Passport Photo Validator — Free AI Compliance Check

Free passport photo validator. AI-powered. Validates against the official spec for 166 countries and 555+ document types. No signup required for the compliance check.

What the Validator Checks

Snap2Pass's validator runs 25+ checks against the official spec for each country. The checks fall into 7 categories:

1. Face geometry — head size as % of frame, face centered, no tilt.
2. Eye visibility — both eyes open, no glasses reflection, no hair covering.
3. Expression — neutral, mouth closed, no teeth visible.
4. Background — solid color matching the country's requirement (white for most; light grey for UK; red for Malaysia; light blue/white for UAE).
5. Lighting — even, no shadows on face or background.
6. Image quality — sharp focus, sufficient resolution, no compression artifacts.
7. Country-specific rules — e.g., India 70-80% face height, Japan no-glasses-since-2019, Canada photographer-stamp requirement, China ears-must-be-visible.

Top 10 Reasons Passport Photos Get Rejected

From State Department rejection data and industry-wide acceptance statistics:

• Glasses (#1 rejection cause since 2016). Even prescription frames. Most countries no longer accept medical exemption without a signed doctor letter.
• Background not pure/correct color. Off-white, patterned, or tinted backgrounds are routinely rejected.
• Wrong head size. Too small (face occupies less than 50% of frame) or too large (face occupies more than 69%, common in selfies taken too close to the camera).
• Shadows on the face or background. Common in flash-lit selfies and side-lit setups.
• Smile / teeth showing. Neutral expression is required globally.
• Hair covering eyes or eyebrows. Bangs must be parted; eyebrows must be visible.
• Photo older than 6 months. Strict freshness rule in most countries.
• AI-edited / beauty-filtered. Rejected outright per State Department January 2026 rule.
• Head tilt. Face must be straight on, not turned sideways.
• Other people or objects in frame. Common in family photos used as passport submissions.

How to Use the Validator

1. Click "Upload my photo" above.
2. Select the document (US passport, Schengen visa, etc.).
3. Upload a recent selfie.
4. See the compliance report in 60 seconds. Every check shows pass / fail with a specific reason for any fail.
5. (Optional) Download the validated photo for $9.95, or retake and re-check for free.