Saturday, December 22, 2012

How To Make Sure Your Passport Photos Pass first Time

By David Hawkin


You may feel daunted having your passport photograph taken. Don't be! This simple guide should ensure you don't encounter any pitfalls thus enabling a seamless vacation. Different countries have different demands, here are the US State Department's specifications.

The passport photos submitted with your passport application must be the same.

The paper your passport photos are printed on must be of special photo-media quality.

The Passport Photos you have printed must be in colour.

Your pictures must be current and up to date within the last six months.

You are required to provide passport pictures that are 50mm x 50mm in dimension.

Your picture must be square to the camera with out anything obscuring the face. Clothing should be simple day to day dress without a head covering or polarised glasses in front of a white screen. As you look at the camera ensure your mouth is closed and your posture is natural with eyes that are open. The photos must be clear sharp and not have a grainy image otherwise they will be disallowed.

The dimensions of your head measured between the bottom of the chin and top of the crown must be within 1"- 1 and 3/8". The position of your head must be central neither looking up, down or off to one side. Your head must cover approximately fifty percent of the photograph area.

It is possible to wear a hat or headgear on grounds of religious belief as long as your face is not obstructed.

If you wear eye glasses during the course of the day you may leave them on in your passport photos. The photographer must ensure that there in no reflection otherwise the pictures will be unacceptable. It is also important that your eyes can bee seen clearly in the photographs.

If you wear sunglasses on medical grounds you will be able to leave them on in your photos. However you may be asked to send supporting evidence from your medical practitioner in the form of a letter.

Wearing a uniform in your passport picture is actively discouraged however you can for religious reasons.

It can be difficult to get passport photos of children in which case it is advisable to have them taken professionally. Parents and Grandparents shouldn't be visible in the pictures and any props or posing aids should be totally absent from the final photo.

It is not possible to re-use your picture from an old driving license of photo ID. Neither should you digitally enhance or change your photograph before submitting it with your passport application as it will be rejected.

Copying your photo from a magazine or book is not allowed. Pictures taken at a photo booth will generally not comply with the requirements. A regular holiday snap from your photo album will not be acceptable.

If you have the technical know-how to produce your own passport pictures you can take them on a digital camera. However you must be able to take the passport photos at 1 megapixel resolution or more. When it comes to printing the pictures take them to a commercial processing lab unless you have superior printing facilities the photos will be rejected.




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