Why does the form keep rejecting my photo?

An upload fails, the error says something unhelpful like "invalid file", and there's no clue which rule you broke. Portals check several things separately, so it's worth working through them in order — the fix is usually one of six.

1. The file is too large in kilobytes

The most common cause. Limits are written in KB: 20, 50, 100 or 200 are typical. A phone photo is 3–5 MB, which is fifty times over. Compressing to the stated number solves it — and the number is about storage size, not how big the photo looks.

2. The dimensions are wrong

Many forms also specify pixel dimensions — 200 × 230 for photos, 140 × 60 for signatures — and check them exactly. Resize to those first, then compress. Doing it the other way round re-encodes the image and undoes the compression.

3. The format isn't accepted

Plenty of portals accept JPG only, even when the instructions just say "image". HEIC photos from an iPhone are rejected almost universally, and PNG is often refused too. Converting to JPG fixes both.

A quick way to tell: if the upload fails instantly, it's usually format or size. If it uploads and then complains, it's usually dimensions or the photo's content.

4. The colour mode is unusual

Rare but real: an image saved in CMYK, or a PNG with transparency where the form expects a solid background. Re-saving as a normal RGB JPG resolves both, and transparent areas become white rather than black.

5. The file name

Some older portals reject spaces, accents or long names, and a few reject names that aren't plain letters and numbers. Renaming to something like photo.jpg costs nothing and rules it out.

6. The photo itself

• Head too small. Most ID photos want the head to fill roughly 70–80% of the frame.
• Background. Plain and light, no pattern, no shadow on the wall.
• Lighting and expression. Even light, neutral face, eyes visible, no glare on glasses.
• Age of the photo. Usually within the last six months.

The order that works

1. 1Convert to JPG if it isn't already.
2. 2Crop to the subject, then resize to the exact dimensions asked for.
3. 3Compress to the file size limit.
4. 4Rename to something plain, then upload.

Doing it in that order matters: each step can undo the one before it if you rearrange them. And since all of it runs in your browser here, an ID document never leaves your device along the way.