A compliant biometric photo is essential for passports, visas, residence permits, driving licences and many other official identity documents. The exact requirements vary depending on the country and document, including photo dimensions, background, head size and other technical specifications.
However, many identity documents—particularly passports—follow common international biometric principles. The face should be clearly visible and photographed from the front, with good image quality, natural colours and even lighting without distracting shadows or reflections.
This guide shows common examples of accepted and rejected identity photos and explains which requirements are universal and which may depend on the document you are applying for.
With Smartphone iD, you select your country and document, and we prepare and verify your photo according to the corresponding official requirements. In other words, we check all of the following — and more — before delivering your final photo.
Last update: 01/10/2026
Table of contents
Rejected and accepted biometric photo examples
Size and head dimensions
Photo dimensions and the required size of the face depend on the country and document. A passport photo required in one country may therefore have different dimensions from a visa, residence permit or driving licence photo issued elsewhere.
Smartphone iD automatically prepares your photo according to the specifications of the document you select.
Rule reminder: always use the exact dimensions and head-position requirements specified for your country and document.
Background
Background requirements can also vary. Depending on the document, authorities may require white, off-white, light grey, blue or another specific background.
Whatever colour is required, the background should generally be uniform and free from distracting objects, patterns and inappropriate shadows. ICAO passport-photo guidance calls for a plain, light-coloured background.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the background is not plain and includes visible elements.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the background is too dark or coloured.
Photo 3 – Accepted: the background is plain, light grey or cream, and free of shadows.
Rule reminder: use the background required for your specific document.
Framing
Incorrect framing is one of the most common problems with identity photos.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the face is too close.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the person is too far from the camera.
Photo 3 – Rejected: the face is incorrectly positioned.
Photo 4 – Accepted: the face is correctly framed and positioned.
The exact head size varies between documents, but biometric passport standards generally require a clear, centred, frontal portrait.
Rule reminder: Smartphone iD adjusts the crop and dimensions according to the document you select.
Photo quality
A biometric identity photo must provide a clear and accurate representation of the person.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the image is blurry.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the image is pixelated or too low-resolution.
Photo 3 – Rejected: marks or image defects are visible.
Photo 4 – Accepted: the image is sharp, clear and detailed.
ICAO guidance requires the portrait to provide an accurate, recognisable representation of the document holder and stresses sufficient image quality for facial identification.
Rule reminder: avoid blurry, pixelated, heavily compressed or altered photos.
Expression
For biometric passports, a neutral facial expression is the international standard.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: a broad smile noticeably changes the appearance of the face.
Photo 2 – Accepted: the expression is neutral, with the mouth closed and eyes open.
ICAO photo guidance specifies a neutral expression and a closed mouth for passport photographs.
Rule reminder: unless your document specifically states otherwise, keep a natural, neutral expression.
Position
For biometric recognition, the face needs to be clearly visible from the front.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the head is turned.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the person is looking away from the camera.
Photo 3 – Rejected: the eyes are closed.
Photo 4 – Accepted: the person faces the camera directly with both eyes visible.
ICAO guidance requires the person to face squarely towards the camera rather than turning or tilting the head.
Rule reminder: face the camera directly and keep your head straight.
Clothing
Your clothing should contrast clearly with the background and should not interfere with the visibility of your face or neck. Simple everyday clothing is usually the safest choice. We recommend keeping your shoulders covered and your neck visible, as some documents or authorities may not accept photos with bare shoulders or clothing that obscures the neckline.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: a high collar obscures the neck and jawline.
Photo 2 – Rejected: distracting clothing draws attention away from the face.
Photo 3 – Rejected: clothing blends into the background.
Photo 4 – Accepted: simple clothing with clear contrast from the background.
Rule reminder: choose clothing that contrasts with the background and keeps your face, neck and shoulders clearly defined.
Hats and head coverings
1. Everyday hats
Caps, hats and fashion headwear are generally not appropriate for biometric passport photos because they can hide parts of the head or create shadows.
These examples show the rules for hats in a UK passport photo.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the hat covers part of the head and forehead.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the hat casts a shadow and hides part of the forehead.
Photo 3 – Accepted: no hat, full face visible.
Rule reminder: Caps, hats and fashion headwear are generally not appropriate for biometric passport photos because they can hide parts of the head or create shadows.
