ID Photo Rejected for Glare or Blur in KYC? How to Retake It

When an exchange rejects your ID because of glare, blur or “information not readable”, the verification system could not read the text on the document. The fix is a better photo of the original document: soft indirect light, the document flat on a dark plain surface, all four edges in view, and the rear camera held parallel to it. Editing or filtering the image usually makes things worse.

Typical rejection messages

• “Image is blurry” or “document not clear”
• “Glare detected” or “reflection on document”
• “Document edges not visible” or “document cropped”
• “Information unreadable” or “unable to extract data”
• “Please upload the front and back of the document”

If the message says “OCR validation rejected” or “rejected by OCR”, the automatic text reading failed. Glare and blur are the most common causes, but OCR can also reject a sharp photo when the text it reads does not match the name or date of birth you typed. Our overview explains what “OCR validation rejected” means and how to fix each cause.

The unreadable and front-and-back messages above are photo-quality problems, and the rest of this page fixes them. If your message mentions an expired document, a name or birth date mismatch, or an unsupported document type, retaking the photo will not help; see common KYC rejection reasons.

Why holograms and laminated cards cause trouble

Most ID cards and passport photo pages have a laminate and holographic security features. Under direct light, these reflect a bright patch that hides the letters underneath. If that patch lands on your name, document number, date of birth or expiry date, automated reading fails even if the rest of the photo is sharp. Phone flash, ceiling lamps directly above, and sunlight hitting the document are the usual culprits.

How to set up the retake

1. Light: stand near a window with daylight coming from the side, or use a lamp off to one side. Turn off the flash.
2. Background: place the document on a plain dark surface, such as a dark table or a sheet of dark paper. Avoid patterned cloth.
3. Angle: hold the phone directly above the document, parallel to it. If a bright patch appears, tilt the phone very slightly or move the light rather than covering part of the card.
4. Framing: keep all four corners visible with a small margin around the edges. Do not let your fingers cover any part of it.
5. Focus: tap on the text to focus and wait a moment before taking the photo. Clean the camera lens first.
6. Check: zoom in on the result. If you cannot read the document number and dates easily, take it again.

Use the in-app camera if the upload flow offers one; it is designed for this step. Whether you can upload a saved file at all depends on the platform and country (Binance, for example, says manual upload depends on your country). If you do upload a saved photo, use the original colour file from the phone’s camera.

Tips for specific documents

• Passport: the photo page tends to curve near the spine. Press it gently flat with your fingertips at the very edges of the booklet, away from the text, or rest something heavy on the opposite page.
• ID card: photograph both sides if asked. The back often has a machine-readable zone that must be fully visible and sharp. Include every side or page that holds your personal details; missing pages are a listed rejection reason.
• Driving licence: check that this document type is accepted for your country before uploading.
• Worn or damaged documents: if the laminate is peeling or the text has faded, no photo will fix it. Use another accepted document if you have one.

Check the document before resubmitting

• Is the document still valid, not close to or past its expiry date?
• Does the name on your profile match the document exactly, including middle names and the order of names?
• Does the date of birth on your profile match?
• Is the document type and issuing country the one you selected in the form?

Do not edit or filter the ID photo

• Do not sharpen, brighten, crop or edit the photo in any app. Edited images can be treated as untrustworthy.
• Do not upload a photocopy, a black-and-white copy, a screenshot or a photo of a screen. OKX lists all of these as unacceptable unless the verification page offers that method.
• Do not send the photo through a messaging app first; compression destroys fine text.
• Do not give your ID images to people who offer to “fix” or “approve” your KYC.

When retaking the photo does not help

If you have retaken the photo carefully several times and still get the same error, open one ticket through the official support center. Include the document type, the issuing country, the exact error text and the times of your attempts, and ask whether another document or manual review is possible. If the selfie step is the one failing, see face verification stuck on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my ID keep failing even though the photo looks clear to me? Small glare spots over the document number or dates can stop automatic reading even when the photo looks fine overall. Zoom in on the key fields and retake with the light coming from the side.

Should I use the flash in a dark room? No. Flash creates the strongest reflection on laminated documents. Use daylight or a lamp placed to the side instead.

Can I upload a scanned PDF of my ID? Only if the upload flow explicitly accepts it. Many verification flows require a live camera photo, and scans, photocopies and screenshots are commonly rejected. Follow the capture method shown on your verification page.

My document is valid but slightly damaged. Will it be accepted? It depends on whether the important details are readable. If they are not, use another accepted document or ask support what they can accept.