DEV Community: Foxly Passport Photo

Adding my GitHub profile README for Foxly Passport Photo Maker

Foxly Passport Photo — Mon, 18 May 2026 09:33:32 +0000

I recently updated my public GitHub profile README to explain what I am building with Foxly Passport Photo Maker.

You can find my GitHub profile here:

What I am building

Foxly Passport Photo Maker is an online tool for creating passport, visa and ID photos from home.

The idea is simple: users upload a photo, prepare it for the correct document requirements, and receive a digital passport-style photo without needing to visit a photo booth or photo shop.

Why I added this to GitHub

I wanted my GitHub profile to show the project I am working on publicly.

A GitHub profile README is a useful place to explain:

who you are
what you are building
what problem the project solves
where people can find the product

For my case, the project is focused on passport photo requirements, online document photos and digital passport photo tools.

UK digital passport photo code

One useful part of the project is helping people understand how to get a digital passport photo code for a UK passport application.

I wrote a guide here:

Digital Passport Photo Code UK

This explains how a digital passport photo code works, why it is useful for online passport applications, and what to check before submitting a photo.

Why this matters

Passport photo rejection can be frustrating, especially when the issue is something simple like lighting, background, image quality or face position.

By building Foxly Passport Photo Maker, I want to make the process easier for people who need document photos online.

I will keep improving the tool and adding more guides for different passport, visa and ID photo requirements.

Indian Passport & OCI Photo Requirements (2026 Guide)

Foxly Passport Photo — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:14:14 +0000

Indian passport and OCI photo requirements can be confusing because there is not just one photo size.

The correct size depends on how you are applying: Passport Seva digital upload, printed passport application, OCI card, or an overseas Indian passport route.

Here’s a quick, practical breakdown.

Key Requirements

For Indian Passport Seva digital upload:

Size: 630 × 810 pixels

Format: JPEG

File size: Less than 250 KB

Photo shape: Portrait rectangle

Face area: Around 80% of the photo

Background: Plain white or light-coloured

Expression: Natural, mouth closed

Eyes: Open and clearly visible

Quality: Sharp, clear, no filters or heavy editing

For OCI photos:

Size: 2 × 2 inches

Metric size: 51mm × 51mm

Photo shape: Square

Background: Plain light-coloured

Face: Full face, front view

Eyes: Open and clearly visible

Head: Centred within the frame

For some printed Indian passport applications:

Size: 3.5cm × 4.5cm

Photo shape: Portrait rectangle

Background: Plain white, off-white, or light-coloured

Quality: Clear, colour, no marks or damage

Why There Are Different Sizes

This is the part that confuses many people.

Indian Passport Seva digital uploads usually need a 630 × 810 pixel photo.

OCI card photos usually need a 2 × 2 inch square photo.

Some printed or form-based Indian passport applications use 3.5cm × 4.5cm.

Many overseas Indian passport, VFS, BLS, or embassy routes may also ask for 2 × 2 inch photos.

So always check which route you are applying through before preparing the photo.

Pose Rules

Face the camera directly

Keep your head straight and centred

Use a natural expression

Keep your mouth closed

Keep both eyes open

Make sure your forehead and face are visible

Avoid shadows, glare, and filters

Glasses: It is best to remove them. Glare, reflections, tinted lenses, or frames covering the eyes can cause rejection.

Head coverings: Usually only accepted for religious reasons, and the full face must remain visible.

Children & Baby Photos

For babies and children:

The child should be alone in the photo
No toys, hands, chair backs, or other people visible
The background should be plain
The photo should be sharp and evenly lit
For OCI-style guidance, babies under one year old do not always need to have their eyes open

Common Mistakes

Common reasons for Indian passport or OCI photo rejection include:

Wrong size for the application route
Using a square photo when a portrait digital photo is needed
Using a portrait photo when OCI requires 2 × 2 inches
Poor lighting
Shadows on the face or background
Hair covering the eyes
Glasses glare
Sunglasses
Face too close or too far away
Low-quality or blurry image
Heavy editing or filters

Taking a Photo at Home

You can take an Indian passport or OCI photo at home if you follow the basics:

Use a plain light background
Stand in good, even lighting
Keep the camera at eye level
Face the camera directly
Keep your expression neutral and natural
Do not use filters or retouching
Choose the correct size for your application route

If you want a clearer breakdown of Indian passport, OCI, and overseas photo rules, this guide is useful:

https://foxlypassportphoto.co.uk/indian-passport-oci-photo-requirements-2026-guide/

Final Thoughts

The most important thing is choosing the correct photo size for your application route.

Passport Seva digital upload, OCI, printed Indian passport applications, and overseas Indian passport applications can have different requirements.

If you want a quick way to prepare or format your photo, Foxly Passport Photo Maker can help:

https://foxlypassportphoto.co.uk/

US Passport Photo Requirements (2026 Guide)

Foxly Passport Photo — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:11:55 +0000

Getting a US passport photo wrong can delay your application. The rules are simple, but they are strict.

Here’s a quick, practical breakdown.

