Hairstyles, hair colors, hair lengths—all these things change numerous times throughout our lifetime.
Some of these hair changes are bigger, some smaller, yet all of them have an effect on our daily life, from the compliments we receive on the street, to our passport photos.
Do we have to apply for a new passport every time we change our hair? What are the appropriate hairstyles for a passport photo? Find the answers to these and other hair-and-passport related questions below in our article.
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US Passport Photo Hair Regulations
Passport photos are heavily regulated by the US Department of State in many different aspects—and one of them are passport photo hair requirements. However, there is no list of specific hairstyles you can or can’t wear in your passport picture. When it comes to hair in ID photos, the most important thing is that it cannot hide the applicant’s face.
In the rest of the article, we’d like to present you with solutions to situations where US citizens might not be sure if their hairstyle is allowed on a passport photo.
What Hairstyles Are the Most Appropriate for a Passport Photo?
First, we should change the narrative from using the word “allowed” to “appropriate” as there are no hairstyles that are forbidden in passport photos. Key biometric characteristics do not include a person’s hair.
The true question is which ones are the best and what to avoid to make sure that your picture gets through the passport application process smoothly. Have a look at some of the possible solutions to specific most common scenarios below.
Can you have bangs in a passport photo?
Short bangs that cover only your forehead, without obscuring your eyes or eyebrows, are acceptable. If your bangs are longer and cover your facial features, you should keep them off your face with a small bobby pin (headbands aren’t allowed).
As a general rule, the more visible your face is, the better.
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Can I have long hair in my passport photo?
When it comes to long hair in a passport photo, it’s best to tuck all the loose strands behind your ears, so your face is fully visible. Other than that, there is no need to change your hairstyle in any way.
Can I have my hair in a bun in my passport photo?
You may keep your hair in a bun, a ponytail, or up in your passport photo. You need to keep in mind that your whole hairstyle has to be visible in the picture, though. Make sure that you look composed.
Be sure all of your hair stays in the picture and its loose strands are not flying out everywhere, as the officials checking the photo might be weary if your hairstyle is unusual.
Can I have dyed hair in my passport photo?
If you wonder whether the current color of your hair may differ from the one you have in your passport photo, the answer is yes.
Officials in the US Department of State are fully aware that hairstyles – and hair colors – change frequently. Therefore, as long as your hair doesn’t cover any of your facial features, the color doesn’t matter.
With Your Proper Hairstyle, You Can Now Take a Passport Photo
Once you know which hairstyles are good for passports, you can proceed with taking your perfect passport picture. At this point you might start wondering which type of passport photo service to choose.
Well, as times are changing and the world becomes more and more digitalized, even passport photos can be tuned online. There are now online passport photo converters available—tools that don’t require to leave a house to take a passport photo.
From all the passport services currently available, we strongly recommend PhotoAiD.
PhotoAiD® is a passport photo converter that double-checks new passport photos in terms of official regulations. The compliance check is first performed by an AI, and then by a human expert to ensure a nearly 100% success rate.
The program is friendly and very easy to use—even for the less technologically advanced people. PhotoAiD® works very fast—users only need 3 seconds to convert their ordinary images into impeccable passport photos.
Passport Photo Hair Rules [Recap]
Technically, no hairstyle is strictly forbidden for a passport photo. As a rule of thumb, your hair shouldn’t obscure your facial features: eyes, eyebrows, or the oval of your face (both sides). It’s best to tuck your hair behind the ears and keep bangs off the face.
This way, you’ll ensure the photo gets accepted during the application and avoid unnecessary delays.
FAQ
In this section, we’ll answer a few common questions about hair in a passport photo.
