The passport photo is quite different from the other pictures. This is because there are several rules you will have to keep in mind when taking a photo for the passport. Thus, you will have to click a photo with exactly the right expressions.
What can be considered a ‘neutral expression’ for your passport photo when applying for a passport renewal?
Per the passport’s official guidelines, the smile should be natural. It is important to know about this in detail because even the slightest mistake would result in the rejection of the photo. Therefore, let us understand what exactly a neutral expression means.
What does it mean?
Per the guidelines, a neutral expression means not showing any emotions on the face. You can neither appear happy in the photo nor can you look excited in the photo. You can also not look either sad or angry in the photo. You will have to take an expressionless photo of your passport that will not depict any emotions. You need to know the passport photo criteria.
Where could you go wrong?
The most typical mistake people tend to make is to smile for the passport photo during the process of passport renewal. According to the guidelines that have been set, this is not allowed. A little smile, even the faintest glimmer of a smile, is not allowed in a passport photo. Even a very faint smile can result in the rejection of a passport. Some other expressions like frowning are also not accepted in a passport photo.
Why is this the case?
When you take a photo of your passport, most people think you will need to have a serious face. But the fact is that you need not be serious, but it is important to follow the guidelines that have been set. Otherwise, it could result in the rejection of the passport photo. If the picture does not meet certain criteria, it could result in serious problems when you are in or living in a particular country. If there are any emotions on your face, that will tend to distort it. This will make it difficult for the biometric software to read your face and prove your identity.
Can you smile in your passport photo or keep it neutral?
The best way to be sure that you have a valid passport in your hand is to master the art of posing for the passport photo in the right way. This way, you will get a valid passport. If you are unsure whether the photo you have taken fulfills all the requirements, you should send it to a good passport agency, and they will check it and let you know. You should know in detail about acceptable passport photos.
What is a natural smile?
The natural smile is a kind of smile where the face is completely relaxed except for the corner of the eyes and the mouth. You stay relaxed, and your chicks do not get stiffened when you smile.
Best ways to natural smile passport
Tips that you need to follow to smile naturally:
- Be confident: Learning to smile confidently can be a little difficult. The easiest way to smile confidently is by having perfect teeth.
- While smiling, you should relax your face as well as your jaw muscles: If you relax your face and the jaw muscles, it will release all the tension that is stored in your face, and your face will thus be free of stress. The muscle between the corners of the lips and the upper section of the cheeks affect your face. When you get tensed, the facial muscles tend to be taut on the sides of the face. This makes you look stressed or upset in the pictures.
- Try out different mouth exercises: This might sound a little silly, but the real fact is that mouth exercises help in improving the smile. If you do a little bit of work on the important facial muscles, it will help you to change your smile.
- Taking a deep breath at a time of smiling will help: Taking a deep breath can relieve the feelings of stress or tension that might be built on your face.
- When trying to smile, you should think about something or someone who makes you happy: This helps you look much more sincere and can also associate the movements with very happy thoughts. Happy memories can also alleviate your mood. Thus the look appears to be much more genuine.
Conclusion
If you want a natural smile that looks confident, you should work on your smile. For passports, however, you would need a neutral expression in most countries wherein you cannot smile. Before you take the photo for the passport, you should check out the requirements of the photo. This will ensure that the passport office accepts the photo you take, and you can get the passport without any hassles.
Faq
Are you allowed to smile in passport pictures?
The answer to this question is both yes and also no. Other than the United States, most other countries want you to keep a neutral expression on your face. So, to ensure that the photo is accepted globally, ensure that you have a neutral expression on your face.
What is a natural smile?
A natural smile is a smile that does not change the contours of your face too much. This is because, if the contours change, it will be more difficult to identify you positively. Therefore there should not be any wide grins that might raise the cheekbones while stretching and thinning the lips. If you want to smile naturally, you will have to turn up the corners of your mouth by tensing the facial muscles a bit.
So are only the smiles with closed mouths accepted in the passport?
No, not necessarily. You can slightly part your lips and show a few teeth. This way, you will achieve a natural smile much easier. Moreover, a bit of space allows the lips to curve more naturally. Just make sure that you do not open your mouth too wide, as this will drop your chin and alter the jawline’s appearance, which might lead to the rejection of the photo and the passport application.
Do you need to pose in any particular way for your passport photo?
Per the passport authority’s guidelines, the subject needs to look straight into the camera for all passport photos. This means that you will not be able to tilt your head up, at any angle or down. Moreover, as per the guidelines, you will also have to keep both of your eyes open. You should also not wear any glasses or sunglasses when photographing. In case you are suffering from any medical condition, where you will have to take a photo with your glasses on, you will have to apply along with the documentation to state the reason as to why you cannot open your glasses.
Are there any restrictions about what clothes I can wear when taking the photo for my passport?
Yes, you can wear a certain type of clothes only. Make sure that you wear normal clothes. Make sure not to wear any evening gowns or tuxedos.
For this, however, you will have to submit a written application that is signed by a doctor to prove that the attire that you are wearing is a religious one.
When you take a photo of your passport, can you cover your head with a hat or other head coverings?
No, you cannot wear any of these unless it is due to medical conditions or religious attire. But if you wear those, you will have to submit an application signed by the doctor.
Do I need a new passport or photo if I change my appearance?
Whether you need a new passport or photo will depend on the changes that have come up. If the changes still allow your face to be recognized, it will not require you to change the passport photo. But in case your appearance has changed significantly like there has been a dramatic weight loss that has changed the shape of your face, you will require a new passport that has your current photo.
