Is a white background always correct?

No. Canada and the United States want plain white or off-white. The UK wants light grey or cream, and Germany wants light grey. A white photo sent to a country that requires grey can be refused on background alone.

Can I wear glasses or a head covering?

It depends on the issuing authority. The US has not accepted glasses since 2016, except for a documented medical reason. Canada allows glasses if the eyes are clear, with no glare or tint. Head coverings worn for religious reasons are usually allowed when the face from chin to forehead stays visible. Check the country page for that document.

How recent does the photo have to be?

Most passport authorities want a photo taken within the last six months, and it must look like you now. A haircut, new glasses, or a change in facial hair is enough for a photo to be treated as out of date.

Do babies follow the same expression rules?

No. Canada, the US and the UK relax the neutral-expression rule for infants. The eyes should be open where possible, the face unobstructed, and nobody else in the frame. The size and background rules still apply.

Reference

Passport photo requirements

Four groups of rules decide whether a photo is accepted. They are not equally important: size and head position cause more rejections than everything else combined, and they are the only ones you cannot judge by eye.

Size and head position

The measurement that fails most often. Authorities do not check that your photo looks nice, they check that your head occupies a specific number of millimetres.

Exact outer dimensions: The photo must match the published size for the document, such as 50x70 mm for Canada or 2x2 inches for the United States. Trimming a photo down by hand almost always breaks the ratio.
Chin-to-crown head height: Measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head including hair. Canada requires 31-36 mm, the UK 29-34 mm and the US 25-35 mm. This is the number this tool measures for you.
Centred, level head: The head must be square to the camera and centred horizontally, not tilted or turned. Even a few degrees of tilt can trigger a rejection at a biometric check.
Clear space above the head: Most formats expect a small margin above the hair. Japan is explicit about it, requiring 2-6 mm. A crop that touches the top of the head will be refused.
Eye line position: The US specifies the eyes must sit between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom edge. Other countries imply it through the head height rule.

Background

Plain means plain. A wall with texture, a visible corner or a colour cast from nearby lighting all count as patterned.

Correct shade for the country: Not everyone wants white. The UK asks for light grey or cream, Germany and Ireland for plain light grey, and Canada and the US for white or off-white. Submitting white to a country that wants grey is a common mistake.
Uniform, with no shadow: There must be no shadow cast behind the head. Standing at least half a metre away from the wall is the simplest way to avoid this.
No objects or other people: Furniture, door frames, patterns, pets and other people must all be out of frame, including at the very edges.

Face, expression and eyes

Biometric systems compare your photo against a template. Anything that obscures the face geometry is a problem.

Neutral expression, mouth closed: No smiling, frowning or raised eyebrows. The US is the notable exception and permits a natural, closed-mouth smile. Infants are exempt in most countries.
Both eyes open and visible: Eyes must be open, looking directly at the lens, and not covered by hair, frames or a head covering.
Glasses: The US, Australia, Ireland and several others require glasses to be removed entirely. Canada, Germany and the UK allow them only if the eyes are clearly visible with no glare, no tint and no thick frame obscuring the eyes.
Head coverings: Permitted for religious or medical reasons, but the full face from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead must remain visible with no shadow.
Even lighting on the face: No hot spots, no red-eye, and no shadow across one side of the face. Facing a window gives the softest, most even light.

Image quality and age

A technically correct crop of a bad photo is still a bad photo. Resolution, colour and recency all matter.

Sharp and in focus: Use a photo at least 600 px on the short side, ideally much larger. Digital zoom, heavy noise reduction and screenshots all soften detail enough to be noticed in print.
Natural colour, no filters: No beautification, skin smoothing, teeth whitening or colour filters. IRCC in particular treats a retouched photo as a misrepresentation risk, which is far more serious than a rejection.
Recent: Usually within six months, but check the specific rule: USCIS requires photos taken within 30 days of filing, Greece within one month, and Canadian PR cards within six months.
Correct print stock: Where prints are required, use matte or semi-matte photo paper rather than glossy, and never print on plain office paper.

Check your photo against these rules

Free, no watermark, and your photo never leaves your device.

Open the photo maker

Please verify before you submit. Photo specifications change and the accepting officer has the final say. We link to the official source on every format page, and our requirements guide explains what reviewers actually check.

Accepted vs refused

What a reviewer is looking for

One compliant photo, five of the faults that cause most rejections.

Read the requirements guide

Common faults to watch for

Pass

Accepted

Neutral expression, even lighting, plain background, head correctly sized and centred.

Fault

Shadow on the face

A side light or overhead lamp leaves one side of the face dark. Face a window instead.

Fault

Background not plain

A textured, coloured or shadowed wall. Turn on background replacement to fix this.

Fault

Glasses causing glare

Reflections hide the eyes. Most countries want glasses removed entirely.

Fault

Head tilted

The head must be square to the camera. Use the straighten slider to correct small tilts.

Fault

Head too large

The crown is cut off and the head exceeds the allowed millimetre range.

Priorities

If you only check three things

These account for the overwhelming majority of rejections we see people describe.

1Head height in millimetresMeasured chin to crown, hair included. It is invisible to the eye and it is the number most often wrong. Every format page here shows the required range and the measured result.
2Background shade for that specific countryWhite is not universal. The UK wants light grey or cream, Ireland and Germany want light grey. Sending white to a country that wants grey is a genuine refusal reason.
3Shadows, on the wall and on the faceStand at least half a metre from the wall and face a window rather than a ceiling light. Background replacement fixes a shadow on the wall but nothing fixes a shadow on your face.

FAQ

Requirement questions

Outer size, chin-to-crown head height (hair included), whether the head is centred and level, background shade, expression, glasses, and how recent the photo is. Head height causes more refusals than anything else because it cannot be judged by eye.

Keep going

Canada passport photo50x70 mm, 31-36 mm head

US passport photo2x2 inch, no glasses

IRCC digital photo420x540 px minimum

Size comparisonEvery format in mm

Baby photo guideWhich rules are relaxed

Why photos get rejectedRanked by frequency

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