JPEG vs HEIC: Which is Best for Digital Passport Photos

If you’ve ever tried to upload a digital passport photo from your iPhone and were never told what was wrong with the photo, well, you’re not alone. The U.S. government typically requires a photo for submission on its platform, and most accept only JPEGs, but most modern Apple devices save photos in HEIC by default. This confusion ends up creating numerous headaches about what format is acceptable, why HEIC is not acceptable, and how do you make files fully compatible when you try for a US passport upload.

This guide makes the distinction between the JPEG and HEIC passport photo format in a no-nonsense, practical, and compliance focused way. You’ll learn exactly how those two types of images are handled in a government image upload site, the reason why only one of them meets government specifications, and what that means for your digital application.

Now we’ll be reproducing the format rules of the U.S. Department of State, explaining how the JPEG standard works with the mandatory sRGB color space – and why HEIC, while being a technically superior format, fails almost every official photo validation test.

Short answer: Only jpeg is accepted for U.S. passport photo

If you want just the bottom line because you are in a hurry: The only passport photo file format accepted by U.S government platforms is JPEG. All digital images must be submitted as a standard MIME type (image/jpeg), be stored in the sRGB color space, and have uniform file structure for complete digital image compliance according to the U.S. Department of State.

If your picture was taken on an iPhone – which defaults to HEIC – you will have to use HEIC to JPEG converter prior to submitting your application.

HEIC images don’t work for one simple reason: U.S. passport systems are unable to read them. The format depends on intricate EXIF metadata, sophisticated color profile management and frequently defaults to the Display P3 color space – none of these are supported by government platforms. These files do not comply with government portal requirements, and they are automatically rejected as soon as you try to upload.

What Is JPEG? Technical Specs Relevant to Passport Photos

The JPEG format has very broad support among governments, and ID based verification systems. It employs regulated image compression to generate small files that are friendly to be uploaded while retaining sufficient details for facial recognition.

Basic Properties of JPEG:

• Uses 8-bit color which is the standard depth for most check systems

• Based on 4:2:0 chroma subsampling, which discards some color information while keeping the luma channel sharp

• Predictable file size for strict upload limits

• Works with just about every device, browser and server out there

Why JPEG Works Well for Passport Photos

JPEG’s strength is its predictability. Government photo validators depend on consistent color handling and readable metadata – and JPEG fits those requirements perfectly.

Why JPEG Is Reliable for Passport Systems:

• Defaults to the sRGB color space (required for U.S. government uploads)

• Stores minimal, standardized EXIF data that reduces upload errors

• Uses a standardized color profile, ensuring the image appears the same across devices

• Fully compatible with all U.S. digital passport photo validation systems

• Avoids issues related to color mismatches or metadata complexity

Here’s how JPEG aligns with technical expectations:

What Is HEIC/HEIF and Why It’s High Quality but Not Passport-Compatible

HEIC is the image file format for the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) container. Within this container, photos are encoded using the HEVC codec, which enables the image to keep sharp edges and detailed textures while maintaining much smaller file sizes than JPEG. Unlike the 8-bit opaqueness of JPEG, HEIC encodes images in 10-bit color, allowing for a more extensive tonal range with which to digitally edit images, and more pronounced, vivid images.

The technical features of HEIC/HEIF are that:

• Based on the HEIF container (High Efficiency Image File Format)

• Encoded with the HEVC codec (High Efficiency Video Coding)

• Offers 10-bit color for smooth gradients

• It can contain multiple images, live image metadata, and extended metadata

• Retain more information in much less space than JPEG

Benefits of image quality

HEIC does provide superior image quality than JPEG. It is optimized for compression and is capable of preserving more visual information while occupying less storage. As it can display more shades/tunes, HEIC can be more precise in highlights and shadows, and even in very subtle gradients. According to Apple, this results in less noticeable compression artifacts and improved color accuracy, especially when viewed on current displays or through image editing applications.

Why does HEIC often look better than JPEG:

• Smoother gradients due to the wider tonal range
• More uniform gradients as a result of wider tonal range
• Better color accuracy on complicated scenes
• Less noise in the fine detail
• Enhanced edge preservation

HEIC's Key Drawback for Passports

Although it is technically superior, HEIC is not at all compatible with U.S. passport system infrastructure – and it’s really a technical problem. The format stores a large amount of data in a complex metadata container, which can contain everything from animation frames, depth maps, burst data, and even hidden flags. Passport systems aren't built to parse that data, and they want you to upload the file again.

Here is how compliance is broken:

• HEIC has EXIF orientation information rather than the pixel grid storing the orientation. Many portals don’t properly parse this, resulting in rotated or upside-down images.

• The format commonly uses the Display P3 color profile, which is wider than sRGB and not supported by government validators.

