Why passport photos get rejected
Almost all technical rejections come down to three things: the photo is the wrong physical size, the head occupies the wrong proportion of the frame, or the file breaks an upload limit. This tool fixes all three. What it cannot fix is the photograph itself — expression, lighting, glare on glasses and background are down to how you take the picture.
Head height is not optional
Every specification states two measurements: the overall photo size, and how tall your head must be within it. The second is the one people miss. A photo cropped to exactly 35×45 mm will still be rejected if the head measures 25 mm when the rules demand 32–36 mm.
The reason is biometric. Border systems measure facial landmarks, and they expect the face to fill a predictable share of the frame. Too small and there is insufficient detail to match; too large and the crop eats the margins the algorithm relies on. That is why the editor above draws the acceptable band rather than just a rectangle — position the crown of your head inside the shaded zone and your chin on the line, and the proportion is correct by construction.
The two dominant standards
| Size | Used by | Head height |
|---|---|---|
| 35×45 mm | UK, Schengen, Australia, Japan, India (since 2025) | 29–36 mm depending on country |
| 51×51 mm (2×2 in) | United States, Indian OCI and visas filed abroad | 25–35 mm |
| 50×70 mm | Canada | 31–36 mm |
| 33×48 mm | China | 28–33 mm |
India changed its rules in 2025
India moved to the ICAO standard of 35×45 mm, mandatory from 1 September 2025, replacing the 2×2 inch square that had been used for years. Passport Seva and mPassport expect a 630×810 pixel JPEG under 250 KB. The old square format is still correct for OCI cards and for Indian visa applications filed at missions abroad, which catches a lot of people out — both options are listed separately above for that reason.
Taking a photo that will pass
- Stand about a metre from a plain white or light grey wall, so you do not cast a shadow on it.
- Face the camera straight on, neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open and clearly visible.
- Use soft, even light from the front. Overhead light creates shadows in the eye sockets.
- Have someone else take it if you can. Arm's-length selfies distort facial proportions noticeably.
- Remove tinted glasses. Most authorities now prefer no glasses at all.
- Do not smile, and do not retouch or filter the result.
Why there is no background remover here
Automatic background removal needs a machine-learning model, and when it goes wrong it leaves faint halos around hair and ears. Reviewers notice, and an edited-looking photo is grounds for rejection on its own. A plain wall and decent light produce a better result than any cut-out, so this tool crops and sizes rather than pretending to retouch.
Printing them yourself
The print sheet arranges as many copies as will fit on a standard 4×6 inch photo print at 300 DPI, with faint cutting guides. Any print shop or supermarket kiosk can produce one for a fraction of what a photo studio charges for the same thing. Ask for a 4×6 print at actual size, with scaling and auto-crop turned off, then cut along the guides.
One caution: specifications change, as India's did. Before you submit anything, check the current official requirements for your country using the link shown next to each document type above.