Before you submit your photo
A checklist for choosing the right requirements, capturing a suitable original and checking the final file or print.
1. Identify your exact application
Country / authority:
Document and application route:
Official photo instructions / date checked:
Passport, visa and other ID applications can use different rules. Start with the issuing authority's instructions for your particular route.
2. Capture a suitable original
- Check the official examples for background, lighting, pose, expression, glasses and head coverings.
- Keep the original file. Inspect focus and shadows before making prints or uploading.
- Check the rules for children and any permitted exceptions separately.
Check editing restrictions first. UK digital passport guidance requires an unaltered photo. US passport guidance also prohibits software, filter and AI changes. Do not assume background replacement or retouching is acceptable: correct the setup and take a new photo where required. See the official references below.
3. Record the output requirements
| For a printed photo | For a digital upload |
|---|---|
| Width × height: __________ | Pixel dimensions: __________ |
| Head size / position: __________ | File format and size limit: __________ |
| Paper / quantity: __________ | Crop / background rules: __________ |
Print dimensions and pixel dimensions measure different things. Meeting the file-size limit alone does not establish that a photo meets the application rules.
4. Check the final submission
☐ Compare the actual file or print with the official instructions.
☐ Check the image has not been stretched or unintentionally rescaled.
☐ Review all warnings from the official application portal.
☐ Retake the photo if needed; a third-party preview is not an acceptance decision.