• Since HEIC saves extended metadata within a multi-layered metadata container, they consider upload systems as unsupported, too complex or simply invalid.

Why HEIC fails validation on government portal:

• Displays P3 color space instead of required sRGB
• Has orientation flags that trigger auto-rotation errors
• Includes extended metadata that is not supported by passport system
• Not recognized as an allowable file type by U.S. platforms

JPEG vs HEIC: Complete Technical Comparison

To get a better sense of why only one of these formats is acceptable for digital passport photos, consider their technical specifications side-by-side. Below is a comparison of how JPEG and HEIC perform on the individual criteria that are most important for color profile support, biometric validation, and uploading successfully to U.S. government systems.

Technical Comparison Table

U.S Digital Passport Photo Requirements: The Format Rule

The U.S. Department of State has very strict guidelines regarding the digital passport photo for online applications; even the file format rules are not negotiable. JPEG passport photos are the only type of images that can be used for digital uploads. It should be stored in the sRGB colour space, its size should be between 600×600 pixels and 1200×1200 pixels, and file size should not exceed 240 KB.

• To fulfill the above criteria, each photo you upload should:

• Copyrighted (applies to both photographs and Textures)

• Use the sRGB color profile (guarantees consistent output on all devices)

• Dimensions: 600×600 px (min.) / 1200×1200 px (max.)

• Stay under 240kB in size

• Have minimal readable metadata

These are the preconditions for the identity verification system to appropriately process BG, facial landmarks, and exposure.

Why HEIC files cannot be submitted

HEIC files are rejected for one simple reason: The U.S. passport infrastructure doesn’t recognize the MIME type for HEIC (image/HEIC or image/HEIF). The submission site is designed to allow only image/jpeg, so any HEIC file – no matter how good it is – results in instant validation error on upload.

Key reasons for rejection of HEIC are:

• HEVC-based HEIC structure cannot be decoded by the system

• The MIME type is not recognized as a valid passport photo file type

• Metadata and color profiles contained in HEIC are more than what portal can handle

• Even iPhone HEIC files must be converted prior to submission

In other words, HEIC is too cutting edge and complicated for the U.S. government's file upload standards – leaving JPEG not merely as the preferred format but the only one that can be used.

Why HEIC Images Are Often Rejected by Government Photo Upload Systems

And most U.S. government servers just don’t know how to read HEIC files. The servers hosting the government site don’t have a decoder for this newer format, so as soon as you try to upload an HEIC file, the system tells you it’s not supported. This is a straightforward files compatibility problem: the portal accepts only image/jpeg and any deviation from this standard will be automatically rejected before any validation takes place.

Conflicts with the color profile

Even when a portal attempts to parse the file, HEIC causes color profile issues that invalidate. For those who don’t know, Display P3 is a color space gamut, and it’s wider than sRGB, which means it can hold more saturated colors. This larger gamut includes more saturated reds and greens, but it is not compatible with the sRGB profile that is required by all U.S. passport systems.

Since the system anticipated sRGB, not P3, background analysis tools have difficulty running background uniformity detection, resulting in false shadows, misidentification of edges, and early rejection.

Why Display P3 causes headaches:

• Different gamma curves

• Non-standard color primaries

• Wider gamut → background looks “non-white” to validators

• Passport systems cannot safely map P3 values back to sRGB

Metadata & EXIF Problems

HEIC also contains sophisticated metadata formats that the U.S. government upload portals were not built to accommodate. The majority of HEIC files use EXIF orientation flags rather than having orientation information embedded in the pixel grid. Many validators don’t recognize or read these flags properly, and the image ends up being displayed sideways or upside down or cropped inappropriately.

Above all, photo editing apps most times perform metadata stripping when you convert or export your images – and since HEIC files are based on layers of complex metadata, removing or altering that metadata can corrupt vital formatting information, causing the upload to break altogether.

Typical issues with HEIC metadata:

• Orientation flags wrongly interpreted

• Live Photo legacy data within the EXIF container is embedded

• Depth or motion metadata residue

• Multi-layered compositions that upload systems are unable to flatten

Bit-Depth Mismatch

HEIC encodes images in 10-bit color, which is great for photography – but a mismatch for passport readers. The U.S. platforms are designed for 8-bit JPEG images, which means each pixel channel (red, green, blue) has a known range. The expanded 10-bit color depth contains more data than biometric and background algorithms can process, hindering biometric detection.

Over depth bits beyond system could be:

• Gradients might be rendered unpredictably

• Edge detection is less reliable

• Facial landmark detection can fail

• Background may look unstable to the validator

This incompatibility is yet another reason why a HEIC photo, no matter how good, cannot make it through the upload pipeline.

