Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Anyone renewed passport recently? What’s wrong with my photo?

38 replies

TickledOnion · 25/03/2019 22:26

I’m trying to renew online but it can’t find the outline of my head. Do I need my hair scraped back behind my ears? Is the post office any more reasonable?
Thanks

Anyone renewed passport recently? What’s wrong with my photo?
OP posts:
Lizsmum · 25/03/2019 22:30

Maybe you're smiling? Or your mouth is a little bit open?

MrsNacho · 25/03/2019 22:31

Is it too close up?

titchy · 25/03/2019 22:32

Background should be white or light grey

Fizzywinegum · 25/03/2019 22:32

Is there a shadow around your head? I tried to upload my own photo and it kept getting rejected.

I ended up going to max spielman where I got a code that uploaded the photo they’d taken. They checked at the time that it complied with the passport regs - cost about £10 I think.

Waterlemon · 25/03/2019 22:32

Could it be too close? Maybe needs a bit more negative space or more of your shoulders visible?

spreadingchestnuttree · 25/03/2019 22:32

Your hair doesn't have to be behind your ears. It does look a bit gloomy - is there a brighter spot you could have it taken? I think the instructions recommend natural sunlight.

winefortea · 25/03/2019 22:33

There's a big, blacked out hole in the middle so you can't see your face! Grin
Sorry, couldn't resist! It is hard to say without seeing the features though. Were you smiling, or was there any shadow on your face?

Wigeon · 25/03/2019 22:33

If you are submitting it electronically, it’s meant to be head plus quite a bit of your torso, taken from a bit of a distance, not close up. Also, is the background too dark /not white?

CatToddlerUprising · 25/03/2019 22:34

It could be too dark or not showing enough of your shoulders

spreadingchestnuttree · 25/03/2019 22:34

Is it taken in a booth? I think you need a digital photo which should include your upper body not just the top of your shoulders.

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 25/03/2019 22:34

I’d imagine it’s because it’s too dark and the background not light enough (think has to be white or v light grey
If you did it on your iPhone you need to turn up the brightness

pickingdaisies · 25/03/2019 22:36

It's next to impossible to get one that they'll accept these days. I ended up getting mine done by a photographer that specialises in them. Even then it's not always accepted.

ChicCroissant · 25/03/2019 22:36

I would also say it is too close for a digital photo, lighter background and your shoulders in shot.

Original poster
TickledOnion · 25/03/2019 22:36

Sorry, that’s a photo of the photo taken in the booth. It’s got a white background and is much brighter in real life.

OP posts:
Earthmoon · 25/03/2019 22:36

Db needed to apply hair gel for it to recognise his hairline. Try a different hair style. Weird I know, but if it works it works

secretsquirrelthethird · 25/03/2019 22:38

Background should be white/light grey and your head has to fit in a specific mm - see attached.

Anyone renewed passport recently? What’s wrong with my photo?
Calibri12 · 25/03/2019 22:38

When it crops it automatically is your hair right up to the edge of the cropped image? This happened with one I took and I got that message. The next one I took with a little more space above so there was more space above the head when cropped. This did the trick for me. Good luck, it's not easy!

Original poster
TickledOnion · 25/03/2019 22:42

The first one I took did get cropped too close to my hair. This one seemed to be ok.

OP posts:
Pigpogtastic · 25/03/2019 22:50

There should be an option to submit it anyway. I had the exact same message and ignored it, I just had to fill in a text box saying why. I said I thought it was fine. It was accepted when an actual human saw it, I got my passport within 2 weeks.

I think the online submission is quite new and just not very good. Override it!

CherryCheezcake · 25/03/2019 22:54

Same as Pigpog, I overrode the 'computer says no' and it was fine. Mine was taken against a magnolia wall, it did take me ages to get rid of the shadows behind my head

Original poster
TickledOnion · 25/03/2019 22:56

Thanks Pigpogtastic I didn’t even think to do that. I need it for the end of May so I’m worried I won’t have time for it to be rejected and have to resubmit.

OP posts:
MrsMidgeMaisel · 25/03/2019 22:58

Another one to add, I got the same error message and added a comment to say that you could quite clearly see the outline of my head. Turnaround from submitting to having passport was a week. I’d say submit the photo OP and add the comment, it’s really quick (this was only 2-3 weeks ago). They’ll say whether the photo is acceptable within a couple of days.

Original poster
TickledOnion · 25/03/2019 22:59

Thanks mrsmidge. I’ll give it a go.

OP posts:
IcaMorgan · 25/03/2019 23:03

They rejected my first pic so I tried another which was rejected. I tried a third which, you guessed it, was rejected. I uploaded the first one again and it was accepted

Saffzy · 25/03/2019 23:07

I also had the error message and couldn’t see a problem, so took the risk and submitted it anyway and it got accepted. The turnaround seems to be pretty quick these days, sure my passport came in about a week last year.