Your photo must:

Be in portrait (not landscape)

Be of you (not a photo of a photo or your travel document)

Have even lighting with minimal shadowing

Be in colour, showing natural skin tones

Be in focus (not blurry)

Not contain red-eye

Be an original photo (not changed by photo-editing software)

Not be a selfie

Be taken 1.5 metres from the face

Be taken against a plain, light-coloured (but not white) background with no patterns or objects

Only contain plain clothing patterns

Be of one person

We need to clearly see your face

Face the camera and keep your head straight

Keep your eyes open and mouth closed

Do not smile or frown

Show your face clearly and that long hair is tucked behind your ears

Position yourself in the middle of the photo

Remove sunglasses and hats

If you wear prescription glasses

Make sure your eyes show clearly through the lenses, with no reflected light

It may be easier to remove them.

If you wear a head covering for religious or medical reasons

Make sure that your face and hairline can be seen in the photo