Which passport photos must not have a white background?
Most do want white — 48 of the 55 documents here. But 7 do not, and a white photo submitted to those is refused before anyone looks at the face. France rejects white outright; the Philippines requires blue.
| Document | Background required | Colour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen visa | plain light-coloured — light grey or white | #F0F0F0 | Make one → |
| Russia visa | plain light grey | #E0E0E0 | Make one → |
| United Kingdom visa | cream or light grey | #F0F0F0 | Make one → |
| Philippines passport | blue (older DFA standard) | #6AACDD | Make one → |
| United Kingdom passport | cream or light grey | #F0F0F0 | Make one → |
| Germany passport | light grey | #F5F5F5 | Make one → |
| France passport | light blue-grey (NOT white) | #D9DDE0 | Make one → |
Worth knowing
The other 48 documents want plain white, though the wording varies — Singapore's ICA specifies "pure featureless white" and rejects off-white, cream or any tint, which is stricter than it sounds.