Examples

Passport photo examples: accepted vs rejected

Most rejections come from the same handful of mistakes — shadows, glasses, a tilted head, a busy background. Here is what passes and what fails, and how each failure is fixed. Then check your own photo against the same measurements, free.

The photos on this page are illustrative examples generated for this guide, not real applicants. Passing our checks is not an acceptance decision: the issuing authority always makes that call.

Check my photo — free

Illustrative passport photo that passes our checks: Level head, plain background, even light — Level head, plain background, even light
Face centred, eyes level, head filling the required share of the frame, plain light background with no shadow. This is the target.
**Fix:** No fix needed — this is what a compliant file looks like.

Illustrative passport photo that fails our checks: Shadow behind the head — Shadow behind the head
Side lighting throws a visible shadow on the wall behind the subject — one of the most common rejection reasons.
**Fix:** Face a window or a second light source so the background lights evenly.

Illustrative passport photo that fails our checks: Glasses worn — Glasses worn
Glasses have been banned in US passport and visa photos since November 2016 — including clear prescription lenses.
**Fix:** Take the glasses off before shooting. Our checker does not detect eyewear, so this one is on you.

Illustrative passport photo that fails our checks: Head tilted and too small — Head tilted and too small
The head is angled and does not fill enough of the frame. Authorities measure head size as a percentage of the photo height.
**Fix:** Hold the phone level at eye height and move closer — or let the checker crop to spec.

Entering the DV lottery? Three rules are tighter

The examples above apply to a DV entry photo too, but the Diversity Visa instructions add three rules most documents don't have: the file must be exactly 600 x 600 pixels, JPEG, 240 kB or less; every person on the entry needs their own new photo — reusing a prior year's photo makes the entry ineligible; and no editing of any kind, including replacing the background. Children and babies follow the same spec, eyes open, with no parent visible.

Full rules in our DV lottery photo guide, or run the file through the DV lottery photo check.

What our checker measures — and what it doesn't

Measured automatically

File format, dimensions in pixels and file size
Head size as a share of the frame, and eye-line position
Head tilt and whether the face is centred
Background evenness and how much of it is plain

Only you can confirm

Glasses off, neutral expression, mouth closed
No hat or head covering (except religious/medical)
Photo taken in the last six months and still looks like you
No filters, retouching or a digitally replaced background

A pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check — the issuing authority always makes the final call. Full rules per document: browse all documents.

Taking the photo yourself? Keep the printable checklist next to you: one page with every rule above, document by document.