a new photo arrives, which adds time. For online renewals, a State Department employee reviews the photo after the application is received and sends a letter or email asking for a new one if there is a problem.

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