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Original poster

Passport photo question

27 replies

DuesToTheDirt · 17/12/2022 21:39

Hi everyone,

Has anyone had a passport photo rejected recently, and if so what happened? I'm just asking because it now takes so long to get a new passport that I'm wondering whether it's worthwhile going to a shop instead of a booth to get it done, in case a faulty photo results in the process taking even longer. I read somewhere though that they just email you and you can send another online straight away, is that right?

OP posts:

userxx · 17/12/2022 21:41

I think it's the quickest and easiest way to use the photos with a code for the online application.

Bababababab · 17/12/2022 21:46

You can take the photo on your phone and the system will tell you if it is likely to be approved or not. When i asked the po a few months ago they said they will just email me if rejected and not reject the whole application

Mañanarama · 17/12/2022 21:48

Just do it at home. It’s quick and easy as long as you have a white/pale wall. Upload it with your online application and they’ll let you know if it’s ok.

teenagetantrums · 17/12/2022 21:49

My Dd just did it in a shop. You get a code and put it in online application. BTW passport only took about week to get here. Was a renewal though. Very impressed how quickly it was done

userxx · 17/12/2022 21:50

I gave up trying to take the photo myself, got loads of errors.

FlutterbButterfly · 17/12/2022 21:53

As above, take it yourself. You'll be instantly told whether the photo is acceptable or not. If not you just retake until it is.

Frazzled2207 · 17/12/2022 21:57

I had a right mare with my son’s. It said likely to be approved and then got rejected a couple of days after submitting- your application is just on hold while you try again.

fwiw the one that was finally approved was just taken with a phone- 6/7 taken by my dh’s fancy camera were rejected

Frazzled2207 · 17/12/2022 21:59

Not quite true mine got through that stage with The green tick then got rejected a couple of days later.

clarrylove · 17/12/2022 22:01

It's quick and easy to do it yourself. If it fails they just ask you to send another.

clary · 17/12/2022 22:03

Yep just get someone to take a photo of you against a white wall. Submit and you will hear asap if it’s no good. Did this for ds (renewal) and it was persistently not ok (long story as to why) so we just kept resubmitting and finally did an acceptable one.

Original poster

DuesToTheDirt · 17/12/2022 22:58

Thanks all. I think I'll go to a booth rather than do it myself though. I did my railcard photo myself and it took me ages to get one where I looked human...

OP posts:

Boopear · 17/12/2022 23:01

Timpson do passport photos in the shop and will make sure that they will pass. They are v good.

Btw my new passport only took 2 weeks this month so things are looking up..

Renovated · 17/12/2022 23:09

Go to the post office , they will do it for you , take photos and check all the form , both my partner and I did ours there , and had them back in 10 days , excellent service

H1Drangea · 17/12/2022 23:15

We went to the photo company in Tesco ( did the application online ) and even with the post strike delaying the delivery of our old passports , we had the new ones back 9 days from application
we had real photos in an envelope and a code for digital photos , worked like a dream , I think it cost £11-95 each

Original poster

DuesToTheDirt · 18/12/2022 13:14

A post office is a rare thing these days - ours are just counters in corner shops and I shouldn't think they do photos. Timpsons is an option though.

OP posts:

Original poster

DuesToTheDirt · 18/12/2022 13:15

2 weeks, wow! I was expecting a couple of months at least.

OP posts:

PuttingDownRoots · 18/12/2022 13:21

DDs photo got rejected. Submitted a new one a couple of hours later,and it was approved an hour after that.

I think the passport office has caught up now after the summer chaos.

userxx · 18/12/2022 15:24

I can't remember sending the old passport in when I applied for the new one, I must have though mustn't I ?

W0tnow · 18/12/2022 16:20

A UK one? Yes. I took another one and submitted it and they continued with the processing. I did it all online. It was brilliant! You should be able to tell when it’s submitted whether it will pass scrutiny or not, as there is a kind odometer thingy that does an in the spot assessment.

TrentCrimm · 18/12/2022 16:23

I renewed recently and just took my own photo. From submitting online to receiving the new one, took 9 days. And that was including a slight delay in them receiving my old one back due to the RM strikes.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 18/12/2022 16:27

I did a load for dh and the dc in the spring. The original ones I did at home in front of a white sheet and they got rejected, submitted new ones taken in front of the cream wall at our village hall and they were approved same or next day so they clearly don't go back to the bottom of the pile.

userxx · 18/12/2022 17:06

W0tnow · 18/12/2022 16:20

Thanks for that. I must have sent it and then they send the old one back with the new one.

Original poster

DuesToTheDirt · 18/12/2022 17:34

I've just been down to our nearest photo booth to do it there. We are short of pale backgrounds in our house, though I guess I could have pinned up a sheet as someone suggested. Lighting is tricky at home too I find.

Anyway, they have changed since I last used one, and there was an automatic check to see if the photos were likely to get approved. I chose one out of three in which I looked least like a criminal, did my application and fingers crossed.

OP posts:

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 18/12/2022 17:34

I did the DC's passports last month.
We got photos from Timpson's who checked them for compliance with some software they had and retook DD's until it was accepted.
I used the code from Timpson's for the DC's online passport applications, all went smoothly, sent in the old passports, and received the new ones a week later.

It was very quick and straightforward, despite the passport office advising a 10 week turn around. Neither of them were first passports, and the person who proofed DD's identity did it very quickly. Dh and i are both British passport holders born in the Uk, and so were the dc, so it couldn't really have been simpler, but it was very easy, and I'm sure the photo code helped.

Original poster

DuesToTheDirt · 23/12/2022 19:56

Update -

Sunday, did photos (at booth) and filled in online application
Monday, sent old passport back at PO. I went for the most expensive option rather than just signed-for, cost about £6, as they said that was the only one with guaranteed tracking
Got a couple of emails in the week re the application being processed
Friday, got an email to say it was being printed and would be sent soon, then an hour later it appeared! So it was done in 5 days - 4 working days - the week before Christmas.

I am now thinking it might have been worth going to a photo shop, especially as I discovered that my nearest Timpsons does them... but also because the new passport photos are so much clearer than the old fuzzy-looking ones, which looked washed-out and could have been anyone. These highlight all the wrinkles and maybe I'd have got a more flattering one in a shop!

OP posts:

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