Brits are being urged to be mindful of what kind of photo they use when renewing their passports. Border officials are trained to recognise potential discrepancies between a passport photo and a person’s appearance. Travellers are being urged to avoid social media’s passport makeup trend, or risk being turned away at the airport if they ‘don’t match’ their passport photo. With more than four million Brits set to renew their passports this year, and the ‘glam passport photo’ trend making a comeback, travel specialists warn that these ‘picture-perfect’ photos could cause issues at airport security.
The video by TikTok content creator Georgia Barratt received millions of views for showing how she did her makeup for her viral passport photo. In the clip, she provides tips on how to achieve an ‘aesthetic’ passport photo, including going ‘overboard’ on contouring and ‘overlining’ her lips. However, there are concerns about the tactic’s popularity and the security complications it may cause at ePassport gates and border control. Rhysa Phommachanh, hair and skincare expert at Landys Chemist, has expressed caution for travellers looking to use this makeup tutorial.
“While a flattering passport photo can be a great confidence booster, it’s important to remember that your passport photo is supposed to truly represent you,” she said. “Travellers may already look different before boarding a plane (due to clothing and makeup choices), so it is important to ensure that you are not skewing your likeness further.” Small alterations in your look, like a new hair colour, facial hair, or wearing glasses, probably won’t create any problems. However, if you’ve had major changes such as surgery, gained weight, or made significant adjustments to your facial features, your passport photo might not serve as a trustworthy form of identification.
The official UK government website states, “You need a digital photo to apply for a passport online. You must get a new photo when you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed. Your photo must have been taken in the last month. Your application will be delayed if your photos do not meet the rules.” The website doesn’t provide any information on whether makeup is acceptable. This likely means it is allowed in the UK as long as your features aren’t obscured, and contouring your face could change the way your features look. The rules on the government website are as follows. Your photo must be clear and in focus, in colour, unaltered by computer software, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, at least 50KB and no more than 10MB. The digital photo must contain no other objects or people, be taken against a plain light-coloured background, be in clear contrast to the background, and not have ‘red eye’.
Not really sure why this matters, but using natural makeup that matches your everyday look is suggested. If you’re using a photo taken on your own device, include your head, shoulders, and upper body. Do not crop your photo – it will be done for you. In your photo, you must be facing forwards and looking straight at the camera, have a plain expression and your mouth closed, have your eyes open and visible, not have hair in front of your eyes, not have a head covering (unless it’s for religious or medical reasons), not have anything covering your face, and not have any shadows on your face or behind you. Commenting on why the passport makeup trend could be risky, Rhysa said: “There are a lot of steps in the viral tutorial, and the creator of the trend has also admitted that certain elements are intentionally over the top, specifically contour, concealer, and overlined lips. With the recent adoption of ePassport gates, an exaggerated profile photo can cause issues at security.”
Explaining which makeup enhancements are suitable for a passport picture, Rhysa said: “Subtle makeup is a great compromise – before taking your passport photo, try a light foundation or BB cream to even out your complexion and a light dab of concealer to tackle any under-eye bags or blemishes. Defining your brows can help to frame your face, along with some neutral eyeshadow and a light coat of mascara.” Remember, your passport photo is not a beauty contest entry, so keep it simple and natural for a hassle-free travel experience.
