The passport guidelines state that a valid picture must be ‘a close-up of your full head and upper shoulders’. This means that your clothing will be visible – and as a result you’ll need to give careful consideration to what you wear. You might well ask: are you allowed to wear a uniform on your passport photo? This is certainly worth knowing for people who work in the army, police force or in the National Health Service. Let’s look at what you need to know about wearing a uniform on your passport picture.
Is it allowed?
Yes! The passport office has previously determined that passport pictures where a person is wearing a uniform ‘can be accepted as this is down to customer choice’. This means that you needn’t worry about your passport picture being rejected simply because you choose to go down this path with your attire. There is, therefore, no reason to fear that your uniform will be the cause of your passport photo not meeting the requirements.
Are there exceptions?
Not an exception, as such, but the passport office is keen for people to check that they own the copyright of the photo that they’ve submitted. The guidelines state that ‘obtaining consent from the copyright holder of a […] photograph lies with the customer’. This means that if the picture has been professionally taken (such as a school photo), the parent must own it. It can also be the case if your photo has been taken professionally in your workplace.
Are there any advantages?
Quite frankly, it can be more convenient for people to take their passport photo when wearing their uniform – such as on a lunch break – especially those who lead busy lives! Don’t forget, you can now take your passport photo when you’re in work rather than having to go to a photo booth simply using your phone, meaning it’s quite possible to take your passport picture in your uniform during your shift.
Anything else?
Once you’ve taken your passport photo, be sure to upload it to Paspic. We’ll assess the image to make sure it meets all the other requirements before giving it the all clear. We’ll also post you two hard copies to use in case you’re submitting a paper application.
