Official Consular Photo Standards

Passport Photo Guidelines & Rules

Over 200,000 passport and visa applications are delayed or rejected each year due to non-compliant photographs. Follow these practical rules to ensure your photos pass inspection on your first try.

Lighting & Exposure

Lighting must be uniform and balanced across both sides of the face. Shadows across cheeks, under the chin, or behind the head against the backdrop are the #1 cause of rejection.

✓ DO:Face a natural window with soft daylight, or use two symmetric lights at 45° angles to prevent shadows.

✗ DON'T:Use harsh direct flash that washes out facial skin tones or creates dark circular shadows behind your neck.

Facial Expression & Eye Contact

Consular biometric cameras measure the distance between pupils, nose tip, and jawline. An unnatural grimace, frown, or open-mouth toothy smile distorts these measurements.

✓ DO:Keep a neutral facial expression with mouth completely closed. Look directly into the camera lens with both eyes clearly open.

✗ DON'T:Show teeth, laugh, squint, wink, or tilt your chin up or down.

Eyeglasses & Head Coverings

Under official US Department of State policy (and increasingly adopted globally), eyeglasses of all types are prohibited, even for daily prescription wearers.

✓ DO:Remove all glasses (spectacles, sunglasses, tinted lenses). Religious head coverings (such as hijabs, turbans, or yarmulkes) are permitted provided the full face from hairline to chin is visible.

✗ DON'T:Wear baseball caps, beanies, headbands, headphones, wireless earbuds, or decorative hair accessories.

Clothing & Dress Code

Clothing should contrast against the background so your shoulders are distinctly outlined in biometric scans.

✓ DO:Wear everyday dark or colored clothing (navy, black, charcoal, dark green, or patterned shirt) to create strong contrast with the white or off-white backdrop.

✗ DON'T:Wear pure white clothing (which blends into the background), military uniforms, or camouflage clothing.

Background Tone by Country

Background requirements vary by country. Here are the official backdrop tones required by major consulates:

Pure White: USA, Canada, India, Australia, China
Light Grey / Cream: United Kingdom, Schengen (EU)
Light Blue: Malaysia, Kuwait, Sri Lanka
Red: Indonesia (odd birth years)

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