Passport & ID Photo Compliance Checker
Check passport & ID photos against official size, head-size, background and file rules for the US, UK/EU, China and India — free, private, no upload.
What gets checked
Pick a country’s format, drop in your photo, and PhotoChecker runs five checks against the published rules:
- Aspect ratio & dimensions — is the crop the right proportion (square for US and India e-visa, 7:9 for UK/EU/India passport) or inside the published pixel window (China COVA), and are there enough pixels for a clean 300-dpi print?
- Head size — the crown-to-chin height as a percentage of the photo, measured either by your browser’s face detector or by two clicks on the preview. This is the single most common technical rejection reason.
- Background — the top and side edges are sampled for brightness and evenness; dark, tinted or patterned backgrounds get flagged.
- File size & format — measured against the typical online-upload windows (e.g. ≤240 KB JPEG for a US visa application).
An honest checker, not an approval stamp
A compliance checker can only verify what it can measure. It cannot see that your eyes are in shadow, that the photo is nine months old, or that your glasses caught a reflection — and no website can approve a photo on a government’s behalf. What PhotoChecker can do is catch the mechanical problems — wrong proportions, head too small, dark background, oversized file — that quietly cause a large share of rejections, before you print or upload. Everything is measured on your device and the limits of each check are stated in its result line.
When the rules matter most
Requirements differ by document: a US visa photo, a Schengen visa photo and a Chinese visa photo are three different crops with three different head-size bands. The country requirements table collects the numbers side by side, common rejection reasons explains the failures the checker can’t see, and taking the photo at home covers lighting, distance and posture for a compliant shot without a studio.
Passport Photo Requirements by Country
Print size, head size, pixels and file limits — the numbers, side by side.
Open →Common Passport Photo Rejection Reasons
Every rejection reason explained — the measurable ones and the judgement calls.
Open →How to Take a Passport Photo at Home
A plain wall, daylight and ten minutes — how to shoot a compliant photo yourself.
Open →Frequently asked questions
Does this checker guarantee my photo will be accepted?
No — and be suspicious of any tool that claims to. PhotoChecker measures the technical rules it can see: proportions, resolution, head height, background tone, file size and format. It cannot judge facial expression, shadows, photo recency, glasses glare or head-covering rules, and only the issuing authority can accept or reject a photo. Treat a pass here as 'no common technical problems found', then check the official guidance.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. The checker is JavaScript running in this browser tab — your file is decoded, sampled and measured on your own device. Load the page, switch off Wi-Fi, and it still works. Nothing is transmitted, stored or logged; see the privacy policy.
How does the head-size check work?
Where the browser exposes a FaceDetector, we use it to estimate the crown-to-chin distance (clearly labelled as an estimate). Otherwise — or if it fails — you mark the head yourself: click the crown, then the chin, on the preview. Two clicks, and the measured percentage is compared against the selected country's allowed band.
Which countries and document types are covered?
Six presets: US passport & visa (2×2 in), UK passport (35×45 mm), Schengen/EU visa (35×45 mm), China visa (33×48 mm print / COVA pixel window), India passport (35×45 mm ICAO spec, mandatory since 1 September 2025 — the old 2×2 in square is obsolete) and India e-visa (square, ≥350×350 px). The requirements table lists the numbers each preset checks — print size, head size, pixel minimums and file limits — plus more countries that share the same specs.
My photo failed a check — what now?
Read the check's detail line: it says what was measured and what the rule expects. Wrong proportions or a head that's too big/small usually means re-cropping; a dark or patterned background means re-shooting against a white wall. The rejection reasons page explains each failure, and how to take a compliant photo at home walks through the re-shoot.
Can I check a photo for a country not in the list?
Partially. Many countries reuse one of the standard sizes — most of Europe and much of Asia use 35×45 mm, and several use the US-style 2×2 in square. Pick the preset whose print size matches your requirement and the proportion, resolution and background checks still apply; just verify the head-size band against your country's own rules.
Latest articles
Passport Photo Requirements by Country
Print size, head size, pixels and file limits — the numbers, side by side.
Common Passport Photo Rejection Reasons
Every rejection reason explained — the measurable ones and the judgement calls.
How to Take a Passport Photo at Home
A plain wall, daylight and ten minutes — how to shoot a compliant photo yourself.