Online applications for passports, visas, exams and jobs check your photo automatically, and they reject it for reasons that are hard to see at a glance: a few pixels too small, a few kilobytes too big, or the wrong format. Each requirement is separate, and meeting all of them is straightforward once you know what each one means.
The three things portals check
- Pixel dimensions: the width and height of the image, such as 600 × 600.
- File size: how much space the file takes, such as 20 to 50 KB. This depends on the dimensions and on how much the image is compressed.
- Format: almost always JPEG, saved with a .jpg or .jpeg extension.
On top of these come the rules about the photo itself: plain background, face position, no glasses for some documents, and how recent it must be.
Real examples
- UK passport, online: at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and between 50 KB and 10 MB. GOV.UK asks you not to crop the photo yourself, because its service crops it for you.
- US visa (DS-160): square, between 600 × 600 and 1200 × 1200 pixels, in colour, taken within the last six months.
- India's SSC exams: a JPEG photograph between 20 KB and 50 KB and a signature between 10 KB and 20 KB, with dimensions set in each exam's notice.
Rules change between years and between application types, so always read the current official page before you prepare the photo.
Step by step
- Start from the original. Use the photo straight from the camera, not a screenshot or a copy sent through a messaging app, which are already compressed and resized. iPhone HEIC photos need converting to JPG first with the image converter.
- Get the shape right. In the image resizer, enter the required width and height, or use a passport preset. If the photo is a different shape, choose Crop and drag the preview so your face sits in the centre. Skip this step for portals, like the UK passport service, that crop for you.
- Set the file size. Choose a maximum such as 50 KB. The resizer finds the best quality that fits and tells you if it also had to reduce the dimensions.
- Choose JPG as the format.
- Check the result. The download shows its final dimensions and file size. Compare both with the requirements before you upload.
What DPI means here
Some forms mention DPI or a print size such as 35 × 45 mm. For an upload, what matters is the pixel count. DPI only links pixels to a printed size: 35 × 45 mm at 300 dots per inch is 413 × 531 pixels. If a form gives a print size and a DPI, multiply the size in inches by the DPI to get the pixels you need. The DPI number stored inside the file is just a label and rarely checked.
Signatures
Sign with a dark pen on plain white paper, photograph or scan it in good light, and crop tightly around the signature. Then resize to the stated dimensions and file size in the same way. Avoid shadows across the paper; they make the background grey and bloat the file.
Why photos still get rejected
- Below the minimum size. Some portals reject files that are too small. If yours sets a range, aim for the upper half rather than the smallest possible file.
- Dimensions a few pixels off. Untick Keep proportions only if the portal demands exact numbers in both directions, and crop rather than stretch to get there.
- Wrong format. A PNG or HEIC renamed to .jpg is still not a JPEG. Convert it properly.
- The photo itself. Blur, shadows on the face, a busy background or tinted glasses cause more rejections than file settings do.
Keep ID photos private
Passport and ID photos are exactly the kind of image you do not want stored on a stranger's server. The resizer, compressor and converter on this site process images inside your browser, so your photo never leaves your device.