Updated
By Passport Photo at Home · Rules checked against the passport photo page (last updated March 24, 2026), the online renewal photo page and the visa photo requirements · How we check (updated )
The rules, item by item
| Item | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes | Everyday clothes; no uniform, clothing that looks like a uniform, or camouflage | Passport photos |
| Eyeglasses | Not allowed, including clear lenses; not resting on your head either. Medical exception with a signed doctor's note | Passport photos |
| Hats and head coverings | Only for religious reasons (signed statement that it's worn daily in public) or medical reasons (signed doctor's statement); full face visible, one color, no patterns or small holes | Passport photos |
| Face coverings | Remove anything covering your face unless for documented religious or medical reasons | Online renewal |
| Headphones | No headphones or wireless hands-free devices in or on your ears | Passport photos |
| Jewelry and piercings | Allowed if they don't hide your face | Passport photos |
| Hair | Can't cover your eyes; may go past the edges of the photo if the whole head shows | Passport photos |
| ID badge or lanyard | Take it off (online renewal) | Online renewal |
Size, head height and background are covered in the US passport photo requirements.
Clothes and colors
No color is required. A top in a medium or dark color keeps your shoulders from blending into the white or off-white background; a white shirt isn't banned, but your outline gets harder to see. Skip anything that could pass for a uniform, such as scrubs or a work shirt with a badge, and anything camouflage.
A light top like this one can still get “Ready” in our tool: in our test on September 25, 2026, a photo with a light blue top against a white wall passed all 15 checks the tool ran then. No check looks at clothing, so the color choice is yours.
Glasses
Take them off, even clear prescription lenses, and don't push them up onto your head. With a medical reason, include a signed note from your doctor. The online renewal page puts it plainly: remove anything covering your face, “including eyeglasses”.
When our tool sees frames like these on a US photo, it shows “No glasses: Retake” with the note “Glasses or glare detected. Take glasses off for US photos.” Glare without frames it can see gets a Check, and thin or rimless frames can go unnoticed, so check this yourself.
Hair, makeup and jewelry
Any hairstyle works if the colored parts of your eyes stay clearly visible. Pin back bangs, and leave space above big hair so the crop doesn't cut it off. The rules don't mention makeup, but they ask for accurate skin tones and no filters, so skip beauty modes and smoothing. Earrings and facial piercings can stay as long as your face is fully visible.
Head coverings
A religious covering needs a signed statement that it's religious attire worn daily in public; a medical one, a signed doctor's statement. Either way the full face shows, with no shadows, and the covering is one color without patterns or small holes.
In our tests, a photo with a covering like this got “Ready.” No automatic check looks at head coverings, so the one-color rule and the signed statement are up to you.
Babies and children
Take off hats and headbands, take out the pacifier, and keep every hand out of the frame. On a white sheet, a colored top keeps a baby's shoulders from disappearing. The baby passport photo guide has two setups that work at home.
Visas and other documents: what changes
| Glasses | Head covering | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US passport | No (medical note only) | Religious or medical, with a signed statement | No uniform, camouflage or headphones |
| US visa and DV lottery | No; medical statement in rare cases, and frames can't cover the eyes | Only if worn daily for a religious purpose; no shadows on the face | Hearing devices you normally wear can stay; religious clothing worn daily is fine |
| Indian passport | Remove them to avoid reflections | Religious reasons only, face fully visible | White background, so a dark top helps |
| OCI card | Allowed: no tint, no glare, frames off the eyes | Religious reasons only, chin to forehead visible | Light gray background, so avoid gray tops |
Each document's page links to its official rules.
Before you take the photo
- A plain top in a color that isn't white.
- Glasses off, not on your head.
- Hat, earbuds and headphones off.
- Name badge, lanyard and anything uniform-like off.
- Hair away from your eyes.
- Signed statement ready if you keep a religious or medical head covering on.
Questions
What color shirt is best for a passport photo?
A medium or dark solid color, such as navy, black, dark green or burgundy. It stands out from the white background. No color is required by the rules.
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 and digital 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.