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Original poster

Sons passport photo denied as he's too pale!!

53 replies

ForeverMessy456 · 07/01/2023 19:24

I got my sons photograph done for his passport at the post office and they said it was approve on their system.

I got the code and used it for the passport application and it came back saying his skin colour is too similar to the white background!!

I then tried a creamier background and it said the same 'Your image and background are too difficult to tell apart'

He's wearing a navy jumper so it's not the clothing. He's fair with blonde hair.

What am I meant to do? Fake tan him 😂

OP posts:
hoppityscotch · 08/01/2023 19:49

I'm always a bit worried I'll get rejected as I look nothing like my miserable looking passport photo

Onnabugeisha · 08/01/2023 19:51

barbrahunter · 08/01/2023 19:37

I took my own photo and they said that my eyes were closed in it... they weren't! Not my fault I have small eyes! Anyway, I kept taking different pictures and uploading them onto the passport site and in the end, it passed one of the photos.

My DH has that exact same problem as he has epicanthic folds (Asian eyes). The computer is genuinely racist imho. He has to raise his eyebrows and do the deer in the headlights expression for his photo to pass.

MisgenderedSwan · 08/01/2023 19:52

I had this! I ended up using foundation a couple of shades too dark and contour. Looked ridiculous going to get it taken but it looks fine on the passport 🤣

hoppityscotch · 08/01/2023 19:54

Onnabugeisha · 08/01/2023 19:51

My DH has that exact same problem as he has epicanthic folds (Asian eyes). The computer is genuinely racist imho. He has to raise his eyebrows and do the deer in the headlights expression for his photo to pass.

Show quote history

Yup. Its like OPEN YOUR EYES. And me thinking.. they are open. Are they not open? Am I in a dream and they are closed?

barbrahunter · 08/01/2023 19:55

OMG I never considered it's because of my ethnicity!

hoppityscotch · 08/01/2023 19:57

barbrahunter · 08/01/2023 19:55

OMG I never considered it's because of my ethnicity!

I know right.. eyes are eyes!

Margarita45 · 08/01/2023 19:59

I’m not sure about the process you’ve gone through, but is it just a computerised check? If so, when I did my sons renewal the check kept saying the photo was poor. I just checked the box below to progress and added a comment to say I believed it met the criteria.

No issues and the passport came back fine.

Realfastfoodie · 08/01/2023 20:05

Don’t stress. We had the same. Just said in the “explain why you think the photo is ok” box that DC is very fair. Don’t bother with another photo. This happens all the time. They just approved ours as normal (actually rather faster than I expected).

daemonologie · 08/01/2023 20:06

Piggy52a · 07/01/2023 19:25

We had that. Sent the photo in anyway and it was fine.

Yes same here

milveycrohn · 08/01/2023 20:25

This actually happened to my DS some years back. He redid them, and the second time it was fine. This was not the on line version, it was some from a photo booth, and submitted differently.
Doing my own on line was horrendous. I had to keep taking them forever, until finally getting one that would upload.

Dagnabit · 08/01/2023 20:56

Can you just try to take your own photo? I did my sons with a flash using my phone against a pale, not white, wall and it was accepted fine. Would save you having to keep traipsing down town.

Onnabugeisha · 08/01/2023 21:23

barbrahunter · 08/01/2023 19:55

OMG I never considered it's because of my ethnicity!

I think the eyes open error is 100% due to ethnicity.

To be fair, it’s the same with OPs DS, and the computer not recognising ethnicities with very pale white skin.

TranquilityofSolitude · 08/01/2023 21:26

My online application also had the same error just before Christmas. I chose to submit it anyway, and it was approved and back within the week. I'd just send it anyway.

mum2jakie · 08/01/2023 21:30

I had this too for one of my kids but overrode the system after a few photos kept coming back with the same warning. Completed the application and it went through ok.

welshrabbits · 08/01/2023 21:41

My DD's was rejected due to her head being massive.

It isn't. She had an Afro which is the same colour as her face.

evemillbank · 08/01/2023 21:46

I had that same. I just said this is my actual skin tone. What do you want me to do? It was accepted.

Onnabugeisha · 08/01/2023 22:19

welshrabbits · 08/01/2023 21:41

My DD's was rejected due to her head being massive.

It isn't. She had an Afro which is the same colour as her face.

🤣 I can totally see this happening. These computers can be so stupid at times.

OpposableThumbs2 · 08/01/2023 22:35

The computer kept saying no to my DD1's photo, I think it was her freckles it didn't like. Had to just submit it anyway and it all went through ok.

Blueberrycreampie · 08/01/2023 22:42

welshrabbits · 08/01/2023 21:41

My DD's was rejected due to her head being massive.

It isn't. She had an Afro which is the same colour as her face.

Sorry I laughed at this! They're bonkers!

Luckypoppy · 08/01/2023 22:49

Use a brighter colour top. The baby may fool them into thinking it's black and white. I've known this to happen!

Original poster
ForeverMessy456 · 09/01/2023 07:12

Thanks all!

Got the photo redone for free at the post office. The new one (the lighter jumper and darker background) had no issues.

OP posts:
AnneButNotHathaway · 09/01/2023 10:03

I've never heard of this being a problem and I know people who are naturally very pale and look so in their photos, too! Just wow.
Maybe taking his photo at home might be the answer? You can edit it a bit, just a touch of light and color correction so that he doesn't look that pale. There are passport photo programs like passport-photo-software.com/ that allow to do that.

greenacrylicpaint · 09/01/2023 10:11

a relative has no nose in their passport as they are very pale Grin. adding a photo to the passport makes any contrasts less obvious.

photographs should have the equipment and different backgrounds to take that into account.

mummymeister · 09/01/2023 14:57

I have grey hair and kept getting this so I used a very pale green background and it was instantly accepted.

FuckNuggets · 09/01/2023 15:02

Had this with my daughter, she's blonde and pale and was on a white background. It was approved anyway.

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