Guides

Practical answers to the questions people ask most often about passport and visa photos.

• Can You Wear Glasses in a Passport Photo? Country-by-Country Rules — Whether glasses are allowed in a passport or visa photo, compared across every country on this site.
• Can You Smile in a Passport Photo? — Which countries require a neutral expression and which allow a closed-mouth smile.
• Passport Photo Background: What Colour Is Required? — The required background colour for a passport or visa photo, compared across every country on this site.
• Passport Photo vs Visa Photo: What's the Difference? — Why a passport photo and a visa photo for the same country are usually not interchangeable.
• How to Reduce a Passport Photo to 50 KB Without Losing Quality — How online forms get photo file sizes so small, and how to do it without visible quality loss.
• Why Was Your Visa Photo Rejected? Common Reasons & How to Fix Them — The most common reasons passport and visa photos get rejected, and how to avoid each one.
• How to Take a Passport Photo at Home With Your Phone — A step-by-step guide to taking a compliant passport photo yourself, with just a phone and a wall.