Passport and visa photo guides

Practical answers for specific documents, checked against the official rules.

• How to take a passport photo at home with your phoneSet up the light, the wall and the camera so a phone photo meets US and UK passport rules. Pictures of what works and what gets rejected.
• What to wear for a passport photo – clothes, hats, glasses and jewelleryOfficial US, UK and Canada rules on clothing colour, uniforms, head coverings, glasses, headphones, jewellery and hair, with pictures of what works.
• Passport photo background colour – white, cream or light grey?US photos need white or off-white, UK printed passport photos cream or light grey, and Canada white or light-coloured. Why you can't just edit the background.
• Passport photo file too large? Size limits and how to fix itOnline forms reject phone photos for file size. DS-160 allows 240 KB, UK passports 50 KB to 10 MB, US renewal 54 KB to 10 MB. How to fix it without losing quality.
• Glasses and glare in a passport photo – US, UK and Canada rulesUS passport and visa photos don't allow glasses, the UK says avoid them, and Canada allows them with no glare. How to deal with reflections.
• Shadows on a passport photo – why they get it rejected and how to fix themOfficial US, UK and Canadian rules ban shadows on your face and behind you. Where they come from in a home photo, and how to retake it without editing.
• UK passport photo rejected online? The GOV.UK rules and how to fix itA UK online passport photo must be 600 x 750 px or more, 50 KB to 10 MB, unaltered, with no shadows and your mouth closed. How to fix each problem.
• US passport online renewal photo – upload rules and why photos get rejectedRenewing a US passport book or card online? Upload one colour JPG, PNG or HEIC photo between 54 KB and 10 MB, on white, no glasses. What gets a photo rejected.
• Cambodia e-visa photo – what the official site asks for, and why sizes differ onlineThe Cambodia e-visa asks only for a recent passport-size photo as a JPEG or PNG. Why other sites quote 35 x 45 mm or 4 x 6 cm, and which to use.
• China visa photo rejected – the head size and file rules that catch peopleChina visa photos are 33 x 48 mm, or 354x472 to 420x560 px and 40–120 KB online, with the head 28–33 mm tall on white. Why photos get rejected.
• DS-160 photo rejected or upload failed – what to fixThe DS-160 photo must be a square colour JPEG, 600x600 to 1200x1200 px, 240 KB or less, on white, with no glasses. What to fix when the upload fails.
• DV lottery photo – 600x600 px, 240 KB, and the mistakes that disqualify entriesThe Green Card Lottery photo must be a square 600x600 px JPEG of 240 KB or less on white or off-white. A photo that breaks the rules disqualifies the entry.
• EAD photo for Form I-765 – online upload and paper filingForm I-765 needs a 2x2 inch passport-style colour photo on white or off-white. Online filers upload one as a JPEG or PNG; paper filers mail two identical prints.
• OCI photo – square, 200 KB, and why the background must not be whiteOCI card photos are square, 200x200 to 900x900 px, JPEG up to 200 KB, face about 80% of the photo, on a plain light background that is not white.
• Pakistani passport renewal from the UK – the online photo rulesRenewing a Pakistani passport online from the UK? The photo is 35x45 mm on plain white, face 70–80% of the photo, with 3–5 mm between the crown and the top edge.
• Schengen visa photo – 35 x 45 mm, face 70–80%, and the mistakes consulates rejectSchengen visa photos are 35–40 mm wide (usually 35 x 45 mm), face 70–80% of the photo, plain light background, under 6 months old. What gets photos rejected.
• USCIS photos for the green card (I-485), advance parole (I-131) and N-400USCIS forms ask for two identical 2x2 inch colour photos on white or off-white, head 1 to 1 3/8 in. Here's who needs them, and how to print them at home or a pharmacy.
• Nigeria passport photo rejected? The NIS online rules and how to fix itWhy the NIS online passport portal rejects photos, and how to fix each one. The rules are 600x800 px, under 2 MB, white background, hair off the face and ears.
• Pakistan visa photo from the UK – size, pixels and uploadApplying for a Pakistan visa from the UK? The online system needs a 350x467 px or larger JPEG under 350 KB on white, face 70–80% of the photo.