What happens if my Australian passport photo is rejected?

You'll receive notification from the Australian Passport Office explaining the reason. You must submit a new compliant photo, which delays your application. For online applications via photos.gov.au, you can re-upload quickly. For postal applications, the delay is typically 2-4 weeks.

Why was my Australian passport photo rejected for smiling?

Australia has zero tolerance for smiling in passport photos. Even a slight closed-mouth smile or smirk is flagged by automated checks. You need a completely neutral, relaxed expression with mouth closed.

Can I still wear glasses in my Australian passport photo?

No. Australia banned glasses in passport photos effective January 2024. Even prescription glasses are not allowed. You must remove all glasses before taking your photo.

How do I fix a passport photo that was rejected for shadows?

Face a window with natural daylight instead of using overhead lights or flash. Stand at least half a metre from the wall to avoid background shadows. If you can see a shadow under your nose on the phone screen, reposition until it disappears.

Is my photo rejected if I used the wrong size?

Yes. Australian passport photos must be 35×45mm. Submitting US 2×2 inch photos (51×51mm) or any other non-standard size is an automatic rejection. Our tool formats to the exact required dimensions.

Can I edit a rejected photo and resubmit it?

If the problem is background or size, yes — processing it through our tool can fix those issues. If the problem is shadows on your face, expression, or glasses, you need to retake the photo entirely. Digital retouching of facial features will itself cause rejection.

Australian Passport Photo Rejected? How to Fix It (2026)

Photo Just Rejected? Do This Now

If your Australian passport photo was just rejected, here’s the fastest path to a new one:

Check the rejection reason in your notification email or photos.gov.au dashboard
Take a new photo with your phone against a white wall, facing a window (no glasses, neutral expression)
Process it through our tool (~A$1.50) — we auto-check size, background, and head position before you download
Re-upload to photos.gov.au immediately — there’s no waiting period for resubmission

For postal or in-person applications, submit the new photo as soon as possible. The most common reasons for rejection are listed below so you can avoid the same mistake.

The #1 rejection cause: smiling

Smiling accounts for roughly 25% of all Australian passport photo rejections. Australia has zero tolerance — even a slight smile or closed-mouth smirk triggers automated rejection. Your expression must be completely neutral and relaxed.

Why Australian Passport Photos Get Rejected

1. Smiling or Non-Neutral Expression (Most Common)

What went wrong: Any expression other than completely neutral. A slight smile, raised eyebrows, squinting, or even looking tense.

Why it’s rejected: Australia’s biometric system measures facial landmarks for automated identity matching. Any expression change — even subtle — shifts these landmarks and reduces matching accuracy at border control.

How to fix: Relax your face completely. Mouth closed, lips together naturally. Don’t try to look pleasant — just look neutral. If you look tense, take a breath, drop your shoulders, and try again.

2. Glasses in Photo

What went wrong: Wearing any type of glasses — prescription, reading, sunglasses, or tinted lenses.

Why it’s rejected: Australia banned glasses in passport photos effective January 2024. This is a recent change. If your previous passport photo had glasses, the new rules no longer allow it.

How to fix: Remove all glasses before taking the photo. If you have a medical condition that genuinely requires you to wear glasses at all times, you need a signed doctor’s certificate and APO approval — but this is rarely granted.

3. Wrong Background

What went wrong: Background is not plain white or light-coloured. Shadows behind your head. Patterns, textures, or objects visible.

Why it’s rejected: Automated background detection requires a uniform, shadow-free background for clean biometric processing. Even a faint shadow can trigger rejection.

How to fix: Use a plain white wall. Stand at least half a metre from the wall to avoid casting shadows. Use front-facing light (face a window). Our tool can also remove and replace any background with compliant white.

4. Wrong Photo Size

What went wrong: Photo dimensions don’t match the required 35mm × 45mm format.

Why it’s rejected: Australian passports use the 35×45mm biometric format. Submitting US 2×2 inch photos (51×51mm), UK photos, or improperly cropped images fails dimensional checks immediately.

How to fix: Ensure your photo is exactly 35mm × 45mm. For digital uploads via photos.gov.au, the minimum resolution is 420×540 pixels. Our tool auto-formats to exact Australian specs.

5. Shadows on Face

What went wrong: Visible shadows on your face, under your nose, around your eyes, or on one side.

Why it’s rejected: Shadows create false contours that interfere with biometric facial mapping. The system can’t accurately measure your features.

How to fix: Face a window with natural daylight. No flash. No overhead lighting. If you can see a shadow under your nose on the phone screen, reposition until it disappears. Two light sources on either side also work.

Our tool checks for even lighting but can’t fix shadows in the original photo — you need to retake it.

6. Head Size or Position Wrong

What went wrong: Face too small in the frame, too large, off-centre, or tilted.

Why it’s rejected: Your head must measure 32–36mm from chin to crown in the printed photo (roughly 70–80% of frame height). The face must be centred with both eyes level.

How to fix: Position the camera about 1.2 metres from your face at eye level. Our tool uses face detection to crop to the exact required head size ratio.

7. Photo Too Old or Doesn’t Match Appearance

What went wrong: Photo taken more than 6 months ago, or your appearance has changed significantly.

Why it’s rejected: The photo must represent your current appearance. Significant changes in weight, hairstyle, facial hair, or ageing since the photo was taken are grounds for rejection.

How to fix: Take a fresh photo that reflects how you look right now.

Quick Requirements Reference

Your photo must NOT have

✕ Glasses of any kind (banned January 2024)
✕ Smiling or any expression
✕ Shadows on face or background
✕ Hats or head coverings (except religious)
✕ Headphones or earbuds
✕ AI editing, filters, or beauty mode
✕ Hair covering your face or eyes

Your photo must have

✓ Size: 35mm × 45mm (1.38 × 1.77 inches)
✓ Head height: 32–36mm chin to crown
✓ Plain white or light-coloured background
✓ Taken within the last 6 months
✓ Full face, front view, eyes open
✓ Neutral expression, mouth closed
✓ In focus, no blur or grain

What Our Tool Can and Can’t Fix

Honest about our limits

Our tool checks head size, background colour, and face positioning before you pay. If your photo has a fixable issue (wrong size, non-white background), we handle it. If the issue is in the original photo (shadows, glasses, wrong expression), we flag it so you can retake.

We CAN fix:

Wrong background colour or pattern (auto-removed and replaced with white)
Wrong photo dimensions (auto-cropped to 35×45mm)
Head size ratio (auto-adjusted within the crop)

We CANNOT fix (retake required):

Shadows on your face
Glasses in the photo
Smiling or wrong expression
Blurry or low-resolution original
Head tilt or eyes not level

Source

Official photo requirements: Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au)

Australian Passport Photo Rejected? Here's How to Fix It