Passport Photo Examples: Good vs Bad — What Gets Accepted and Rejected

US Passport Guide · Last verified: February 2026

The fastest way to understand passport photo requirements is to see what passes and what fails. This guide walks through the most common rejection scenarios with specific examples — so you know exactly what to fix before you submit.

What automated systems actually check

Before the examples, it helps to know what's being measured. The State Department's automated photo checker runs these checks (roughly in order of frequency of rejection):

Head size — is the face 50–69% of the image height?
Eye position — are eyes at the right height in the frame?
Background — is it white or off-white, uniform, no shadows?
Expression — is the mouth closed, no extreme expression?
Eye openness — are both eyes clearly open?
Glasses — are there glasses in the photo?
File format and dimensions — is it the right JPEG size?
AI processing — has the photo been digitally altered?

Most rejections come from the first three.

Head size — the most rejected spec

REJECTED: Head too small

The most common rejection. Usually caused by standing too far from the camera, or the photo was taken full-body and cropped poorly.

What it looks like: the top of the head has 2+ inches of empty space above it, or the chin is near the bottom edge of the photo with a lot of background visible.

Fix: your face should fill 50–69% of the photo height. Hold your camera closer (rear camera, 4–6 feet away), or recrop after the fact.

REJECTED: Head too large

Usually from selfies — the face fills 80%+ of the frame, leaving almost no visible shoulder area.

Fix: take the photo with someone else holding the camera, or back up from your phone by using a tripod with timer.

ACCEPTED: Head correct size

Chin is visible at the bottom of the frame. Top of head has 2–4 mm of space above hair. Face fills about 65% of the height. Both shoulders visible.

Expression examples

REJECTED: Smiling with teeth visible

The most common expression rejection. Any smile that shows teeth is explicitly rejected by the State Department.

REJECTED: Exaggerated neutral — mouth pressed shut too hard

Over-correcting. Some people press their lips together so tightly it changes the shape of the mouth area and looks unnatural. This can trigger expression flags.

REJECTED: Open mouth

Even slightly open mouth ("oh" shape) is rejected.

ACCEPTED: Neutral

Lips lightly closed. Muscles relaxed. No effort. Think of the moment just before you speak — that relaxed expression is what you want.

TECHNICALLY ACCEPTED: Slight closed-mouth natural smile

A very slight upturn of the lip corners with teeth completely hidden. The State Department says this is allowed. In practice, it often passes — but a slight smile can reduce biometric match accuracy. Neutral is safer.

Background examples

REJECTED: Shadow behind head

Caused by standing too close to the wall (less than 3 feet). The shadow appears as a dark patch behind the head. Very common in home photos.

Fix: step at least 4 feet from the wall and use lighting directly in front of you (facing a window).

REJECTED: Patterned wall

Floral wallpaper, brick, wood paneling — all fail. The background must be plain.

REJECTED: Off-white with warm tint

A wall painted "warm white" or "eggshell" — technically off-white — often passes, but a noticeably yellow or pink-tinted background fails.

REJECTED: Background gradient (lighter at top, darker at bottom)

Common with overhead lighting. The wall appears lighter where the light hits and darker lower down. PixID can replace this background.

ACCEPTED: Flat white wall, evenly lit

Same colour from corner to corner, no shadows, no texture visible in the photo.

Eye and gaze examples

REJECTED: Eyes not looking at camera

Looking slightly to the side, looking down at the camera (selfie angle), or looking up — all rejected. Eyes must be looking directly forward into the lens.

REJECTED: One eye partially closed

A half-blink or naturally drooping eye can trigger automated rejection. Take many shots and review at full zoom.

REJECTED: Glasses with glare

Any reflection on glasses that obscures the eye area — rejected. (And glasses are banned entirely in the US anyway.)

ACCEPTED: Both eyes fully open, looking directly at camera

Glasses examples

REJECTED: Any glasses (US)

Prescription glasses, reading glasses, fashion glasses — all rejected for US passport photos since 2016. This includes glasses that appear clear.

REJECTED: Sunglasses or tinted lenses

Rejected everywhere, always.

ACCEPTED: Clear contact lenses

Wearing contacts with clear or natural-colour lenses is fine.

Lighting examples

REJECTED: Strong side shadow

One side of the face is lit, the other is in shadow. Happens when the only light source is from the side (a window to your left or right).

Fix: face directly toward the light source.

REJECTED: Under-chin shadow

Strong overhead light (ceiling light, flash from above) creates a shadow under the chin and nose. Very common in bathroom selfies.

Fix: use a window as your light source and face it directly. Or add a second light at face level to fill the shadow.

REJECTED: Flash-induced harsh shadows

A direct camera flash creates bright overexposure on the face and sharp shadows behind the head. Avoid flash for passport photos.

ACCEPTED: Even natural window light

Soft, even light across the face. No shadows on the face. Background evenly lit. This is the easiest setup to achieve — just face a window.

Clothing and accessories examples

REJECTED: White shirt against white background

The shoulders and neck area disappear into the background. The face appears to float.

Fix: wear dark or clearly coloured clothing.

REJECTED: Hat or cap

Any hat including baseball caps, beanies, visors — rejected. The head outline must be visible.

ACCEPTED: Religious head covering (hijab, kippah, etc.)

With a signed statement, religious head coverings are allowed as long as the full face is visible with no shadows.

Common home photo fails — quick list

What went wrong	How to fix
Face too small — too much background	Get closer; recrop more tightly
Shadow behind head	Step further from wall
Side shadows on face	Face the window directly
Portrait mode AI blur	Disable portrait mode before shooting
Head tilted	Consciously level your eyes
Selfie angle — slightly downward perspective	Use someone else to hold the camera
Hair crossing the face	Pin back, pull to one side
White shirt blending into background	Change into dark clothing
Red-eye	Don't use direct flash

Frequently asked questions

What does a rejected passport photo look like?

Most common: face too small in the frame, shadows on the background, smile showing teeth, or glasses visible. The State Department returns mailed applications with a letter specifying the rejection reason. Online, the portal shows the error during upload.

Can I see what a good passport photo looks like?

The State Department publishes sample photos at travel.state.gov — search for "passport photo examples" on their site. They show correct and incorrect framing, expression, and background.

How far from the camera should I stand for a passport photo?

4–6 feet from the rear camera is the typical range. At this distance, with the camera at eye level, your face fills the correct portion of the frame for a 2×2 inch crop.

How do I know if my head is the right size?

After cropping to 2×2 inches: your face (chin to top of head) should be between 1 inch and 1⅜ inches tall — occupying 50–69% of the 2-inch frame height.