Passport ‘selfies’: not picture-perfect for hundreds of applicants

The Passport Office has rejected 455 “selfie” photographs taken for the new passport card because they were “non compliant”.

The Passport card was unveiled earlier this month, and more than 8,204 applications have been received.

It can be used for travelling within the European Union member states, as well as countries within the European Economic Area - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Applications can be made online or using an app that allows people to take a selfie as a passport picture. So far, about 6,500 cards have been produced.

A caller to RTÉ’s Liveline said he had to take a photo 55 times while trying to use the app; another caller said he had to take a photo 70 times.

About 5.5 per cent of the total applications have been rejected as non-compliant with the standards to date.

That is below that for photographs submitted for passport book applications, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said.

“It is important to remember that the passport card is a full passport, and therefore the data on it, including the photograph, must meet the international passport standards (ICAO).

“The software in the app and website checks that the photograph submitted meets international passport requirements, and only ICAO-compliant images can be used,” she said.

“As this is a new and innovative method of passport application the image parameters set are under constant review and have been adjusted since October 5th.”

The spokeswoman said in a small number of cases where the photo has been accepted via the app or website it has been necessary for passport service staff to manually check the submission and in some cases reject the application.

“For example, as it can be the case that the system finds it difficult to differentiate between hair and a hat; the latter is inadmissible in a passport photograph,” she said.

There are over 60 individual parameters - including facial measurements to ensure the face is the correct size, lighting to ensure a clear photograph, and minimal background clutter.

The spokeswoman said the photo requirements are clearly set out for applicants on the passport card website and the passport card app.

“We expect this number to decrease in the coming weeks as parameters continue to be adjusted. We would urge any applicants with issues in capturing a photo image to contact the Passport Service at passportcard@dfa.ie.”