2. Religious head coverings
Religious head coverings are accepted by many authorities as long as the face remains fully visible and no shadows are cast across it. However, some administrations may apply stricter rules, including restrictions even for religious reasons.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the covering creates shadows on the face.
Photo 2 – Rejected: part of the face is hidden.
Photo 3 – Accepted: the face is fully visible with no shadows.
Rule reminder: always check the requirements for your specific country and document. In the Smartphone iD app, we apply the relevant rules for the document you select.
Baby and child passport photos
Requirements for babies and young children can differ considerably between countries, and some authorities allow exceptions to the normal rules concerning expression, eye direction or posture.
However, the child should normally appear alone wherever possible, without toys, hands or other people obscuring the image.
Smartphone iD applies the requirements corresponding to the selected country, document and age category.
1. Baby – parent visible
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the parent’s face is visible.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the parent’s hand is visible supporting the child.
Photo 3 – Accepted: the baby appears alone with no visible support.
Rule reminder: requirements for babies and young children may be more flexible, so always follow the rules for the specific document.
2. Child – object or parent visible
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: a dummy (pacifier) covers part of the mouth.
Photo 2 – Rejected: a parent is visible in the frame.
Photo 3 – Accepted: the child is alone, with a clear face.
Rule reminder: nothing must cover the child’s face.
3. Baby – background or object issues
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: a toy appears in the photo.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the background is not plain.
Photo 3 – Accepted: a plain light background with no distractions.
Rule reminder: no objects should appear, and the background must be plain.
4. Baby – face position
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the baby’s face is turned away.
Photo 2 – Rejected: a hand partially covers the face.
Photo 3 – Accepted: the face is fully visible and unobstructed.
Rule reminder: the child’s face must be clearly visible.
Jewellery and accessories
Jewellery is usually acceptable when it does not hide facial features, create strong reflections or interfere with biometric recognition.
These examples show how accessories can affect compliance.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: an accessory interferes with the visibility of the face.
Photo 2 – Accepted: the face remains completely clear.
Rule reminder: accessories should never obstruct important facial features.
Hair
Hair may vary naturally between applicants, but it should not prevent the eyes or important facial features from being seen.
These examples show that hair must not hide facial features.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: hair covers an eye.
Photo 2 – Rejected: a large part of the face is obscured.
Photo 3 – Potentially non-compliant depending on the document: the fringe hides facial reference points required by the authority.
Photo 4 – Accepted: the face and eyes are clearly visible.
ICAO guidance specifically requires the eyes to remain clearly visible and free from hair obstruction.
Rule reminder: keep hair away from the eyes and ensure the face remains clearly identifiable.
Beard
Beards and moustaches are normally compatible with biometric photographs. They are part of a person’s natural appearance and do not need to be removed simply for an identity photo.
These examples show how facial hair affects compliance.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: a very large beard alters facial contours.
Photo 2 – Accepted: a moustache that does not hide the mouth.
Photo 3 – Accepted: a short beard with visible facial features.
Rule reminder: facial hair is acceptable as long as the person remains clearly recognisable.
Flash
Flash can create glare, reflections or red-eye that interfere with the quality of a biometric image.
These examples show how flash can cause rejection.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: strong reflection on the face.
Photo 2 – Rejected: red-eye.
Photo 3 – Accepted: clear, evenly illuminated face.
ICAO guidance calls for uniform lighting without flash reflections or red-eye.
Rule reminder: use soft, even light rather than direct flash.
Lighting
Good lighting is fundamental to biometric photo quality.
These examples show why balanced lighting is essential.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: the face is too dark.
Photo 2 – Rejected: the image is overexposed.
Photo 3 – Accepted: facial features and natural skin tones are clearly visible.
A well-lit room during daylight hours usually provides the best conditions. For even lighting, stand facing a window or another soft light source. You can also use a ring light positioned directly in front of you. Avoid lighting from only one side or from above, as this can create shadows across the face.
ICAO guidance specifies uniform illumination without shadows or reflections on the face.
Rule reminder: keep the light source in front of your face so it is evenly and naturally illuminated.
Glasses
Some authorities allow clear prescription glasses provided the eyes remain fully visible, while others ask applicants to remove them altogether.
Where glasses are permitted, they must not create reflections, cover the eyes or use dark or tinted lenses. ICAO guidance emphasises clear visibility of the eyes and the absence of reflections.
