A compliant biometric photo is required by UK authorities when you apply for a UK passport. A passport photo that doesn’t meet UK guidelines can lead to delays or even rejection. Many applicants have ever experienced the same situation and they are required to submit the new photo and restart the reviewing process again. Thus, it’s important to check what happens if a UK passport photo is rejected and what to do next.
Passport Photo Rejected for Paper Application
If the photo you attach to the British passport application is rejected, the HM passport office will inform you via email or post. Keep sensitive to your mailbox or phone call in case of missing the notification. It will explain why your UK passport photos are rejected. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to go through the whole application process from the very beginning. The HMPO will hold the application for a given period and leave a window for photo replacement.
There would be a deadline in the HMPO’s notification. Pay attention to not dealing with rejections beyond the time limit. If the new photo is re-submitted before the deadline, everything will proceed as if nothing happened. If the deadline is missed, the whole application will be cancelled and applicants have to restart and pay the fee for the second time.
Passport Photo Rejected for Online Application
Online applicants might also be curious about what happens if a passport photo is rejected in the UK. The case is that you will receive an email that allows you to upload a new photo online for British passport renewal. The procedure is almost the same as the offline one. The biggest difference is that you have to prepare 1 digital passport photo for online application and 2 photos for paper application.
The UK passport office would also spare you some time to retake your photos. Don’t miss the deadline in case your application is canceled. Online applicants could check the status of their review occasionally by logging in to the official website so they can get the most updated information.
Rejected Infant Passport Photos
Infant passport photos requirements are not as strict as adult passport photos. However, there are also some rules that parents need to comply with and avoid Infant passport photo rejection. For example, infants don’t have to keep natural facial expressions or eyes open. However, there should be not other people or objects in the photo.
If your infant passport photo gets rejected, you’ll also receive notification from HM passport office. This notification will include the specific reason for rejection and instructions on how to correct the issue. The next step is to retake the photo following the exact guidelines provided. Using professional services or an online tool like AiPassportPhotos can help ensure the photo meets the requirements.
Examples of Rejected Passport Photos
HMPO office specifies UK passport photo requirements clearly on the government website. There are some rules that applicants often overlook, and you can check some common mistakes to avoid when submitting a photo for passport application or renewal.
Unqualified background
The British passport photo ought to be light grey or creamy and smooth. Don’t stand in front of a textured or mottled wall. Check whether there are blemishes or unmatched color in the background if the photo is rejected.
Improper size/ratio
The printed UK passport photo measures 35mm (width) x 45mm (height) with about 25mm from chin to top of head and 6.75mm at the upper blank area. While the digital passport photo measures 900×1200 pixels. You can check if your passport picture is cropped to proper size. See examples of UK passport photo size below.
The photo on the right is one of the typical examples of rejected passport photos because the ratio of the head height is wrong and there is no spare space at the top of the head. Worse still, the shoulder is invisible.
Inappropriate shooting angle
The applicant must face directly to the camera, with no upward or downward view. That is to say, the camera should be set at the horizontal level of eyes. Don’t tilt your heads or shrug shoulders.
Covered face
The whole face must be clearly visible in the final shot. Do not wear any headwear or object that may hinder your facial features in British passport photos. If you have long hair, put it behind your ears or tie it up. It is also prohibited to wear sunglasses, hats, caps, scarves, etc because it would hide part of the face.
Uneven lighting
Uneven lighting would generate shadows, like the photo on the left below, which is unacceptable. Also, overexposure or underexposure might cause similar problems.
Exaggerated facial expressions
Try to maintain neutral facial expressions. Keep your mouth closed and eyes open even if you are smiling. Don’t make faces or laugh out loudly.
Altered appearance
To look good in a UK passport photo, some of us may use Photoshop, GIMP or other photo editing tools to retouch photos. For example, we may smooth face, remove blemishes or add digital makeup to photo. However, they may change your facial features and make it difficult for authorities to recognize you, leading to passport photo rejection. Thus, do not make too many changes to your British passport photo. You can make basic photo editing such as photo resizing, and background change.
Replace Rejected UK Passport Photos Online
It’s absolutely depressing if your UK passport photo gets rejected by authorities. To smooth the application process, it is important to review your previous passport photo and avoid the same problem. Don’t take a new shot at random hoping to be accepted by good luck.
Thankfully, we’ve dug out the solution to make things easier and you can make a qualified UK passport photo in seconds. AiPassportPhotos, a professional UK passport photo generator, guarantees to provide users with absolutely compliant biometric images. It supports over 150+ formats and allows you to create photo for UK passport, visa, driving licence, BRP and more.
AI compliance check
Instead of submitting the photo to the passport office and waiting for it to tell whether it is acceptable, let our AI photo validator tool check first. It will analyze the facial features and finish the scanning within seconds. You’ll be able to know if your photo is compliant. If yes, move on to further photo processing and replace the rejected one; if not, retake another one, which rescues you out of the “submission – rejection – resubmission – rejection” loop.
Resize photo to 35x45mm
The online tool would automatically adjust your photo to the required 35×45 mm size and the background to the required color based on UK passport photo requirements. No more worry about being rejected because of the wrong size and improper background.
Save printable template
If you go through the passport application online, just save the digital template made by AiPassportPhotos and attach it to the resubmission access. If you apply by post, download the passport photo template and then print it at a local photo booth such as Max Spielman, Tesco, Sainsbury and more. AiPassportPhotos turns out to be a reliable digital passport photo booth whenever and wherever you need it.
🔎Read Also: Does Sainsbury’s Photo Booth Provide Passport Photo?
FAQ
How many times can you resubmit a passport photo?
The UK government doesn’t specify how many times you can resubmit the passport picture. However, if you miss the deadline, they will cancel the application and you need to review the process again and pay the fee.
Can I change my photo on UK passport?
Yes, you can change your UK passport photo. A new photo is required for new passport application even if your appearance has not changed. Plus, the photo should be taken in last 6 months.
How do you check if your passport photo is acceptable in the UK?
Before you submit a passport photo for application, it’s important to check photo compliance. For example, the British passport photo measures 35×45 mm with a plain and light-colored background. The photo should be high quality and allows authorities to recognize you in the photo.
Conclusion
Being rejected by the authority because of the disqualified photo is no big deal. Applicants do have the chance to replace a new one to accelerate the procedure. We hope that this passage would comfort you if you are suffering the depression of an uncompliant British passport photo. Don’t hesitate to make use of the technology and get rid of all the hassles of guessing what’s wrong with your photo. Once the application moves on smoothly, you would be able to enjoy your exciting international trip.
Erin Lo