Updated
These rules are for US passport photos and come from the State Department's passport photo page (last updated March 24, 2026), checked September 25, 2026. Visa and other countries' rules differ a little; they're covered at the end.
The short list
- Everyday clothes: yes. No color is required.
- Uniform or camouflage: no. Clothing that looks like a uniform isn't allowed either.
- Eyeglasses: no. That includes clear lenses, sunglasses and tinted glasses. For a medical reason, send a signed note from your doctor.
- Glasses on your head: no. Take them off completely.
- Hat or head covering: no. Except for religious or medical reasons, with a signed statement.
- Face covering or mask: no. Your full face must be visible.
- Headphones or earbuds: no. No wireless hands-free devices in or on your ears.
- Jewelry and facial piercings: yes. As long as they don't hide your face.
- ID badge or lanyard: no. The online renewal page asks you to remove them.
- Hair: any style. It can't cover your eyes or block part of your face.
Clothes and colors
Wear what you normally wear. The rules set no clothing color. They rule out a uniform, clothing that looks like a uniform, and camouflage clothing.
Color still matters for a good photo. The background must be white or off-white, so a top in a medium or dark color keeps your shoulders from blending into it. A white shirt isn't banned, but against a white wall your outline gets harder to see.
This example, a light blue top against a white wall, got “Ready. All automatic checks passed.” in our tool. No check looks at clothing, so the color choice is yours.
Glasses
Take them off. The rule covers all eyeglasses, including clear prescription lenses, as well as sunglasses and tinted glasses. Don't rest them on your head for the photo. If you can't remove your glasses for a medical reason, include a signed note from your doctor with your application.
Our tool marked this example “No glasses: Review” with the note “Glasses or glare detected. Take glasses off for US photos.” It flags glasses as Review, not Fix, because frames are hard to detect for sure. Thin or rimless frames can go unnoticed, so check this yourself.
Hair
Any hairstyle is fine as long as your face shows. The colored parts of your eyes must be clearly visible, and your hair can't cover your eyes or block part of your face. Hair may extend past the edges of the photo, as long as your entire head is shown and is the right size.
Pull back bangs that fall over your eyes and move hair away from the sides of your face. Big hair is fine, but leave space above your head when you take the photo so the crop doesn't cut it off.
Head coverings
Hats and head coverings come off, with two exceptions:
- Religious: submit a signed statement that says it's religious attire worn daily in public.
- Medical: submit a signed statement from your doctor that says you wear it for medical purposes.
If you wear one, your full face must be visible, with no shadows or parts of your face blocked. The covering should be one color, without patterns or small holes. The State Department asks for the statement when you apply in person or by mail.
Our tool rated this example “Ready. All automatic checks passed.” No automatic check looks at head coverings, so the one-color rule and the signed statement are up to you.
Jewelry, piercings and makeup
You can wear jewelry and keep facial piercings in, as long as they don't hide your face. Large earrings are fine if your face stays fully visible.
The rules don't mention makeup. They do say the photo must reproduce skin tones accurately and can't be changed with filters, apps or AI. So everyday makeup is your choice, but beauty filters and skin smoothing in a camera app aren't allowed.
Headphones, masks and badges
Take out headphones and earbuds: no wireless hands-free devices in or on your ears. Remove any face covering or medical mask. For online renewal, the State Department also asks you to remove an employee ID badge or lanyard.
Babies and children
The same rules apply to children, plus a few more. The child's full face must be visible, and no other person can be in the photo, so no hands holding the baby. Take out the pacifier: the State Department's examples show a pacifier blocking part of the face as unacceptable.
Take off a hat or head covering. On a white sheet, a colored top keeps a baby's shoulders from blending into the background. The baby passport photo guide has two setups that work at home.
Visa photos and other countries
- US visa (DS-160) and DV lottery: no glasses, and a neutral expression. Religious clothing you wear daily is allowed if your full face is visible. See the US visa photo guide and the State Department's visa photo requirements.
- China visa: glasses only with clear lenses and no glare.
- Schengen visa: glasses allowed without tint or reflections.
- India passport: remove glasses to avoid reflections.
Each document's page links to its official rules.
Questions
Can I wear glasses in a passport photo?
No. Take off all eyeglasses, including clear ones. The only exception is medical, with a signed note from your doctor.
Can I wear earrings in a passport photo?
Yes. Jewelry and facial piercings are allowed as long as they don't hide your face.
Should I wear a white shirt?
You can, but a colored or darker top works better. Against a white or off-white background, a white shirt makes your shoulders blend in.
Can I wear a hijab or turban?
Yes, if you wear it for religious reasons. Submit a signed statement that it's religious attire worn daily in public. Your full face must be visible, and the covering should be one color without patterns or small holes.
Do my ears need to show?
The US rules don't say your ears must show. They say your full face must be visible and your eyes can't be covered by hair.
Can I wear makeup?
The rules don't mention makeup. They do rule out filters, apps and AI changes, and they ask for accurate skin tones, so skip beauty modes and filters.
Can I wear a uniform or camouflage?
No. A uniform, clothing that looks like a uniform, and camouflage clothing aren't allowed.