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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

F*cking passport office!

14 replies

DorisParchment · 22/03/2023 10:41

Applied for my passport about four weeks ago, when I was in U.K. Used Snappy Snaps as they give you a code and it’s easier. They also checked the passport photo on the gov.uk website to see if it was acceptable. It was. It got the green tick. I’ve just had an email from the passport office to say that the photo isn’t acceptable “because the background isn’t plain.” It’s very plain, it’s what Snappy Snaps use for all of their passport photos. So now I’ve wasted money on the photos and will have to fanny about trying to take photos at home that may or may not be acceptable. I’ve complained to the passport office, because I really can’t see anything wrong with the photo. There are a few bits of hair sticking up, but I’ve got curly hair. So fed up with this. Applied in what I thought was plenty of time as well.

OP posts:
Whatisthisanyidea · 22/03/2023 10:43

Well they are about to go on strike for 5 weeks - now there’s something to complain about -

jigsaw234 · 22/03/2023 10:43

Surely your complaint should be to snappy snaps - they should know

MarchMadness23 · 22/03/2023 10:45

FFS.

definitely 'appeal' the decision!

DorisParchment · 22/03/2023 10:45

Snappy Snaps said that the test they did showed that it met standards. They do literally hundreds of these a week and are as baffled as I am.

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 22/03/2023 10:49

Do snappy snaps guarantee the pictures? If so they should redo them.

Both my DD and FIL had that issue. (DDs were home ones, FIL a photographer. Second lot of photos approved within minutes of being submitted.

DorisParchment · 22/03/2023 10:50

The passport office have responded. They said “Your passport photo can’t be used. Submit a new one.” Clearly not up for entering into any discussion.

OP posts:
DorisParchment · 22/03/2023 10:50

I can’t go back to Snappy Snaps as I’m no longer in U.K.

OP posts:
Matchingcollarandcuffs · 22/03/2023 10:51

I’ve just done 4 of us taking photos at home against a white wall, as long as there’s no shadow or obscuring of eyes (with DS hair was hard!) they got a green tick and new passports (1 adult renewal, 1 child renewal and 2 new adult from child passports) within a fortnight and they needed to verify dd identity. If you can upload anew photo they should get onto in v quickly as you’re already in the system.

Good luck

VirginiaQ · 22/03/2023 10:57

Maybe try resubmitting the original photo? I say this as my son has a huge Afro. It literally won't fit in the frame. Took him to a photographer (like Snappy Snaps but not) where they verify it will be accepted by the passport office before you leave the premises.

Went to apply for passport and got a red tick on photo which I ignored and let it go through and two weeks later he had his new passport. If you got a green tick I'm thinking maybe some h7man jobsworth has got involved and you maybe luckier next time?

DorisParchment · 22/03/2023 11:07

I called Snappy Snaps back. They will edit the background and give me another number so let’s see if this works. Otherwise I’ll try and do it at home.

OP posts:
Dodgeitornot · 22/03/2023 11:23

Just do it at home against a white background. That's what we've done for years now.

Matchingcollarandcuffs · 22/03/2023 12:14

Good luck but it says that pictures must be unedited, hopefully they can do it in a way that is not detectable

user68901 · 22/03/2023 17:12

Snappy snap are useless - the quality is appalling.
We took our own - they got rejected (after I got the green tick too ) but I uploaded to a website that enhances them for a small fee , I think mine had slight shadow, after which they were accepted.

Pottedpalm · 22/03/2023 19:04

I had my application done at the Post Office and they took the picture too.

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