Not necessarily. This is a State Department outage, not a problem with your photo. 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 MyTravelGov online passport renewal, 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.

Internal server error on upload

"Internal server error on upload" is a message shown by MyTravelGov online passport renewal. This is a State Department outage, not a problem with your photo. First step: Keep the photo file; nothing about it needs to change.

Why it happens

This is a State Department outage, not a problem with your photo. The page itself tells users to clear cookies and try again in several hours.

What to do

1.Keep the photo file; nothing about it needs to change.
2.Clear cookies for travel.state.gov or use a private window.
3.Try the upload again several hours later.

Official wording

Internal server error

Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/online-renewal-photo.html

Traced to: spec us/passport-renewal-digital portalQuirks

Affected documents

US Passport Online Renewal Photo (MyTravelGov upload)

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.