Hair in a passport photo: what’s allowed

What the rules say

• Your eyes must not be blocked or covered by your hair
• Hair may extend past the edges of the photo, if your entire head is shown at the right size
• The head size, 1 to 1 3/8 inches in a 2 × 2 photo, is measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head

Bangs, beards and ears

• Bangs: fine if they don’t cover your eyes; pin them aside if they do
• Beards and moustaches: allowed; your face must still be clearly visible
• Ears: the US rules don’t require them to show

How head size is measured

The passport page measures your head from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. It must be 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) in a 2 × 2 photo.

The Foreign Affairs Manual is more precise. It measures from the top of the head, not the hairline or your hair, to the bottom of the chin. Facial hair is not included.

So volume on top of your head and a long beard don’t count toward the head size.

Visa photos use a different template. It measures from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. In a digital visa photo, that height must be 50% to 69% of the image height.

Clips, headbands and wigs

• Clips, bobby pins and thin headbands: fine if they lie flat and don’t hide any part of your face or hairline
• Wide headbands, scarves and bows: treated as head coverings, which need a religious or medical reason (see head coverings)
• Wigs: allowed if they don’t hide any part of your face
• Hats and caps: take them off; a baseball cap is shown as an unacceptable example

Hair across your face

The rule covers more than your eyes. The passport page shows a woman with hair blocking part of her face as an unacceptable example.

The colored parts of your eyes must be clearly visible. Bangs or long layers that fall across an eye or a cheek can cause the same problem.

New hairstyle or color

You don’t need a new passport just because you changed your hair. The State Department lists coloring your hair and growing a beard as small changes.

A new photo with a different hairstyle or facial hair is fine, as long as it is still a good likeness. It must be taken in the last 6 months.

How to style your hair for the photo

1. Clear your eyes and face

   Pin or tuck back any hair that falls across your eyes or face.

2. Keep pins flat

   Use clips or bobby pins that lie flat against your head, so they don’t change the outline of your head.

3. Show your whole head

   Stand several feet from the camera, with your head centered and fully visible from the top of your head to your chin.

4. Check the background

   Use a plain white or off-white background with no shadows. Stand several feet away from the wall.

Questions