Key Requirements

Size: 2 × 2 inches

Metric size: 51mm × 51mm

Head height: 1 inch to 1 3/8 inches

Background: Plain white or off-white

Expression: Neutral, mouth closed

Eyes: Open and clearly visible

Lighting: Even, no shadows or glare

Image quality: Sharp, clear, no filters or heavy editing

For printed photos:

Use matte or glossy photo-quality paper
The photo must be 2 × 2 inches
The full face must be visible
The head must be correctly centred

For digital photos:

Use a clear, high-quality image
Do not use filters, AI editing, or heavy retouching
Make sure the background is plain white or off-white

Pose Rules

Face the camera directly

Keep your head straight

Use a neutral expression

Keep both eyes open

Do not tilt your head

Do not smile widely or make exaggerated expressions

Glasses: Usually best to remove them, especially if there is glare or the frames cover your eyes.

Headwear: Only allowed for religious or medical reasons, and the full face must remain visible.

Children & Baby Photos

Baby and child passport photos still need to follow the same basic rules:

The child should be alone in the photo
No hands, toys, car seats, or other people visible
The background should be plain white or off-white
The face should be clearly visible
The photo should not be blurry or dark

Common Mistakes

Most rejected US passport photos have small issues like:

Wrong 2 × 2 inch size
Face too close or too far away
Shadows on the face or background
Smiling or incorrect expression
Blurry or low-quality image
Hair covering the eyes
Glasses glare
Filters or digital editing

Taking a Photo at Home

You don’t need a photo studio. A phone and good lighting are usually enough:

Stand in front of a plain white or off-white wall
Use natural light if possible
Avoid harsh shadows
Keep the camera at eye level
Face the camera directly
Leave enough space around your head and shoulders

If you want a clearer breakdown of the rules, this guide is useful:

https://foxlypassportphoto.co.uk/us-passport-photo-requirements-2026-guide/

Final Thoughts

For a US passport photo, the most important things are size, background, lighting, and head position.

If you get those right, you avoid most rejection issues.

If you want a quick way to prepare or format your photo, Foxly Passport Photo Maker can help:

https://foxlypassportphoto.co.uk/

UK Passport Photo Requirements (2026 Guide)

Foxly Passport Photo — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:58:51 +0000

Getting a UK passport photo wrong is one of the easiest ways to delay your application. The rules are strict—but once you know them, it’s straightforward.

Here’s a quick, practical breakdown.

Key Requirements
Size: 45mm × 35mm
Head height: 29–34mm (chin to crown)
Background: Plain light grey or cream
Expression: Neutral, mouth closed
Eyes: Open and clearly visible
Lighting: Even, no shadows or glare
Image quality: Sharp, no filters or edits

For digital photos:

JPEG format
600 × 750 pixels minimum
50KB–10MB file size

Pose Rules
Face the camera directly
Keep your head straight (no tilting)
No smiling or exaggerated expressions
Hair must not cover your eyes

Glasses: Allowed only if there’s no glare
Headwear: Only for religious or medical reasons

Children & Baby Photos
Babies under 1 can have eyes closed
No hands, toys, or other people visible
Plain background still required

Common Mistakes

Most rejections come down to small details:

Shadows on face or background
Smiling or incorrect expression
Wrong background
Blurry or low-quality image
Hair covering eyes
Filters or edits applied

Taking a Photo at Home

You don’t need a studio. A phone and good lighting are enough:

Stand in front of a plain wall
Use natural light (avoid harsh overhead lighting)
Keep the camera at eye level
Stay about 1–1.5m from the wall

If you want a clearer breakdown of the rules, this guide is useful.

Final Thoughts

As long as you follow the basics—lighting, background, and positioning—you’ll avoid most issues.

If you want a quick way to check or format your photo, something like
Foxly Passport Photo Maker can help without much effort.

How I built a passport photo app that helps avoid rejection

Foxly Passport Photo — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:08:54 +0000

Taking a passport photo sounds simple — until it gets rejected.

Strict requirements around lighting, positioning, background and facial expression make it surprisingly easy to get wrong. Many people end up going to a studio or paying multiple times just to get an accepted photo.

I wanted to make this process simpler.

The idea

I built Foxly Passport Photo Maker to let people take passport photos at home using their phone while ensuring they meet official requirements.

Instead of just cropping an image, the goal was to create something that helps users avoid rejection and get it right the first time.

How it works

Upload or take a photo using your phone or computer
Select your country and document type
The image is adjusted to meet official passport requirements
Receive your digital photo by email within 24 hours

There’s also an option to order printed photos delivered within the UK and Ireland.

Pricing

You can take your photo for free and only pay if you want the final version.

£5 for a digital passport photo
£5 for printed photos (+ delivery)
£10 for digital + printed (+ delivery)

Why I built this

I noticed how many people struggle with passport photo rules and risk rejection. The process felt unnecessarily complicated for something that should be straightforward.

The goal with Foxly Passport Photo Maker is to make it simple, reliable and accessible from home.

Try it

🌐 Website
📱 iOS

📱 Android

Happy to hear any feedback or suggestions!