1 . Glasses – Thick frames or eyes obscured
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: thick frames block part of the eyes.
Photo 2 – Rejected: glasses partially hide the eyes.
2 . Glasses – Tinted lenses or glare reflections
Photo 3 – Rejected: tinted lenses reduce visibility.
Photo 4 – Rejected: reflections affect visibility.
Rule reminder: follow the glasses requirements for your selected country and document.
Makeup
Natural makeup is generally compatible with biometric photographs as long as it does not significantly alter your appearance or obscure identifiable facial features.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: makeup substantially changes the natural appearance of the face.
Photo 2 – Rejected: accessories or makeup interfere with the visibility of the eyes.
Photo 3 – Accepted: natural appearance and clearly visible facial features.
If you normally wear makeup every day, there is no need to remove it completely for your identity photo. It is usually best to look like yourself while avoiding very heavy makeup that significantly changes your facial features. Keep in mind that automated biometric gates compare your face with your document photo, so major differences in appearance can sometimes make recognition more difficult and require manual assistance.
Rule reminder: your identity photo should remain a clear and recognisable representation of your usual appearance.
Shadows
Shadows can make facial features harder to identify and may interfere with biometric processing.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: strong shadow behind the head.
Photo 2 – Rejected: shadow across the face.
Photo 3 – Accepted: the face and background are evenly illuminated.
The best results come from soft, even lighting directed towards the face. Standing in front of a window during daylight or using a light source positioned directly in front of you can help avoid shadows. Avoid strong light from one side or from above, as it can create uneven illumination across the face.
ICAO specifies uniform lighting without shadows on the face or background.
Rule reminder: use soft, even frontal lighting and avoid any strong directional light that creates shadows.
Skin tone and colour accuracy
Your photo should reproduce your natural appearance accurately.
From left to right
Photo 1 – Rejected: coloured or artificial lighting changes the appearance of the skin.
Photo 2 – Accepted: natural skin tones and balanced lighting.
ICAO guidance requires natural skin tones, appropriate brightness and colour-neutral photographs.
Rule reminder: avoid filters, colour effects and artificial modifications.
How to make sure your biometric photo meets official requirements
Identity-photo requirements are not identical worldwide. Photo size, background colour, head dimensions and document-specific rules may differ between a passport, visa, residence permit, ID card or driving licence.
At the same time, passports and other biometric travel documents share important international principles: a clear frontal image, visible facial features, natural appearance, sufficient image quality and uniform lighting. ICAO standards provide the international baseline for biometric travel documents, but individual countries and authorities may impose additional or stricter requirements.
With Smartphone iD, you simply select your country and document type. The photo is analysed by our AI and reviewed by a human expert before we deliver the final version according to the corresponding official specifications.
Photo Size
There is no single international ID-photo size.
Depending on the country and document, the required dimensions and face size can be different. Smartphone iD automatically crops and prepares the photo to the correct specifications for the document you select.
Contrast, saturation, and exposure
Your face should be evenly lit and your natural skin tone clearly reproduced. Avoid strong shadows, overexposure, flash glare, filters and colour effects.
For biometric passports, ICAO requires image quality and lighting that preserve facial details and allow reliable identification.
Photo background
The required background depends on the country and document. While many biometric documents require a white or light neutral background, this is not universal.
Smartphone iD applies the background specifications corresponding to your selected document.
Photo posture
Face the camera directly and keep your head upright. Look into the camera with both eyes visible and maintain a neutral expression unless your specific document allows otherwise.
These frontal-pose requirements are among the core biometric principles used for passport photographs internationally.
Facial obstructions and accessories
Nothing should prevent the authorities from clearly identifying your facial features. Hair, glasses, head coverings and accessories therefore need to comply with the rules of the particular document.
Where country-specific requirements differ, Smartphone iD checks the photo against the standards associated with the document you selected.
What happens if your identity photo is rejected?
Even when a photo has been checked for compliance, the final decision is made by the authority processing your application.
With Smartphone iD, if your photo is refused by the administration, you can contact our customer service and retake your photo free of charge or request a refund, subject to proof of the official refusal.
Our app is available for iOS and Android and allows you to create compliant photos for passports, visas, driving licences, residence permits and many other identity documents from different countries.
Sources
https://www.icao.int/publications/documents.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports/photo-requirements
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html