Passport photos are rejected for head proportion far more often than for pixel dimensions, and almost no online guide mentions it.
The specification is about the head
Every passport authority publishes an overall photo size, and that is the part people get right. The rules that cause rejections are about the subject within it.
Head height — chin to crown — is specified as a range, and the eye line often has its own position requirement. A photo at exactly the right pixel dimensions with the head too small or too low is non-compliant, and looks perfectly reasonable to the person submitting it.
| Country | Photo size | Head height |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 35 × 45 mm | 29–34 mm |
| US | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | 25–35 mm (1–1⅜ in) |
| Schengen / EU | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| Canada | 50 × 70 mm | 31–36 mm |
| Australia | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| India | 51 × 51 mm | 25–35 mm |
Always check the current official requirement for the country and document type — these change, and a visa often differs from a passport for the same country. The figures above are a starting point, not authority.
What else gets a photo rejected
- Shadows on the face or behind the head. The most common failure after head size. Diffuse light from the front, and stand well away from the wall.
- A background that is not plain and light. Off-white or light grey. Not a textured wall, not a doorframe in shot.
- Glasses reflection or frames covering the eyes. Several countries now require no glasses at all.
- Any expression. Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open and visible.
- Hair across the eyes, or a head covering casting shadow — religious coverings are permitted where the full face is visible.
- Digital alteration. Smoothing, whitening or beautifying filters are grounds for rejection, and phone cameras apply some by default.
That last one is worth checking on your phone. Several models apply skin smoothing automatically in the default camera mode, and it is not always obvious it is on.
Taking one at home
- Face a window, with the light on your face and no window behind you. Indirect daylight beats any indoor lighting.
- Stand at least a metre from a plain light wall so you cast no shadow on it.
- Have someone else take it from about two metres, zoomed in slightly. A selfie at arm's length distorts facial proportions noticeably, and some systems detect it.
- Phone at eye level, not below — an upward angle changes the face shape and the head position in frame.
- Then crop to the specification, which is where the head-height rule is satisfied. The Passport Photo Maker applies the correct proportions for the country you pick and does it on your device, which matters for a photograph of your face attached to an identity document.
Social platform crops
The trap here is not the dimension list, which every platform publishes. It is that the same image is cropped differently in different places.
A profile picture uploaded square is displayed as a circle on most platforms, so anything in the corners is gone. A landscape post image is cropped to a different ratio in the feed than when opened. A cover image is cropped hard on mobile, where most people see it.
| Use | Upload | Safe area |
|---|---|---|
| Profile picture | 400 × 400 or larger, square | Centre circle |
| Feed post, square | 1080 × 1080 | All of it |
| Feed post, portrait | 1080 × 1350 | All of it |
| Story / Reel | 1080 × 1920 | Centre — UI covers top and bottom |
| Link preview (OG image) | 1200 × 630 | Centre; edges crop on some clients |
| Cover / banner | Widest published size | Centre third — mobile crops hard |
The Story row matters more than it looks: platform interface elements sit over roughly the top and bottom 250 pixels, so text placed there is covered by the profile bar or the reply field.
Design for the tightest crop
The reliable approach is to decide what must always be visible and keep it inside the smallest area any crop will leave.
For a profile picture that is a centre circle. For a cover image it is the centre third. For an OG image it is the middle, since some clients crop 1200 × 630 to something squarer.
Then export at the largest published size rather than the exact one — platforms downscale well and upscale badly. Compress afterwards rather than uploading a 12 MB photograph, since most platforms recompress anyway and starting smaller gives a better final result. The Image Cropper and Image Compressor both work on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Why was my passport photo rejected?
Most often head height. Requirements specify chin-to-crown as a range — 29-34mm in the UK, 25-35mm in the US — and a photo at the correct overall dimensions with the head too small or too low is non-compliant while looking perfectly fine.
Can I take a passport photo on my phone?
Yes, with care. Face a window, stand a metre from a plain light wall, and have someone else shoot from about two metres — a selfie at arm's length distorts facial proportions and some systems detect it. Check that beauty filters are off; several phones apply smoothing by default.
What size is a UK passport photo?
35 × 45mm, with head height between 29 and 34mm. The Schengen standard is the same overall size with a slightly different head range, so a photo valid for one may not be valid for the other. Check the current official requirement, which changes.
Why does my profile picture look cropped?
Because most platforms display a square upload as a circle, so the corners are cut. Keep anything essential inside the centre circle rather than filling the square.
What size should a link preview image be?
1200 × 630 is the standard, but some clients crop it to a squarer ratio, so keep the important content central rather than at the edges. Export at that size and compress — most platforms recompress anyway.
Where does the Story interface cover my image?
Roughly the top and bottom 250 pixels of a 1080 × 1920 frame — the profile bar at the top and the reply field at the bottom. Text placed there is hidden behind platform UI.