Selfie for passport application?

[DueyCheatemAndHow]

Is this as easy as it sounds? Have many people had theirs rejected?

Thanks

I did it. Fairly easy. Still look like an old hag though.

There’s a few apps (free ones) you can use - I have done all our recent ones with those . Same as a selfie but it gives you the dimensions to check on the phone a screen.

Yes I did this for last renewal and also DIYed the rest of the family. You just need to be careful about background and shadow. Find a white wall with a window or bright light opposite you. Not at an angle or above. Follow the guidelines about hair, expression etc to the letter and then crop the pic to correct dimensions before uploading. It's so easy I can't understand why anyone uses booths or goes to a shop for it any more.

It checks the photo before you complete the application and gives you a red or green as to the likelihood of it being accepted.

One photo I though was perfect apparently stood no chance. Typically the rushed photo DH took of me with no make up on and looking like a bag lady was accepted.

Well.tbis sounds life changing! Thanks!

You do need to be very careful with background. DH had his rejected twice, but we just uploaded new ones. DS was accepted first time, despite the fact the background was a pale cream coloured wall that lead to one of DHs being rejected. Perhaps they are less stringent with kids?

DD had a fast track one so needed actual photos, taken by a local photo studio. They were fine but the actual reproduction in the passport is much blurrier than the digital ones.

I did it, no issues whatsoever. Took it against a white wall. Sent it off online and new passport arrived within about 2/3 weeks.

Apply online. Before you complete and pay for the application, you can upload the photo for approval.
All of our selfie photos were rejected doing it this way, which saved us the hassle of a rejected application.
We just couldn't seem to take them without a shadow in the background. Went to Max Speilmann in the end.

In my experience their photometer doesn’t work well for anyone with blonde hair. I think it’s because the white wall and blonde means it can’t pick up borders. The photos were accepted though.

I’ve done two for my mum and my husband, both accepted first time

Tried to do it at home but went to a photo booth in the end - it showed the pic and had a passport setting that said if it passed for passports.
At home at different times of day, I couldn't get one without a shadow

I always take them at home but not selfies. I haven't had one rejected yet. My current passport picture was take by my DD who was 9 at the time. Make sure you do it in good light, not at dawn or dusk. I did one my DD's in the winter and wrapped some tin foil around some cardboard and she held it out of shot to reflect light up on to her face.

Took ours so many times and all rejected! Photo booth approved ones also rejected on app but approved by passport office when we said sod it and sent them off anyway. Think app is too sensitive

I found the bright lights and white walls at the shopping centre to be a lot better than anywhere at home.

My youngest sent off a photo taken by their sibling at home, it was initially approved but was rejected by the passport office. For ease we went to a photo shop (they know all the odd rules about earrings, hair etc) and the passport came back two days later.

The way to take it without a shadow is to stand against the wall.

love the uploading element of the app online it tells you the likelihood of it being rejected. I did DDs and it said it was too dark so I just lightened it on my phone and tried again and it worked!

Yes I have very blonde hair and they kept rejecting it but you can give a reason why you think it should be accepted and they "gave in" in the end. It's a truly hideous picture 😪

I did it. It is checked for suitability before you submit it. Mine was rejected as it said it couldn't see the outline of my head/hair - I've got blonde hair which doesn't show up against their required light background. I clicked to overrule their rejection and typed in the reason (blonde hair light background). It went through to the Passport office and was accepted and new passport arrived within a week (pre Covid).

All my recent ones have been taken at home but taken by another person against a pale coloured wall

My DDs and I have all taken each other's most recent ones at home using a plain white wall as the background. No selfies.

DD3 took mine. Her sister took hers for her. Both were accepted by the passport office. DD3's passport took less than two weeks to come back and mine less than a week. I was impressed.

I had similar to pp, white hair against white background rejected initially. I challenged, essentially saying ‘I have white hair, what do you expect me to do?’ and it was accepted with no further issue.