Passport photos

Anyone any suggestions?

I wear prescription glasses, I’ve worn them for 45 years, My recent passport application has been rejected because i’m wearing glasses, because they’re covering my eyes.

Should I just do the stupid thing where I have to take my glasses off, but then will require assistance at passport control because I can’t see clearly enough to be able to see the official, or anything they hold up at me, or any signage, or the iris scanner etc etc…

yes, or you wont get a passport.

You can take a suitable photo with your phone, for an on-line application for a replacement passport. Just read the instructions which tell you not to wear glasses.

At the airport, take your glasses off once you’re in the booth.

Dead easy, if you’re not being a tool.

The UK passport is not offering the online photo service. I raised this in a thread a few weeks ago. I had to find a booth and send them in. They won’t accept glasses or black and white. And if you have a dual passport you have to send that in too. That puzzled me.

You may not be able to get a new passport online, but fully online passport renewal is possible.

At the airport, take your glasses off once you’re in the booth.

Dead easy, if you’re not being a tool.

Thanks, real helpful. What’s the booth?

I renewed mine online but you could not take a selfie and post it up.

Just take the photo without glasses, then remove them for a few seconds if asked at passport control.

Surely it can’t be anymore difficult than that?

The full online renewal is available for some people, but not everyone (yet).

You can’t wear sunglasses or tinted glasses. You can wear reading glasses but your eyes must show fully through clear lenses without glare or reflections.

Where exactly does it say that you can;t wear glasses?

I’ve had 2 professional photographers confirm that my submitted photo doesn’t obscure my eyes or have glare or reflections. I’ll just take my glasses off and send it in. Annoying though, because apart from my optician and my partner of 22 years no one else has seen me without my glasses for about 40 years.

Just take the photo without glasses, then remove them for a few seconds if asked at passport control.

Sounds real inclusive. Thanks. I’ll look forward to that.

So are they not allowing anyone who wears prescription glasses to have a passport photograph with the things that allow them to function?

So are they not allowing anyone who wears prescription glasses to have a passport photograph with the things that allow them to function?

Given the purpose of the photograph is so as not to obscure the image of your face and nothing to do with you being able to see, not wearing your glasses for a couple of seconds whilst you stand still isn’t and issue.  If you wear glasses in the photo that don’t obscure your face but are wearing different glasses when you are actually at passport control you’ll be asked to take them off.

Annoying though, because apart from my optician and my partner of 22 years no one else has seen me without my glasses for about 40 years.

Stop being a diva.

If passport/border control is a person, take off your glasses for them if they ask you to (I’d guess a person would be clever enough not to need you to do that)

If it’s electronic. you go into the stall/booth whatever, stand in marks for your feet, put your passport where it tells you to, look into the bit where it says to look into, then take your glasses off. you should hear the doors swoosh open and see the green light, if nothing else.

It’s not a big deal. They’re looking at facial features rather than your specs; wonky nose, crooked teeth, uneven ears, scars and mouth shape etc. Besides, if you fly anywhere significant you’re going to have to remove your glasses for retina scanning anyway.

If it’s electronic. you go into the stall/booth whatever, stand in marks for your feet, put your passport where it tells you to, look into the bit where it says to look into, then take your glasses off. you should hear the doors swoosh open and see the green light, if nothing else.

I did that once, it didn’t work. After about 5 minutes they just told me to put my glasses on and go to the desk, where he waved me straight through.

Sounds real inclusive. Thanks. I’ll look forward to that.

Welcome to the world of airline security.

Sounds real inclusive. Thanks. I’ll look forward to that.

How do you think all the other people in the world that wear reading glasses manage? You’re making it sound like they’re singling you out for some reason?

People ask some properly stupid questions online sometimes, makes you wonder how they go about normal daily life without having to be helped with everything!

People ask some properly stupid questions online sometimes, makes you wonder how they go about normal daily life without having to be helped with everything!

Thanks, very helpful.

I was surprised, as its my 5th passport, and its never been a problem before.

It’s all part of the security theatre. Just making life difficult for people, with no real benefits.

I’ve had 2 professional photographers confirm that my submitted photo doesn’t obscure my eyes or have glare or reflections

So just submit the glasses wearing photos because photographers obviously know more than the passport office.  I had my picture taken without glasses because that’s what it says on the application form.

It’s all part of the security theatre. Just making life difficult for people, with no real benefits

Making the effort to look like something’s being done but doing it by employing minimum wage monkeys.  if it’s inconvenient and inexplicable, it must be working right?

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At the airport, take your glasses off once you’re in the booth.

Dead easy, if you’re not being a tool.

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Thanks, real helpful. What’s the booth?

The stall for electronic passport control.

Haven’t you travelled for several years?

They refuse your photos in the hope you will get exasperated and go to the post office and pay £10 for the check and send service,just another way to screw us out of money.

The stall for electronic passport control.

Haven’t you travelled for several years?

Yes, I’m usually on the continent about 4-5 time a year.

Are you this helpful and understanding at your job?

Unless you wear glasses specifically to enable you stand still and do nothing for 2 seconds, and without them you will just fall over and turn to dust,  I really can’t see how anyone could have a problem with this 🙄

Get laser eye surgery – presto!

Problem solved, and no need to whine online about something that is a very minor inconvenience, at best.

Just take the off for the photo; that’s what I did last week and got a new passport online in under a week.

Whole process was very smooth, txt message every day with an update, new passport in under 5 days.

“on the continent”

what a phrase!

As Footflaps said, the online process (which I went through last November) is smooth and takes about a week. I normally wear glasses, but took them off for the photo.

I’m very understanding at work, except when faced with people who act like prima donnas.

OP earlier today

It’s all a big trick, once you are temporarily unable to see they empty your pockets and pull your trousers down, oh how they laugh about it in between interrogating all the beardies and people with funny sounding names and snapping rubber gloves before checking the stocks in the lube cupboard…..

Is this a new thing?

I renewed my passport in November and submitted my own photo complete with the glasses that I wear all day, every day. The photo was accepted and is now on my shiny new passport.

I don’t recall anything on the guidance about not wearing glasses in your photo.

just another way to screw us out of money

I needed a passport quickly, last time I got one; I thought the check and send service at the PO was reasonably good value for a tenner, given that the photo’s would have cost a fiver without somebody ensuring that they were compliant and going through the entire form and all my proofs.

Photo still made me look like a dead-eyed serial killer, mind, but that’s hardly the Post Office’s fault?

The guidance here https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports seems pretty clear that glasses are allowed…

<h2 id=”what-your-photos-must-show”>What your photos must show</h2>
Your photos must:

• be a close-up of your full head and upper shoulders
• contain no other objects or people
• be in clear contrast to the background

In your photo, you must:

• be facing forward and looking straight at the camera
• have a neutral expression and your mouth closed
• have your eyes open, visible and free from reflection or glare from glasses
• not have hair in front of your eyes
• not have a head covering (unless it’s for religious or medical reasons)
• not have anything covering your face
• not have any ‘red eye’
• not have any shadows on your face or behind you

<div class=”application-notice info-notice” role=”note” aria-label=”Information”>

You can’t wear sunglasses or tinted glasses. You can wear reading glasses but your eyes must show fully through clear lenses without glare or reflections.

Although I can’t help picturing aP wearing brown-tinted aviators (sorry aP).

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Although I can’t help picturing aP wearing brown-tinted aviators (sorry aP)

And wearing flares, driving a Ferrari 308? Not seen you for ages, must catch up… 🙂