Should You Convert HEIC to JPEG? When It Helps vs When It Hurts

If your device normally an iPhone or a modern iPad – takes photos in HEIC format, then converting the image with a HEIC to JPEG converter isn’t that a choice; it’s a must. U.S. passport systems require JPEG files, so compliance with file requirements through conversion is the only way to ensure your digital passport photo meets the standards before you upload it.

You need to convert HEIC to JPEG in case:

• Your camera uses HEIC as the default (this is common with iOS devices)

• You edited the photo and exported it as HEIC

• The file appears as HEIC on your gallery or desktop

• The file is instantly rejected by the upload site

Risks of Conversion

HEIC to JPEG conversion does fix the compatibility problem, but it comes with its own set of risks. JPG’s lossy compression can generate artifacts of compression, especially if the converter uses a high compression rate. There can also be subtle changes in color accuracy, especially in gradients, shadows or skin shades.

Frequent problems when converting:

• Fineness of detail lost through compression

• Halos or sharpening artifacts caused by processing too much

• Minor shifts in color, such as skin tones, or backgrounds

• Brightness or contrast changes if converter processes the metadata incorrectly

When to be cautious:

• Stay away from converters that downscale by default

• Make sure that the quality settings are not too high

• Don't over-process the photo after converting it for the last time

When Conversion Improves Compliance

Interestingly, conversion from HEIC to JPEG sometimes makes your photo more compliant - not just with the format requirements. Complex metadata is frequently simplified during conversion, producing metadata normalization that is better handled by upload systems. Conversion also applies a color profile fix, converting the image to the required sRGB space.

Advantages of HEIC to JPEG conversion for compliance:

• Strips multi-layer HEIC metadata which confuses validators

• Transforms Display P3 images to sRGB

• Flatten orientation information, reducing rotation errors

• Results in a predictable and stable JPEG structure

Often, the step of converting turns out to be the key to clearing the facial and background checks on the U.S. passport websites.

Convert HEIC to JPEG Without Losing Quality

When you're converting a HEIC file, the one big thing you need to worry about is that the converted JPEG uses the sRGB color profile. The U.S. passport upload system only recognizes photos in sRGB, and other profiles – most notably Display P3 – can result in color-related rejections.

Which is due to that conversion outputs sRGB:

• Make sure your converter has a "Convert to sRGB" or "Use sRGB profile" option

• When exporting, choose sRGB from the color profile drop-down menu

• Steer clear of tools that automatically default to wide-gamut profiles

• Open the converted file again to check if the color profile is correct

Do Not Overcompress

Conversion quality settings are important. To have a good quality image and comply with passport photo size needs, apply a moderate amount of compressing. A JPEG quality of 85–92% is the optimal trade-off: sufficiently low to reduce file size, but high enough to prevent artifacts, halos, or posterization.

Here is the suggested method:

• With output JPEG quality around 85-92%

• Stay away from “small file size” presets (will throw very heavy artifacting)

• After conversion, watch for noise in background areas and in gradients

• Make sure that the size is still within the official size range (600–1200 px)

Too much compression results in:

• Gradient with blotches or muddy areas

• Pixelation that becomes visible in hair, shadows or clothes

• Low level of facial detail which can impede biometric analysis

Recommended Tools

You don't need special software to convert a HEIC photo – most have options built in. Just ensure that the method you use supports full HEIC conversion and that it maintains the sRGB profile.

Easy steps to turn HEIC into JPEG:

• Set iPhone camera to “Most Compatible’’ so that it future photos save as JPEG

• Export photos using the built-in macOS or Windows photo management tools (choose sRGB as the color profile when exporting)

• Use offline converter where you can specify jpeg quality and color profile

• Stay away from the over-automated online app that resizes / compresses too aggressively

Best practice:

The profile and metadata of the output file must always be checked after conversion to ensure the JPEG is compliant with the U.S. passport requirements.

Recommended Passport-Ready JPEG Settings

Your JPEG has to meet very specific technical standards in order for it to be accepted by the U.S. government. This is so the image displays the same way on all government systems and can be run through automated validation tests. The most significant features are the correct pixel dimensions, file size within limit and 8-bit color is predictable.

Your JPEG must meet all of the following:

• Color space: sRGB (required)
• Color depth: 8-bit color
• Dimensions: 600–1200 px on each side (square aspect ratio)
• File size limit: 240 kB or less
• Format: .jpg or .jpeg only
• Background: White, evenly lit (no gradients from color profile shifts)

Additional recommended technical parameters:

• JPEG quality: 85–92%

• No embedded ICC profiles other than sRGB

• Minimal EXIF metadata to avoid upload parsing errors

These parameters enable the validator to adequately evaluate exposure, shape of face and background uniformity.

Skip the Ai checks and corrections

If your JPEG meets all of the above technical requirements, but you have applied any filters or enhancements, the image may not pass biometric checks. AI-driven retouching features often alter skin texture, lighting, and sometimes the proportions of the face - alterations that result in your face being an unreadable image to automated identity systems. These procedures can also modify shades or levels of brightness, which can affect the color accuracy and background scanning.

