UploadPhoto.org
Passport photo requirements without the PDF jargon
Issuers publish long checklists because machine readers score your portrait before a human sees it. This page translates the recurring themes — straight-on pose, even light, plain background, neutral expression, and exact pixel exports — and links into UploadPhoto.org so you can see how your own capture scores.
- Head height is always a ratio of frame height; zoomed-in selfies fail even when the background looks fine.
- Glasses are only safe when frames are thin, non-tinted, and glare-free; some countries ban them outright for digital uploads.
- JPEG quality, progressive encoding, and kilobyte caps still matter — a pretty portrait can be rejected for compression artifacts alone.
FAQ
- Can I smile?
- Neutral expression is the safe default for most passports. If your issuing authority allows a slight smile, follow their examples — our readout still checks geometry and exposure.
- What background color?
- Off-white to white is typical for digital portals. Busy rooms and patterned walls are the most common automatic failures.
- Do infants follow the same rules?
- Geometry is similar but lighting is harder. Use soft natural light, keep eyes open where rules require, and follow the official infant examples for your issuer.