You’ve booked the perfect holiday and now it’s time to make sure your passports are in order. A common question that glasses wearers ask is: am I allowed to wear my glasses in my passport photo? After all, a mistake in your passport photo can lead to a delay in receiving your passport, as well as extra costs that can be incurred, so it is essential to make sure you get your photo just right.
Your passport photo must be taken in front of a light coloured background, with no shadows falling either on your face or on the screen behind you. The photo should only feature you; no other people or objects should be included in the photograph. It is also essential that your passport photograph was taken within the past month so that it accurately represents a true current likeness of you.
It can be tricky to know the rules and regulations for passport photos, but the general rule to abide by for passport photos is that nothing should be obstructing your face or eyes. This means that there should be no hair covering your eyes, you should not be wearing a head covering — unless for religious or medical reasons — and there should be nothing else covering your face.
The rules on the government website aren’t particularly clear when it comes to prescription glasses. The official guidance states that if you wear glasses that you are unable to take off, then your eyes must be fully visible behind the lenses without any reflection or glare obscuring the view of your eyes. However, as passport photographs are often taken in a booth, or — in the case of online passport pictures — are taken at home using a camera with a flash, it can be difficult to reduce the reflection or glare caused by the lenses in prescription glasses. Therefore, where possible, it is advisable to remove your glasses in order to have your passport photo taken.
Although the government guidance does not state that prescription glasses should be removed for passport photographs, due to the hassle and stress that can be caused if the photographs are not accepted, it is advisable to remove prescription glasses — where possible — in order to have your passport photographs taken.
