Tourist SIM KYC photo rejected at the shop for a blurry passport page — retake tips or try another counter?
Colombo prepaid counter. Passport bio page photo for KYC kept failing — "blur" on their screen even when it looked fine on mine. Queue behind me getting restless. Do I need different lighting, take the photo myself, or walk to another official shop before the afternoon closes?
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4 Answers from travellers
Flat passport, bright even light, no plastic sleeve glare, fill the frame with the bio page, and let the shop retake rather than fighting their old scan. Window light beats yellow bulbs. Clean the camera lens. If that counter machine is simply bad, another official Dialog/Mobitel/Hutch shop the same day is normal — bring the passport, not a phone photo of the passport. I will not invent registration fees. Patience and a sharp bio page beat arguing with a blurry preview.
Moved to the window, held the book flat, third try passed. Same shop. Glare was the villain.
Retook at the window edge. Activated. Will not use a photo-of-a-photo next country either.
Another official counter two blocks away fixed what a tired machine would not. Worth the walk.
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