Can you wear glasses in a passport photo?
The answer changes depending on which passport you are applying for, and the countries do not agree. Two refuse glasses outright, one discourages them but allows them. Guides that give a single answer are describing one country and not saying which.
United States: no
Glasses have been banned on US passport and visa photos since November 2016, and the ban has no exception for people who wear them every day. The only route around it is a documented medical reason.
This catches out applicants who assume the rule matches their home country. If you are applying for a US document, take them off.
Australia: no
The Australian Passport Office also refuses glasses, and states plainly that you should take them off even if you wear them all the time. There is no everyday exception here either.
United Kingdom: allowed, but discouraged
GOV.UK takes a softer line. Its guidance asks you not to wear glasses unless you have to, and if you must, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and your eyes have to be clearly visible.
In practice that means glasses are permitted for a UK passport but they add a way to fail. Reflection in the lens is the usual culprit and it is easy to miss on a phone screen.
If you do keep them on
Where glasses are allowed, the whole problem is reflection. Move the light source to the side rather than in front of you, tilt your head down by a couple of degrees, and never use a flash.
Then zoom in on your eyes before you submit anything. If a bright patch covers any part of the pupil, the photo will be refused whether or not the glasses themselves were permitted.
- Light from the side, not straight on
- Head tilted down very slightly
- No flash
- Zoom in and check both pupils are clearly visible
Contact lenses
Corrective contact lenses are fine everywhere and solve the reflection problem entirely. Coloured cosmetic lenses are a different matter: if your eyes appear a different colour than they are, an official can treat it as an altered appearance.
Questions
Can I wear glasses in a US passport photo?
No. Glasses have been banned since November 2016, with no exception for daily wearers. Only a documented medical reason qualifies.
Can I wear glasses in a UK passport photo?
Yes, but GOV.UK asks you not to unless you have to. They cannot be sunglasses or tinted, and your eyes must be clearly visible with no reflection in the lenses.
Can I wear glasses in an Australian passport photo?
No. The Australian Passport Office asks you to remove them even if you wear them every day.
How do I avoid reflection if glasses are allowed?
Put the light to one side rather than in front, tilt your head down a few degrees, skip the flash, then zoom in and confirm both pupils are visible.