Question Corner: Should People With Long Hair Show Their Ears In Passport Photos?

Q: Should people with longer hair move it to show their ears in passport photos?

A: That’s an interesting yet unexpected question that I just got on a phone call earlier this morning from a customer who just purchased one of our digital passport photo systems. Admittedly, my first reaction was thinking to myself, “Did I really just hear that correctly?” – no pun intended. But the more I thought about it, it the more clear it became to me that it was indeed a valid concern.

When photographing people for passports, they should appear in their ‘everyday’ look. If they have longer hair covering their ears, then they should wear their hair the way they normally do. Of course, longer hair should be moved if it covers their eyes. If they normally wear prescription eyeglasses, then they should wear them for their passport photos. And basic jewelry or piercings are acceptable.

Now sunglasses are another story – these cannot be worn in passport photos. Nothing that covers the head or face should be worn – no hats, no hoodies, no scarves, etc.

You’re probably getting the picture here – pun intended! If you would like to learn more about how to properly take passport photos check out our passport help page. And if you have a related suggestion or a question for us, please let us know in the comments below.