HM Passport Office rejects photos against a published list, and the single most misunderstood item on that list is the background — because GOV.UK has two different background rules and which one applies depends on whether you uploaded your photo or posted a printed one. Start there, because if you uploaded, the advice you have been given may well be wrong.
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Updated August 21, 2026
Why this happens
Which message are you seeing?
Either something is visible behind you, the wall is shadowed, or — on the printed route — the background was white rather than cream or light grey. Check which route you are on before you assume white was the problem, because on the digital route it is not.
The crown-to-chin measurement is outside 64–76% of the photo's height (29–34 mm, crown to chin). Standing closer or further away changes this more than people expect, and it cannot be judged by eye.
The eye line sits outside 50–68% up from the bottom of the photo. This is usually camera height rather than posture — the photo was taken from above or below eye level.
The photo must have been taken within the last month. A photo you like from last year will be refused however good it is.
Direct flash is the usual cause. Face a window in daylight instead, with no lamp behind you and no flash.
The fix
If you would rather not measure any of it by hand, our free check reads your photo against the same list and names the exact rule that failed — no payment, no account. If you want the photo produced for you, we render the plain light grey that satisfies both routes and hand you a print-ready sheet. One honest limit, stated plainly: if you are applying fully online, GOV.UK asks for a photo unaltered by computer software and crops it for you, so use ours for the printed route or as your reference for framing and background, and take the online one on your device during the application.
Fix it automatically →If it keeps failing
Photos taken in a booth or a shop are more likely to be approved than one taken on your own device, and GOV.UK says so directly. If two attempts of your own have failed, a booth is the reliable exit rather than a third try.
On the online route you can ask for a photo code from a booth or shop instead of uploading a file yourself — you enter the code during the application and the photo is attached for you. That path avoids the upload rules entirely.
If you believe the rejection was wrong — and the background case above is the one where it genuinely can be — you can ask for the decision to be looked at again rather than simply resubmitting. Quote the rule as GOV.UK words it for your route.
If you are disabled or cannot meet the posture rules, GOV.UK publishes separate guidance and the standard rules are applied differently. Do not keep retaking against a standard you are not required to meet.
The numbers
Every figure below is transcribed from the official source linked at the bottom of this page — the same numbers our checks measure against:
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm (about 827 × 1063 pixels at 600 dpi)† (derived from official print specification) |
|---|---|
| File size | 50 KB – 10 MB |
| Format | JPEG† (derived from official print specification) |
| Head height | 64–76% of the photo's height (29–34 mm, crown to chin) |
| Eye height | 50–68% up from the bottom of the photo† (derived from official print specification) |
| Background | Printed: plain cream or light grey. Digital upload: any plain light colour, including white. |
† Derived from the official print specification — the source publishes no digital value for this item.
Rejected by the portal? We refund you.
Email us with your order id and the full amount goes back to your card. No screenshots, no proof — just tell us it was rejected.
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Questions
It depends on how you apply, and this is the single most common piece of bad advice on the subject. For printed photos GOV.UK asks for a plain cream or light grey background. For digital photos it asks only for a plain light-coloured background — and white is a light colour, so white is acceptable when you upload. A light grey background is the safe choice because it satisfies both.
No. GOV.UK requires a digital photo to be unaltered by computer software, and it also asks you not to crop the photo yourself because the application crops it for you. That rules out background replacement and editing apps on the fully-online route. The printed route is where an edited-and-printed photo is used.
Your application stays open while you sort the photo out, but it will not progress until an acceptable photo is attached, and the photo you send must still have been taken within the last month. Do not leave it so long that a photo taken today is out of date by the time you use it.
Yes. The check is free and needs no account — upload the photo you already have and the report names the rules it missed. Paying is only for having the corrected photo produced.
Open the refund link in your receipt, tell us it was rejected, and the money goes back to your card — no screenshots, no forms. Covers thirty days from purchase.