Not necessarily. Glare from glasses or a shiny forehead reads as a reflection. 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.

Poor quality: reflections on face

"Poor quality: reflections on face" is a message shown by gov.uk passport application (HM Passport Office). Glare from glasses or a shiny forehead reads as a reflection. First step: Take the glasses off for the photo if you can.

Why it happens

Glare from glasses or a shiny forehead reads as a reflection. gov.uk requires that the eyes are not covered by frames, glare, reflection or shadow.

What to do

1.Take the glasses off for the photo if you can.
2.Otherwise turn away from direct light, tilt the lamps so nothing reflects in the lenses, and avoid flash.
3.Re-shoot; do not retouch the glare out, because the photo must be unaltered by software.

Official wording

you must make sure your eyes are not covered by the frames or any glare, reflection or shadow

Source: https://www.trustpilot.com/reviews/677c37135ee8ccddef18f5d5

Traced to: docs/pain-points.md 5d (HMPO strings) and PP-23, TP 677c37135ee8ccddef18f5d5; 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.