Refrain from the following retouches:

• Smoothening skin or reshaping the face

• Brightness/contrast presets that impact the tonal uniformity

• AI background cleaners or any “white background” automatic tools

• Color filters, HDR effects and portrait modes

• Apps that apply overlays or sharpening, or any retouching by default

Safe adjustments:

• Minor cropping

• Very light exposure correction (if necessary)

• Straightforward HEIC-to-JPEG conversion with sRGB output

The trick is to keep your real face with no enhancements – the passport systems want an exact, unmodified image.

Usual Mistakes When Using HEIC to Take Passport Photos

Among the most common complaints about the HEIC format is its dependence on the Display P3 color space. P3 looks bright on today's displays, but it's not supported by the sRGB profile U.S. Passport submissions require. When the government systems read the file, the contrast results in a color shift, resulting in backgrounds that are not white, skin tones that have moved, or luminance readings that are not correct.

Why this happens:

• On Most iPhones HEIC defaults to Display P3

• Passport validators anticipate sRGB and they are unable to safely convert P3 values

• Background detection fails because the “white” in P3 is not pure white in sRGB

Uploading Live Photos

Another common error is unintentionally submitting a HEIC file with embedded Live Photo metadata. Live Photos have a number of frames and motion data within the container, which makes the file more than a single still image. Passport systems weren’t built for dealing with these types of container problems and will frequently just spit out the photo.

Red flags suggesting that Live Photo Metadata is still present:

• The size of the file is larger than anticipated

• The photo appears to “preview” motion when you click on it

• Certain converters export only the first frame but keep some metadata leftover

In order to prevent this, disable Live Photos in the Camera app when taking your passport photo.

Rotation problems in EXIF

HEIC makes heavy use of the EXIF orientation flag to indicate in which direction an image should be displayed. Many government systems are either ignoring or misinterpreting these flags, causing unintended munged output, rotated previews, or photos that go sideways when you upload them.

Common symptoms are:

• The uploaded photo is rotated by 90° or 180°

• The validator is cutting your face improperly

• The preview on your device looks right but when you open the portal is wrong

JPEG encodes orientation in such a predictable manner that HEIC rotation bugs are the top reason for rejection.

Large Files After Conversion

Though converting HEIC to JPEG is necessary, a number of users unfortunately produce a JPEG that goes beyond the U.S. file size limit of 240 kB. This is normally caused by the converter failing to handle compression properly, or if the original HEIC file was taken at a high resolution.

Common causes of oversized JPEGs:

• Exporting at 100% quality without size control

• Not resizing to 600–1200 px

• Utilizing converters that keep extensive metadata intact

• Converting professional or portrait-mode photos without any adjustments

The fix: downgrade the quality of the JPEG a bit (85 to 92%), scale the image to the acceptable size, and remove any unneeded metadata.

FAQ

1. Why can't I submit HEIC files on the passport website?

HEIC is not supported as the portal demands rigid file compatibility with the image/jpeg MIME type. The upload system cannot decode the wider Display P3 color profile of HEIC, nor can it parse the sophisticated metadata container making this format incompatible with government photo validators.

2. Does converting HEIC to JPEG reduce quality?

Conversion may result in slight loss of quality because JPEG is a lossy compression ratio, but this is generally minimal and acceptable for passport use. The key is to retain the sRGB color profile without using conversion utilities that remove important EXIF metadata, which can cause consistent problems on upload.

3. Why does the image need to be in sRGB?

U.S. passport systems are built around file compatibility with the sRGB standard, which is what allows for a predictable color output on any device. Formats, like Display P3, add variation in color that interfere with the detection of uniform backgrounds and this makes the system view shadows and borders of tones.

4. Do EXIF orientation flags break uploads?

Yes – HEIC is using EXIF orientation tags to define the rotation of an image rather than having the image orientation in the pixel data. A lot of government upload systems ignore these tags, causing the photo to be rotated, cropped improperly, and even breaking image processing, which makes them less compatible overall.

5. What Should I Set the JPEG Quality to for Passport Compliance?

Adjust the quality indicator of JPEG to 85-92% to make sure good file compatibility with U.S. upload standards. This level retains enough detail for biometric compliance and does not introduce visible compression artefacts and it also keeps the image well below the 240 kB file size limit.

Conclusion

For U.S. passport applications, JPEG is the required format because it meets digital image standards. predictable metadata, an sRGB color profile,8 bit color depth and simple decoding. In contrast, HEIC is harder to parse with complicated metadata, wide-gamut profiles, 10-bit data, and multiple containers, and cannot be used in government systems. Therefore, JPEG is still the only allowed format.