Not necessarily. The automated grade is below 'good' because of lighting, contrast with the background or sharpness. Work through the steps on this page and compare the photo with the official rule on the document page before you re-upload.

Will SurePassportPhoto fix this?

We prepare the file to the official size, head height and background for gov.uk passport application (HM Passport Office), and our checklist flags the lighting and framing faults behind this message. The portal and its staff make the final decision; if they reject a photo we made, our guarantee covers you.

Photo only fair, therefore chance of rejection

"Photo only fair, therefore chance of rejection" is a message shown by gov.uk passport application (HM Passport Office). The automated grade is below 'good' because of lighting, contrast with the background or sharpness. First step: Check the face is in clear contrast to the background and the photo is in focus.

Why it happens

The automated grade is below 'good' because of lighting, contrast with the background or sharpness. It is a warning, not a refusal.

What to do

1.Check the face is in clear contrast to the background and the photo is in focus.
2.If any lighting item in our checklist is amber, re-shoot in daylight facing a window.
3.Submit when the checklist is clean; gov.uk notes booth photos are approved more often mainly because of lighting.

Official wording

be in clear contrast to the background

Source: https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports

Traced to: docs/pain-points.md 5d (HMPO strings); wording from 5a gov.uk

Affected documents

UK Passport Photo (digital, online application)

Frequently asked questions

We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.