PhotoGov
Frequently Asked Questions
Pricing, independence, privacy, and coverage — straight answers about how PhotoGov prepares document photos for 920 document types across 168 countries.
Is PhotoGov free?
Checking a photo is free. Upload or capture an image and PhotoGov shows the full compliance report — size, head position, background, and file requirements for your document — at no cost and with no account. You only pay when you want to download the finished file: a clean digital JPEG or a print-ready sheet. There is no subscription and no charge for re-running a check.
Is PhotoGov legit?
PhotoGov (also written "Photo Gov") is an independent photo-preparation tool, not a government service and not affiliated with any agency, embassy, or consulate. Its checks are built from each authority's published photo requirements, and source links are shown next to the relevant checks. It cannot guarantee acceptance — only the reviewing authority decides that — and it says so plainly rather than promising approval.
What is PhotoGov?
PhotoGov is an independent online tool that turns an ordinary phone photo into a compliant government document photo. It covers 920 document types across 168 countries — passports, visas, ID cards, residence permits, driving licences, and lottery entries — checking your image against the official specification for the one you pick, then producing a digital file and a printable sheet.
Is this a government website?
No. PhotoGov is not affiliated with USCIS, the U.S. Department of State, or any other government agency, embassy, or consulate anywhere. It is a private tool that helps you meet their published photo rules before you apply. Official requirements are always linked so you can verify any check against the issuing authority's own guidance.
Which countries and documents are supported?
The catalog covers 920 document types across 168 countries. Each document has its own page listing the exact photo size, resolution, background colour, and head-position rule that applies. U.S. documents — passport, DS-160 visa, green card, DV Lottery, and employment authorization — have dedicated guided flows; every other document is prepared through the same checker using its own specification.
How does the upload flow work?
Pick your document, upload or capture a photo, and review the compliance report. The report shows what passes and what needs changing, with the official requirement beside each check. When you are satisfied, download the digital file, the print-ready sheet, or both.
What files can I download?
Supported flows produce a digital JPEG sized exactly to the document specification, plus 4x6, A4, and PDF print sheets depending on the document type. The print sheets tile multiple copies at the correct physical size so a photo lab or home printer reproduces them without rescaling.
How long does processing take?
Most photos are decoded, checked, and previewed in under a minute in a normal browser session. Because face geometry is measured on your own device rather than on a server, speed depends mainly on your phone or computer rather than on network conditions.
Do you change how I look?
No. The workflow handles cropping, sizing, background handling, output formatting, and compliance checks only. It does not retouch, slim, smooth, or otherwise alter your appearance — most authorities reject edited photos, so appearance-changing edits are deliberately not offered.
Do you offer human review?
No. The PhotoGov workflow is automated: the compliance report is generated by software, and you decide whether to download once you have read it. No person reviews your photo, and no photo is sent to a reviewer.
Is acceptance guaranteed?
No, and any tool claiming otherwise is overpromising. Final acceptance is always decided by the agency, embassy, consulate, or form system reviewing your application. What the checks do is remove the mechanical reasons for rejection — wrong size, wrong background, wrong head position, wrong file format.
What if my photo is rejected?
Start with the visible report and the official source links, which usually identify what the reviewer objected to. Refund support may apply when a paid final photo is rejected after the report guidance was followed — contact support with the rejection notice.
Is my photo secure?
Face geometry is measured locally in your browser rather than uploaded to a server for analysis, so the source image does not leave your device during the compliance check. Downloads are delivered through a protected workflow. As with any document photo, avoid shared or untrusted devices, where browser history or screenshots could expose the image regardless of the tool used.
Where do the requirements come from?
Each specification is taken from the issuing authority's own published photo guidance — government passport offices, visa services, and ID card agencies — and the relevant source is linked next to the checks it governs so you can confirm it yourself.