As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we have helped dozens of UK directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) complete their identity verification under the Economic Crime...
As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we have helped dozens of UK directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) complete their identity verification under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act requirements. While many issues stem from mismatched details or expired documents, a huge number of rejections happen simply because of poor-quality photos of ID documents, like passports, driving licences, or biometric residence permits.
The most frequent problem we see is people snapping quick photos of their ID laid flat on a table under overhead lighting, which creates strong reflections, glare, or shadows that make text blurry, security features invisible, or the whole image unusable.
These are entirely avoidable. Here is a practical guide to the biggest photographing pitfalls and how to sidestep them.
1. Photographing Under Direct Overhead Lighting
Overhead ceiling lights, desk lamps, or bright room lights bounce straight off glossy passport pages or plastic driving licences, creating white hotspots that obscure names, numbers, photos and holograms.
How to fix it:
- Use indirect, diffused lighting. Natural daylight from a window (but not direct sunlight) works best.
- Avoid rooms with strong overhead bulbs, or move to a different spot.
- Use soft lamps aimed at walls or ceiling for bounce lighting rather than directly at the document.
2. Laying the ID on a Reflective Surface
Shiny wood, glass or white desks reflect light back into the camera. Place the ID on a plain, matte, non-reflective surface such as a dark book, mouse mat or plain cloth. Keep it clean and free of other objects or shadows.
3. Not Holding the Camera Parallel
Tilting the phone creates distortion, being too close causes focus issues, and too far makes details too small. Hold your phone directly above the ID at about arm's length, fill the frame without cutting off edges, and use your phone's grid lines to keep it straight.
4. Using Flash or Harsh Light
Camera flash creates intense, uneven glare. Turn off the flash completely and rely on soft ambient light.
5. Blurry or Low-Resolution Photos
Steady your hands or prop the phone on something stable, use good natural light, shoot at the highest resolution, and take multiple shots to pick the clearest one.
6. Selfie and Liveness Requirements
Our process requires a live selfie alongside the ID photo. Use the same even, indirect lighting, face the light source rather than having it behind you, and remove anything obscuring your features unless required.
Quick Checklist Before Submitting
- Entire document visible with clear borders?
- No glare, reflections or hotspots blocking text or security features?
- Sharp focus on all details?
- Document flat and undistorted?
- Background plain and non-distracting?
- Lighting even and indirect?
Following these steps dramatically reduces rejection rates. If your photo still gets flagged, we can guide you through retakes or accept in-person or video alternatives where needed. If you want expert help with your director or PSC verification, reach out.