Why passport photos get rejected
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Why passport photos get rejected

Shadows, wrong size, smiling and low resolution top the rejection list — and how to avoid them.

5 min read
RejectionChecksMistakes

Top 5 reasons

Shadows on face or background; size mismatch; smiling or open mouth; closed eyes / off-camera gaze; compressed or blurry files.

Use our AI-powered Canada Passport Photo Tool to auto-crop your image in 3 seconds.

Official photo requirements

50 × 70 mm
  • Document size applied
  • Face alignment checked
  • Background prepared

Size

50 × 70 mm

Background

White

Digital photo

591 × 827 px

Before
Before
After
After

How to prevent it

Pick the correct document, shoot in daylight and use a frame that passes AI checks. When in doubt, retake — it’s usually the fastest fix.

How to prevent it
How to prevent it
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