Welcome New Students, Employees, and NENS!

Overview:

​Online photo submission is available to all Students, Employees, and qualified NENS (Non-Employees/Non-Students) who are getting their first UCard and do not have a photo in the UCard System. 

Before you start ....

• You need to be an accepted student and paid your deposit; an employee paid by the University; or a qualified NENS (non-employee/non-student).
• Ensure that you are enrolled in two-factor authentication, otherwise you won't be able to log in to MyPhoto to submit your UCard photo.  
• You need to know your UMass campus NetID and password. This is the same username and password that you use to log into SPIRE and your UMass email.
• You need a digital photo (in jpeg format) of yourself that meets our UCard Photo Requirements. 
• NOTE:  Starting March 18, 2024, photos of government-issued ids will no longer be required.

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Important tips:

• Read and understand the UCard Photo Requirements BEFORE uploading your photo. This will minimize the chances of your photo being rejected.
• Take your picture against a solid white background. (A taut sheet works well.) Photos taken in front of a white door with visible panels or a cinder block wall with visible lines, will be rejected.
• Look straight at the camera.
• Rotate and crop your photo after you upload it.
• Don't worry about rotating the picture of your government id.  The software currently does not allow you to rotate it, but we have access to view it regardless of orientation. 
• Check you UMass email account to ensure that your photo was received and that it was approved or rejected. (These notifications will come in separate email messages.)
  • When you submit your photo you should receive an email (to your UMass email address) confirming that we received your submission.  
  • You will also receive a second email a few days later.  If your photo is accepted, you will receive an email notifying you of this.  If you receive this message, you are all set.
  • If your photo is rejected, you will receive an email with the reason(s) why your photo was rejected.  You will need to correct the problems and resubmit your photo.
• If you are having problems uploading photos taken with an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, etc.), make sure that your device is set to save photos as jpegs and not heic files.

The Approval Process:

• When you successfully submit your photo via MyPhoto, you will receive an email (at your “@umass.edu” email address), confirming that we received your submission.  This email does not indicate whether your photo was approved or not, only that we received your submission.  You will receive a second email indicating whether or not your photo was approved.  
• If your photo meets the UCard Photo Requirements, and your identity matches your government issued id, the UCard Office will approve your photo.  You will receive an email (at your “@umass.edu” email address) from the UCard Office notifying you that your photo was approved.  Once your photo has been approved, you cannot submit another photo. 
• If your uploaded photo does not meet the UCard Photo Requirements, or your identifity cannot be verified, your photo will be rejected.  You will receive an email (at your “@umass.edu” email address) from the UCard Office notifying you that your photo was rejected, and an explanation of why it was rejected.  You will need to submit a new photo that corrects the problems.
• Normally photos are processed within one business day.  However, during busy times of the year, it may take up to 2 business days.
• If you do not receive either an approved or rejected email from the UCard Office within two business days after submitting your photo, you should contact the UCard Office at ucard@admin.umass.edu.  Please be aware that the UCard Office is closed holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, and the week between Christmas and New Year's.
• Once your photo is approved, and you receive notification that it has been approved, it typically takes between 2-4 hours to migrate over to SPIRE.

Where you pick up your UCard:

• When, when, and how you receive your UCard depends on your relationship to the University, and the time of year.  See Receiving Your UCard for detailed information.

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns about the photo upload process, are having diffculties using MyPhoto, or have questions about the UCard Program in general, please contact the UCard Office at:

Submit your photo!

1. Start MyPhoto.
2. Complete the step-by-step instructions on the MyPhoto site.