August 27, 2020

How to dress for a passport photo?

Passport photos are subject to certain legal requirements. To prevent your photo from being rejected when applying for a passport or a visa, please read the basic guidelines.

Official requirements for passport photographs

The main details that are followed in most countries:

• It is not allowed to take a picture in a uniform.
• The headdress is not allowed. But if you are a follower of a religion that prohibits opening your head in public, you may take a picture with your headdress on. The face must remain open at the same time.
• The photo must be taken without glasses (except when the glasses are prescribed for permanent wear). Some countries, for example, the USA, do not allow glasses at all. If a picture is taken with the prescribed glasses, they must not be tinted or have glares. The eyes must be clearly visible.
• Hair should not cover the eyes. There are no other hairstyling requirements.
• The facial expression should be natural and neutral.

Please note that requirements may vary slightly from country to country. We advise you to read the requirements for the document you need in our list.

Useful tips

Besides the official rules, there are also some informal ones. By sticking to them, you will achieve a neat, elegant and presentable appearance.

• Avoid white and light grey clothes: they may blend into the background. Your clothes should be in good contrast with the background.
• Stick to the business style in your clothes. Shirts and suits with a stand-up collar will look great. Dark clothing with a round neckline or a small V-neck will also be good.
• For men, a combination of a white shirt and suit is recommended. It is also possible to wear a sweater with a V-neck.
• Women should not wear blouses with a deep neckline, otherwise after framing you will not see the clothes at all.
• It is better not to wear designer clothes with bright prints, which will distract attention from the face.
• Fashionable extraordinary outfits in a few years will look inappropriate. For official documents you should prefer the classic variants of clothing.
• Do not wear clothes with a hood, it may sometimes look like a hump.

Make-up

• Makeup, of course, is allowed. However, it should not change the face much or mislead about the age. It is better to use matte tone and shadows to emphasize the advantages of your face without changing it significantly.
• Rich bright colors may give an unnatural skin tone. It is better to give preference to pastel colors, which are combined with your appearance.
• Glitter and glossy lipstick, as well as jewelry with large gems, can give flare to your face. This will age you visually, as well as worsen your photo quality.

Hairstyle

• Voluminous hair is better to avoid. The rules require that a specific distance be left from the forehead to the edge of the frame. If the hair is not placed within this distance, the photo will not be accepted.
• It is not necessary to put long hair in a tight bundle or ponytail: in the photo in full-face it may seem that you have a short haircut. It is better to place the hair on your shoulders.

As you can see, no one prevents you from following your taste and preferences. But we recommend to stick to common sense and remember that the photo will serve you for many years to come!