1
The file is too large
Most embassy portals cap uploads at 240 KB to 2 MB. Phone photos are 4 to 8 MB by default - they get rejected before the portal even checks the picture.
Passport photo rejected? Here is why - and how to fix it
You uploaded the photo to the official portal, and it threw an error. This page tells you which rule the file broke - and gives you a fix that takes 30 seconds in your browser.
Drop your rejected photo - we will fix every issue
Resize, change DPI to 300, convert HEIC to JPG, replace background, compress to portal limits. All in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Fix my photo now →The 8 most common rejection reasons
About 90% of rejections come from file properties, not the picture itself. Here is the full list, in order of how often we see them.
2
The file is too small
A few systems reject anything under 60 KB. They assume the image is too compressed to verify identity.
3
The dimensions are wrong
India wants 2×2 inches at 600×600 px. Schengen visa wants 35×45 mm. The US passport portal wants exactly 600×600 px. A photo that passes for one country will fail for another.
4
DPI is below 300
Phones save photos at 72 DPI. Embassy print pipelines require 300. The pixel content can be identical - the metadata flag is what trips the validator.
5
The file is not a JPG
iPhones shoot HEIC by default. Android sometimes saves WebP. Most government portals only accept JPG or JPEG. PNG is rejected by about half of them.
6
The background is not pure white
Off-white walls, soft shadows behind you, gradients from window light - all of these trigger background validators. The required colour is RGB 255,255,255 with no variation.
7
Shadow on your face
Side lighting puts shadow under one eye or under your nose. Strong overhead lighting creates dark eye sockets. Validators flag both.
8
Expression, glasses, or hair
Smiles, open mouth, glasses (banned in most countries since 2016), hair covering eyebrows, head tilt above 5°. These are content rules, not file rules - you will need to retake the photo.
Fix it for your country
Different countries enforce different size, DPI, and background rules. Pick yours - we apply every requirement automatically.
Need another country? See all countries →
Frequently asked questions
Why was my photo rejected if it looked fine to me?+
The portal checks the file, not the picture. Size, DPI, format, and dimensions are all checked before any human sees the image. Most rejections are mechanical, not aesthetic.
Can I just retake the photo with my phone?+
Yes, but the same file issues will come back. Phones save HEIC at 72 DPI in 4 to 6 MB - that fails three checks at once. You still need to convert and resize.
Is there one tool that fixes all of these?+
Yes - upload your photo into the IDPhotoSnap tool. It detects every issue and fixes them in one pass for the country you select.
Do passport photos really need 300 DPI on the file?+
For most online portals, yes. DPI is a metadata tag in the JPG. Changing it does not reduce quality - it just relabels the image as print-ready.
Will compressing the file lower the resolution?+
Smart compression keeps pixel dimensions and lowers JPG quality. The image still meets pixel requirements. Resizing is what reduces resolution - those are different operations.
Can I use a screenshot of myself?+
No. Screenshots strip metadata, lower DPI, and often have wrong dimensions. Embassy validators reject them.
The portal accepted the upload, but the embassy rejected the photo at the appointment. Why?+
Online validators check files. Officers check content - shadows, expression, glasses, head tilt. A file can be perfect and still fail in person.
My photo was rejected without an error message. How do I know what is wrong?+
Use the IDPhotoSnap tool below. It runs all 8 checks and tells you which ones the file fails.
Still rejected?
Drop the photo into IDPhotoSnap. It checks every requirement for your country and fixes the file in your browser - no signup, no upload.
Open the photo tool →