Passport photo background colour by country (white, grey or blue)

There is no single right colour. The US wants white, the UK wants cream or light grey, France forbids white and asks for light blue or light grey. This table is read from each office's own page.

Document	Colour	Official rule
Australia passport	white / light grey	Plain white or light grey that contrasts with your face
Austria passport	light grey / light	Single light colour, ideally grey, no pattern or shadow
Canada passport	white / light-coloured	Plain white or light-coloured
Canada online passport application	white / light-coloured	Plain white or light-coloured
Canada visa	white / light-coloured	Plain white or light-coloured
China visa	white / near-white	White or close to white, no border
France passport	light blue / light grey	Plain, light colour; white is forbidden
Germany passport	light grey / light	Single light colour, ideally neutral grey, contrasting with face and hair
Hong Kong passport	white	Plain white
India e-Visa	white / light-coloured	Plain light-coloured or white, no shadows
India passport	white	White
Ireland passport	plain	See source
Italy passport	white	White background with even light
Japan passport	white / pale plain colour	White recommended; plain pale colour, no gradient
Netherlands passport	light grey / light blue / white	Even, single colour, no gradient, enough contrast
New Zealand passport	light-coloured	Plain light-coloured, strong contrast, no shadows
Russia visa	plain, light	Not stated on the official page
Schengen visa	white / light-coloured	Plain white or light-coloured (consulates differ: Germany in India asks for white)
South Korea passport	white	Uniform white, no border
Spain passport	white	Uniform, plain white
Taiwan passport	white	Plain white
United Kingdom passport	cream / light grey	Plain cream or light grey; 5–10% grey recommended for photographers
United Kingdom online passport application	light-coloured	Plain light-coloured background, in clear contrast to you
United States DV Lottery	white / off-white	Plain white or off-white
United States passport	white / off-white	White or off-white, without shadows, texture or lines
United States online passport application	white / off-white	Plain white or off-white, free of shadows, textures, lines or objects
United States visa	white / off-white	Plain white or off-white

Whatever the colour, the background must be plain and evenly lit, with no shadows, patterns or objects. We don't replace backgrounds: most offices refuse photos where the background was changed by software.