Can you wear glasses in a passport photo?

The rule

The State Department asks you to take off any eyeglasses, sunglasses or tinted glasses for the photo, and not to rest them on your head. This has been the rule since 2016, so a photo with glasses is a common reason for a rejection.

The medical exception

If you can’t remove your glasses for medical reasons, you can wear them in the photo. Include a signed note from your doctor with your application. Your eyes still need to be clearly visible.

Visa, DV lottery and online renewal photos

• Online passport renewal: the same rule as a printed passport photo
• US visa (DS-160): no glasses, unless you can’t remove them for medical reasons
• DV lottery: no glasses at all
• Other countries have their own rules; see photo sizes and rules by country

If you normally wear glasses

• Take them off before you start, not just for the shot
• If you can’t see the screen well without them, ask someone to hold the phone (helper mode)
• Check that your eyes are open and not hidden by hair

What the doctor’s statement should say

Both passport forms, the DS-11 and the DS-82, cover this. They only allow glasses in the photo if you send a doctor’s signed note saying why you can’t take them off.

The statement should explain why you can’t remove your glasses. The forms give one example: the recovery period after eye surgery. So the note needs to give the reason, not just say that you wear glasses.

The State Department’s manual for passport staff (8 FAM 402.1) calls these cases rare. It asks for a statement signed by a medical professional or health practitioner.

For online renewal, the photo page says to remove eyeglasses unless you have a documented religious or medical reason.

If you wear glasses for a medical reason

Your eyes still have to show clearly. The staff manual and the US visa photo page set the same limits:

• Your eyes must be fully visible, not hidden behind the frames
• No glare on the lenses may hide your eyes
• No shadow or distortion from the lenses may hide your eyes
• Dark or tinted lenses are allowed in a passport photo only if your medical statement says you need them

Practical tips, not rules: face soft light from a window rather than a lamp above you. Look through the center of the lenses, and avoid frames that sit over your eyes.

Short-term medical reasons and urgent travel

Sometimes you need glasses only for a while, for example after eye surgery. The staff manual covers this case.

If the medical reason is temporary and you have urgent or emergency travel, it says staff should issue a limited-validity passport. That means a passport valid for a shorter time than usual.

Contact lenses

Contact lenses are not eyeglasses. The staff manual says clear contact lenses are acceptable.

Tinted and novelty contacts are acceptable too, as long as they don’t make your iris look larger or smaller. If you wear colored lenses, still list your natural eye color on your form.

Children who wear glasses

The passport photo page lists no age exception for glasses, so children take theirs off as well. A child must face the camera with the full face visible and eyes open. Only a baby’s eyes may be partly closed.

No other person can be in the photo. Practical tip: take the glasses off a minute before the photo, and give your child something to look at just above the camera.

Visa and DV lottery details

• US visa: since November 1, 2016, eyeglasses are not allowed in new visa photos. The rare medical exception needs a statement signed by a medical professional or health practitioner
• Tinted lenses: a passport photo may show prescription dark or tinted lenses worn for medical reasons. A visa photo may not show dark or tinted lenses at all
• DV lottery: the DV-2026 instructions say not to wear eyeglasses and list no medical exception. A photo that doesn’t fully meet the rules can make you ineligible

Check your photo before you pay

Checking a photo with PassportOwl is free. The owl checks glasses or a hat, eyes open, mouth closed, head size and background live, while you take the photo. Try the passport photo checker.

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