Applying for or renewing passports online is getting more and more popular, which requires a digital biometric Photo. Some applicants intend to digitalize an existing printed passport photo by scanning it. Is that permitted? How to scan a photo and make sure it’s accepted by the authorities?

Additionally, in some countries, passport photos might share similar requirements with other identity documents such as green cards, visas, ID cards, driving licenses, etc. Sometimes you just need to make small adjustments and it can be used for other applications.

In this passage, we are going to talk about how to convert a hard-copy passport photo into a qualified digital format for online applications.

Can You Scan a Passport Photo for Online Application?

A scanned picture is not the best choice for online applications. As is known to us all, scanning pictures is far more difficult than scanning paperwork because a variety of factors can affect the final results, such as dimensions, color contrast, saturation, reflection, etc. Therefore, you must use a scanner or scanning app with high resolution. And we will introduce a professional passport photo maker to ensure photo quality in the next section.

Special Requirements for a Digital Photo

Besides general rules for size, background, poses, facial expressions, dress code, and so on, there are some extra requirements for a digital photo for passport applications. Let’s see what we should take care of when digitalizing a printed photo.

• Dimensions

Digital photos must comply with requirements on resolutions and pixels of width and height. There should be enough space over the subject’s head and on both sides. For example, a 2 x 2-in US passport photo must be 600-1200 pixels with an aspect ratio of 1:1.

• Color

The US digital photo must be in color (24 bits per pixel) in sRGB color space. Most digital cameras can do that. Even if there are no specific requirements for it in your country, we do not suggest you scan a black-and-white photo.

• Photo Age

The authority usually requires the photo to be taken in a certain period. For example, a US passport photo should not be more than 6 months old. That is to say, you should not scan a photo taken more than 6 months ago. 

• Format

JPEG is the most popular or even the only accepted format. Other file types like PNG are also allowed. Please check the official standards and turn it into a proper file format.

• File Size

In the United States, a digital photo should be 54 Kb – 10 Mb. An extra small or extra large photo would fail to be uploaded for online applications.

How To Scan Passport Photo for Online Application

Once you confirm the photo meets the official requirements, you can start scanning it. Below is the comprehensive instruction.

Scan Printed Passport-style Photo

It is suggested to use a professional scanner instead of taking pictures for the printed photo. Make sure it is connected to your phone or computer through wire or Wi-Fi, so the scanned photo can be transferred to your device for further processing. To make the best results, here are some useful tips about scanner settings.

• Clean the scanner glass and make sure it is free of dust, stains or blemishes which will lead to unpleasant spots or blurring effects.
• Set the scan resolution to the required values. For example, US and UK passport photos should be at least 300 dpi. Australian and Singaporean passport photos should be 600 dpi.
• Scan the photo at its original size, and choose the Preview feature so that you can see whether the whole image is captured before completing the scan.
• Choose JPEG as the file format.

If you cannot find a scanner, you can also turn to your phone. Some smartphone cameras are equipped with a scanning function. If not, third-party apps or iPhone Notes App can also do that as long as the cameras can make clear and HD images. Here are tips for scanning passport photos with mobile devices.

• Clean the camera lenses and the printed photo. Make sure there are no blemishes or stains.
• Scan the photo in a well-lit room and let the light evenly shine on the photo. Make sure the picture is not spoiled by shadows or reflections.
• Place the camera right above the photo and scan from a front view. Adjust the screen to fit the edges of the photo, thus capturing its original size.
• It might take some time for the phone to recognize and process the image. Try to keep your hand and device stable. Use a tripod or stabilizer if possible.
• Try as many times as you can, so you have more choices for compliance checks.

Resize the Scanned Passport Photo

Now you get a scanned picture. You have to crop it to the desired photo size, which can be done in Photoshop, Word, Paint or any other editing programs. You can also use AiPassportPhotos which will resize or make other necessary adjustments automatically.

Check Passport Photo Compliance

It is hard to tell whether the edited photo is qualified or not with the naked eye. However, being rejected by authorities due to an imperfect photo can be depressing. The good news is that we have a professional passport photo maker, AiPassportPhotos, helping us check photo compliance. It is equipped with hundreds of photo templates for different countries (e.g. Australia, Canada, Philippines, the United States, UK, Singapore, etc.) and document types (e.g. passports, driving licenses, ID cards, green cards, visas, etc.). You can select document type on the AiPassportPhotos website and upload the scanned photo by clicking the “Upload a Photo” button. The AI-supported passport photo editor will identify biometric features and photo quality. If qualified, it will start AI processing automatically, during which the photo size and background will be adjusted. Finally, you will obtain a 100% officially approvable head-and-shoulder photo.

Supposing that the scanned photo does not meet the official requirements, you can retake a new picture with your phone and let the built-in photo experts do the remaining work for you. Remember to follow the guidance listed on the website, covering dress code, glasses, accessories, pose and facial expressions.

Summary

Scanning passport photos for online application can be a difficult job because it is hard to ensure photo quality. Digitalizing a printed photo can be done by a scanner or mobile phone. Please take care of resolutions, color, photo age, file format and file size. We hope the tips above can help you achieve a perfect scanned photo. In order to secure the approval of your application, it is suggested to use the professional passport photo editor, AiPassportPhotos.

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