My photo was rejected — what now?

It happens, and it’s fixable. SurePhotoID measures every photo against the cited official specification, but final acceptance always rests with the issuing authority. Here’s how to sort it out quickly.

Why photos get rejected

These are the reasons authorities cite most often:

• Shadows or uneven lighting on the face or background.
• Background problems — wrong color, patterns, objects, or visible gradients.
• Head size or position outside the required range, or eyes not at the required height.
• Blur — a soft or motion-blurred photo.
• Glare or reflections, typically from glasses.
• Expression, eyewear, or head-covering rules specific to the document — requirements the specification text describes but no app can fully measure.

The first four are exactly what SurePhotoID checks (head size, eye line, background color and uniformity, sharpness). The last two vary by document — your template cites the official government source where those rules are written.

What to do, step by step

1. Get the exact reason. Authorities usually state why a photo was refused. That one sentence tells you precisely what to change.
2. Re-shoot with the fix in mind. Follow the capture guide — capture, compliance checking, and preview are free, so you can retake as many times as you need before exporting again.
3. Check the official source. Every SurePhotoID template links the official specification it enforces. If the rejection reason sounds unusual, the answer is in that document.
4. Want your money back instead? Refunds go through Apple — see below.

If you printed the photo

The print-ready PDF is laid out for standard photo paper at exact size. When printing at home or at a print shop, make sure it is printed at 100% scale (“actual size”) on the intended paper size — “fit to page” or automatic scaling changes the photo’s physical dimensions and can turn a compliant photo into a rejected one.

Requesting a refund

For help with a rejection, email support@surephotoid.com with your country, document, and the reason the authority gave — we’ll help you get to an accepted photo.