Our passport photos are often some of the most important photos of us, since they appear on one of the most oft-used government-issued photo identity cards. If our faces don't match up to the photo in our passport documents, especially while travelling international, it can cause major travel chaos.
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However, these photos also always seem to be the worst photos photos of us. Why do passport photos always have to be so somber and uninteresting?
If you're the kind of person who loves to smile, or let your personality shine through your photos, you might have wondered why flashing your sparkly teeth in a toothy grin or a bit of personalisation while taking a passport photo is not allowed, well, here's the reason why!
Regulations for taking passport photos
While, there is no strict ruling against smiling in passport photos, the official directive tells people to have 'a neutral facial expression.' Here's what the U.S. State Department- Bureau of Consular Affairs has to say about the pose and expression to maintain while taking a passport photo,
Have a neutral facial expression with both eyes open and mouth closed.
Face the camera directly with full face in view.
As reported by Huff Post, in the US, you can in fact smile in your passport photos as long as you do not show teeth, and the main reason for banning huge toothy smiling is that it could affect the performance of facial recognition software at border security.
The report quotes Karolina Turowska, a biometric photography expert who explains the reason thus,
To compare a 3D face with a 2D passport photo, they need to pinpoint and measure the users’ facial features. It includes the distance between the pupils, ears, nose and mouth, the mouth’s and the eyes’ width, and many others. Smiling can make it harder, as it alters facial proportions.
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The need for passport photos rule
The report states that these rules for how to pose on passport photos are universal and are instituted in many countries, as per guidelines set by The International Civil Aviation Organization.
If you happen to send in a smiling photo for your passport, you will most likely only delay its processing, and might have to start all over from scratch. The report quotes Madison Blancaflor, senior editor at Points Guy, who says,
If you’re unable to provide a photo that meets their standards by the deadline given, your passport application may remain in ‘on hold’ limbo forever or be rejected,
Apart from smiling, people also have to adhere to rules such as removing eye glasses, hats or other forms of covering that might hinder facial recognition. This is all in order to ensure that border security could work fluidly, without being hindered by distracting details, or recognition software malfunctioning.
Read more:
⋙ Travel warning issued as Brits urged to check their passports before going on holiday
Sources used:
US Bureau of Consular Affairs: 'Passport Photos'
Huff Post: 'So THAT'S Why You Can't Smile In Your Passport Photo'
