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Smiley passport photos

PurpleCow

By PurpleCow,
in Ask a Cruise Question

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PurpleCow

PurpleCow

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For those who were wondering about the recent instructions that we must not smile in passpprt photos, I've just, by accident discovered the reason. There's a small article in my local newspaper today that explains that the new biometric passports will have small computer chips imbedded in them. The photo will be on that chip, as well as other information. Apparently the photo can't be scanned properly if the person is smiling. We will also have to remove our glasses, take off head coverings, not raise our eyebrows, and pin back our hair off our faces.

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Char

Char

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For those who were wondering about the recent instructions that we must not smile in passpprt photos, I've just, by accident discovered the reason. There's a small article in my local newspaper today that explains that the new biometric passports will have small computer chips imbedded in them. The photo will be on that chip, as well as other information. Apparently the photo can't be scanned properly if the person is smiling. We will also have to remove our glasses, take off head coverings, not raise our eyebrows, and pin back our hair off our faces.

That sounds a little extreme! I have always smiled for my passport photo and don't know if I can face a camera and NOT smile :p We just got our's renewed in January, so I won't have to worry about it for another 9 years!

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johnql

johnql

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Here's what's posted on the State Dept's web site. For now, it seems that wearing eyeglasses is fine. And since it says that they want the "full face" of the person, it's probably interpreted as meaning that long hair should be pulled/pinned back.

 

What pose should the photos show?

The photo should show a clear, front view, full face of the customer. The customer should be in normal street attire, without hat or dark glasses against a plain white or off-white background. The customer should have a natural expression, mouth closed, and eyes open and looking directly ahead.

 

Can hats or religious headgear be worn for the photo?

Unless worn daily for religious reasons, all hats or headgear should be removed for the photo. In all cases, no item or attire should cover or otherwise obscure any part of the face.

 

Can eyeglasses be worn for the photo?

Eyeglasses worn on a daily basis can be worn for the photo. However, there should be no reflections from the eyeglasses that obscures the eyes.

 

Can sunglasses or tinted glasses be worn?

Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons. A medical certificate may be required.

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just4kixx

just4kixx

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We just had our pictures taken and applied for passports last month. The photographer told us about the "no smile" rule. My 12yo special-needs son CANNOT look at a camera and not smile!!!:eek: It was aweful! I had to threaten him just to make him mad so he wouldn't smile! It only sortof worked. You should see what expression we ended up taking. I'm waiting to hear back from the passport authorities that the picture is not acceptable :rolleyes: Perhaps we'll be okay because the new chips aren't being placed in the passports yet. One can only hope!

 

A~:)

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ger_77

ger_77

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Up here in the "frozen tundra" we've had the no-smile rule for the past couple of years when applying for a passport. Sure, it makes us all look like corpses with our eyes open, but if that's what it takes to get through security and make everyone safer, so be it!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

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ladycaveat

ladycaveat

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For those who were wondering about the recent instructions that we must not smile in passpprt photos, I've just, by accident discovered the reason. There's a small article in my local newspaper today that explains that the new biometric passports will have small computer chips imbedded in them. The photo will be on that chip, as well as other information. Apparently the photo can't be scanned properly if the person is smiling. We will also have to remove our glasses, take off head coverings, not raise our eyebrows, and pin back our hair off our faces.

 

Too funny . . . I've had a passport for the past nearly forty years (was a flight attendant in the 60's, 70's and 80's) . . . have traveled all over the world. My current passport . . . not only am I smiling (how can one look at a camera and not smile) but I'm also wearing a wig (bad hair day). I've used my current passport to travel to Europe several times and on my past two cruises (the last one being in April 2005).

 

The only time I have ever had a problem was sometime in the early 70's . . . a girlfriend and I were on a train going from Paris to Berlin. We had to go through East Berlin to get to West Berlin (prior to the "Wall" coming down) . . . the train was stopped in the middle of the night as three big, mean German officers went from cabin to cabin. :eek: All I remember was them looking at our pictures in our passports and looking at us (with our hair in roller and no make-up) and going "nye nye" or whatever . . . took forever to convince them that we really were the girls in our passports.

 

I know that after 9/11, things are different but as long as one has a passport and a driver's license or some other form of pictured ID . . . you'll have no problem.

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kathy_bc

kathy_bc

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Here in Canada, there is a "no smile" rule. Two years ago when my hubby and I got our passports, we kind of laughed at my hubby's terrible photo. He was getting over a cold, and he has just this blank look. I have a slight smile. My hubby's passport was mailed to him right away. Mine took another two weeks. We signed up at the exact same time, so we were wondering if it took longer because I didn't follow the "no smile" rule?

 

We heard that they request that because when you are using your passport, you are not smiling, you are normally just looking at them, so that's the face they want to see.

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billiebob

billiebob

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:D I smiled when I had my passport photo taken two years ago--it is a big smile too! My DH didn't smile but we both had our passports processed at the same time without any problem. I have been through US customs twice since then and no one said anything to me (thank goodness). Maybe I was smiling at them and they recognized me! ;) Hopefully there won't be a problem when we fly to SanJuan next month.

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ger_77

ger_77

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If your passports show photos with smiling faces, don't worry, you can still continue to use them without a problem. However, when you do go to renew them, you'll find that the people taking the photos ( we aren't allowed to use our own digital photos up here in Canada, they have to be taken by an approved photo centre), you will be told that you can not smile for the picture, nor can you have an all white shirt without any contrasting clothing (our son had to put on DH's leather jacket to provide contrast to his white shirt and tie). Enjoy your smiling passport photo while you have it!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

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mirthmaiden

mirthmaiden

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you will be told that you can not smile for the picture, nor can you have an all white shirt without any contrasting clothing

 

I am not an authority about passports, nor am I Canadian, but I recently had my passport photo taken at a photo speciality shop (where they do LOTS of passport photos). I was smiling and wearing an all-white blouse. The photographer never said a word about either, and the passport agency cashed my check a couple of days ago. Their website says my passport should arrive in a few weeks, so I assume that all is fine with the photos. I'm not sure, but wouldn't they include that information in the instructions about photos on the passport application if it were true??

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ger_77

ger_77

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mirthmaiden: Here in Canada we haven't been able to smile in our passport photos for about a year. DH and I renewed our passports before our cruise in June/04 and have the straight-ahead-stare-into-the-camera look because the regulations here state no smiling. (God forbid we should enjoy our passport photo-taking session! :D ) We also have regulations about having clothing that helps provide contrast against the skin - apparently an all-white shirt or blouse fades out the contours of the face in the photos. Just a few of the things we have to deal with up here in the "frozen tundra"! I know different countries have different requirements for passports - including how long they are good for ... yours have to be renewed every 10 years, while we have to renew ours every 5 years.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

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