Now that travel restrictions are getting relaxed all over the world, it’s absolutely a blast to travel to different countries. Aside from your sun tan, camera phones, and other travel necessities, you’ll need your passport if you’re traveling to other countries.
Passports are travel documents that are issued by your country that verifies your identity and nationality when you go to other countries. Without a passport, you can’t enter another country. Passports are typically small booklets that have your name, date and place of birth, the date your passport was issued, when your passport is going to expire, passport number, signature, and finally, your photo.
Passports typically are valid for 5-10 years, depending on the issuing country. With that said, 5-10 years is a long time so let’s make sure that you look good in your passport photo. Believe it or not, passport photos often make a lot of people look bad. Passport photos are literally memes just waiting to get viral. In this article, we’ll teach you ways on how to get the perfect passport photo.
Taking Photos at Home
If you don’t want to get your photo taken at a studio for your passport, then you can always opt to take it at home by yourself. However, there are rules you should follow.
First off, you need to stand behind a white background. If you don’t have white walls at home, then you can hang a large sheet of white paper behind you. Selfies aren’t allowed so you have to enlist the help of your friend or family to help you with your shot.
Lastly, you need the right photo size to send to your government agency. If you want a hassle-free way to get your photos right, you can get the best passport photo app to do the job for you. With these apps, you don’t have to worry about anything.
The Don’ts – What Not to Wear
Before you start taking your passport photos, you should know that there are a lot of things you can’t wear. When taking passport photos, do not wear:
Glasses – Glasses can give off a glare to the camera lenses taking your photo making it look inaccurate. Although some permit wearing glasses when taking passport photos, make sure to wear glasses with frames that aren’t big enough to cover your eyes. To be safe, just don’t wear glasses at all when taking your passport photo.
Headwear – No hats, headbands or any accessories should be worn on your head. There are exceptions for those wearing certain headwear. For religious headwear such as turbans and hijabs, make sure that your entire face is shown.
Uniforms – Passport agencies reject any photo of you wearing any type of uniform.
Jewelry – Depending on your government rules, you may or may not wear jewelry. If jewelry is allowed, make sure to wear small, non-occlusive necklaces or earrings.
The Do’s – What’s Best to Wear
To have the best passport photos, you should wear the right type of clothing. Although most passport agencies won’t care if you’re wearing a shirt or a suit, it’s best that you look sophisticated in your passport photo. One way of bringing out that sophistication is by wearing business attires. Not only will you look good, you’re also more presentable when in business attire.
You should also wear a shirt or dress that shows an adequate neckline. After taking your photos, passport agencies often crop your picture and print it on the passport photo. If you’re wearing a tanktop or a dress with a plunging neckline, your passport photo might make you look naked. Avoid the hassle and wear the right type of clothing.
Takeaway
Passport photos are known to show a bad side of us. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. The tips mentioned above will show you how to take the best photo for your passport.
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