Glasses, Hair and Head Coverings: Appearance Rules for ID Photos

Photo Guide · 4 min read · Updated: 2026-07-03

Glasses

USA: banned in all passport/visa/DV photos since November 2016 (medical exception with a signed statement). UK: not accepted since 2018. Schengen: technically allowed, but glare, tinted lenses and frames crossing the eyes cause rejections — in practice, no glasses is safest.

Hair

• The full face outline (eyebrows, both eyes, chin) must be visible; bangs covering the face cause rejection.
• Voluminous hair is fine — but head height measurements include hair; on tight formats (like 35x45) big hair squeezes the crop. Our tool balances this automatically.
• Visible ears are not required in most countries (a few, like Pakistan, do ask).

Religious head coverings

Religious coverings are accepted in the USA, UK, Schengen, Turkey and most other countries, provided the face is visible from forehead to chin, both eyes show, and no shadow falls on the face. Everyday hats, beanies and bandanas are not accepted without a religious basis.

Source: travel.state.gov — Photo Requirements ↗

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