Photo Requirements and Submission Guidelines

Photos that do not meet the photo requirements will be rejected and will need to be retaken. To avoid having your photo rejected, follow these guidelines for taking an acceptable ID photo. You can take your own photo, as long as it meets the below requirements. 

All photos are subject to approval and MUST meet the following requirements:

• Clear, digital color photo taken indoors with natural lighting or flash and in the last 6 months. 
  • Make sure you have very good lighting on your face to eliminate shadows. Use your camera flash or face a large window for natural lighting.
• Flat, solid, light colored background with NO other visible people or objects in the photo. 
  • Any light-colored wall will do. If you don't have plain white or light-colored walls to stand in front of, tape a piece of white poster board or drape a white sheet behind you.

• Centered front-view, full-face image with both eyes open and a neutral expression or natural smile.
  • Directly face the camera and do not tilt your head up, down or sideways, or turn your body sideways. 
  • Do not take a photo with the camera positioned above or below you.
• Photo cropped from just above the top of the head to just below the shoulders.
  • Photos must be headshots and your head must fill at least 75% of the photo. Be sure to include a little space just above your head and below your shoulders in the photo.
• Hair must not obscure the face or eyes
• May wear prescription eyeglasses (without glare)
• May wear a religious head covering if the item does not obscure facial features
• MUST wear a shirt or blouse and normal street attire
• NO hats, sunglasses, headphones, or other accessories
• NO inappropriate expressions or gestures
• NO editing or filters
• NO photos of photos
• NO obstruction of the face, including head resting on hands
• In most circumstances, your senior photograph, school photograph or professional photo will not be appropriate unless it is centered and front view and meets all of the other above requirements.
• Your face must be upright and not distorted (stretched or shrunk) in either dimension.
• Photographs from smartphones are permitted as long as they meet these guidelines.

*Items in BOLD are the most common reasons for a photo to be rejected.

The photo must be in JPG format, at least 216 pixels wide and 288 pixels tall, and no larger than 4MB in size. You will be able to crop the photo to meet the final requirements after it has been uploaded.

In order to confirm your identity, you must provide a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID. If you do not provide valid proof of identity, your submission will not be processed.

• Current US drivers license, state ID card or military ID card (both sides)
• Current passport (photo page) or United States visa

These documents can be submitted in JPG, PNG and PDF formats with a maximum size of 4MB.

If you are unable to provide government-issued photo ID, email access@case.edu for assistance.