Your passport photo was rejected. What happens now
A rejected photo does not end your application. It pauses it until you send a photo that meets the rules. What you need to do, and how fast, depends on where you applied, so start there and leave the retake for later.
Your application is on hold, not cancelled
Both the US and the UK keep the application open and ask for a new photo. The US State Department says unacceptable photos are the most common reason it puts an application on hold. In the UK, GOV.UK says plainly that your application will be delayed if your photos do not meet the rules. Either way, nothing you paid for is lost yet, but the clock is running.
United States: reply within 90 days
The State Department contacts you by letter or email when it needs something from you, a new photo included. It asks you to respond within 90 days so it can continue processing your application. Follow the instructions in that letter or email exactly, because they say how to send the replacement.
- 2 x 2 inches, with the head between 1 and 1.4 inches
- Taken in the last 6 months
- Plain white or off-white background
- No glasses, and no editing of the photo
United Kingdom: a photo from the last month
The UK is stricter on age than almost anyone else: the photo must have been taken in the last month, so the one you used a few weeks ago may already be too old for the replacement. GOV.UK also notes that photos from booths or shops are more likely to be approved than photos taken on your own device. If you use a booth or a shop, ask for the digital code, because the online application asks for it.
Find out which rule you missed before you retake it
Retaking the same photo in the same light is how a second rejection happens. The office rarely says which rule failed, but it is almost always head height, an uneven background, an expression that is not neutral, glasses, or hair over the eyes or ears. Check those first.
If you made the photo with us
Every photo is measured against the specification for the document you picked before you pay. If an office still rejects it for technical non-compliance, you get a full refund, issued within 14 days to the original payment method. Email us with the order identifier.
Questions
Is my passport application cancelled if the photo is rejected?
No. It is put on hold until you send a photo that meets the rules. In the US you are asked to respond within 90 days so processing can continue.
Can I send the same photo again?
Not if it was rejected. In the UK it also has to be taken in the last month, so an older photo would fail even if nothing else was wrong.
Should I go to a photo booth this time?
In the UK, GOV.UK says booth and shop photos are more likely to be approved than photos taken on your own device. Anywhere, the safer move is to check the photo against the exact specification before you send it.