📷 Photo guide — how to take a photo that passes official checks

Shoot it loose — we crop it to the official standard

✓ Shoot it like this: full head with space above, both shoulders fully visible

→ We auto-crop to the official standard (head height 50-69% of the photo)

The official US, UK and Canada government guides agree on these rules. Each one maps to an automatic check on upload:

1. Camera & equipment
   Any modern phone (5MP+) or digital camera works. Best results: have someone else take the photo, or use a tripod. Selfies cause tilted heads and blur — we reject photos where the head is tilted more than 10°.
2. Distance & framing
   Stand about 1–1.5 m from the camera (roughly an arm's length and a half). Your whole head and shoulders must be in frame: too far away makes your face too small, too close can cut off your hair (both are rejected automatically).
3. Face the camera
   Look straight into the lens: head level, face forward, both eyes open, mouth closed, neutral expression (no smile, no frown). Turned heads and tilted chins are rejected.
4. Lighting (most important)
   Face a bright, even light source — a window works well. No backlight, no strong shadows on your face, no glare. Dark or uneven lighting is the #1 rejection reason.
5. Background
   Plain white or light-coloured wall or sheet, about half a metre behind you. A compliant background leaves the photo pixel-identical; a fixable one gets standardized to white (disclosed on the result page). Photos with obvious facial shadows or complex backgrounds are rejected — see the examples.
6. Clothing
   Dark or medium top that contrasts with the background. Avoid white, busy patterns and fine stripes.
7. Hair
   Keep hair off your face and eyes. Make sure the top of your hair is fully visible with a little space above it — photos where the head touches the top edge are rejected.
8. Glasses
   Remove glasses and sunglasses for passport photos. Sunglasses are detected and rejected automatically.
9. Recent photo
   Use a photo taken within the last 6 months (official US / UK / Canada requirement).
10. No editing
    Do not edit or filter the photo before uploading: US, UK and Canada officially forbid software- or AI-modified photos. Beauty filters break our automatic compliance checks.

Automatic checks on upload

See rejected-photo examples

Canada — strictest rules, please read

Canada officially requires an unaltered photo: no background changes, no shadow removal, no brightness/contrast edits, no retouching. The white background must come from your camera (plain white/light wall or sheet, no wall shadows) and your face must have no obvious shadows. Photos we cannot process are rejected with the reason and the official rule quoted. We deliver digital renewal photos only (3:2 portrait 1,200×1,800); the renewal form also asks for studio/photographer name, address and date. Paper applications (new passports, children) need an in-store commercial photographer (Walmart / Shoppers / London Drugs, ~C$15-25).