Glasses in Passport Photos: What the Rules Allow

For a US passport book or card, you must remove your glasses. The rule has applied since November 1, 2016, and covers prescription glasses, reading glasses, sunglasses and tinted lenses. The same rule applies to US visa photos.

Do not leave glasses pushed up on your head or resting anywhere in the frame. The photo should show you without them.

The only exception is medical: if you truly cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, you can wear them with a signed statement from a medical professional. Needing glasses to see well is not enough; the reason must be that you cannot take them off. For every other photo rule, see passport photo requirements.

Before November 1, 2016, glasses were allowed in US passport photos as long as they did not cause glare. The State Department then changed the rule so applicants must remove them.

Glasses can hide the eyes behind glare, reflections, shadows or thick frames, which makes it harder to compare your face with your photo. Taking them off removes the problem completely.

If your current passport has a photo with glasses, it stays valid until it expires. You only need a photo without glasses when you renew or apply for a new one.

The Foreign Affairs Manual, the State Department's rulebook for passport staff, allows glasses only when they cannot be removed for medical reasons, for example right after eye surgery. Here is what that takes.

• Signed statement: from a medical professional or health practitioner, saying you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons. Send it with your application.
• Frames: must not cover your eyes.
• Glare and shadows: none on the lenses or eyes.
• Tinted or dark lenses: allowed only if the medical statement says they are required.
• Temporary conditions: if the medical need is temporary and you must travel urgently, the manual says a passport with limited validity may be issued. You would then replace it later with a standard photo.

We suggest asking for the statement on the provider's letterhead with their name, contact details, signature and date, so it is easy to verify.

The glasses rule covers anything worn in front of the eyes. Here is how it applies to other eyewear.

• Clear contact lenses: fine to wear. They are not glasses and do not show in the photo.
• Colored or patterned contacts: not named in the US rules, but the photo must show your natural appearance, so we recommend clear lenses or none.
• Sunglasses and tinted glasses: not allowed, unless a medical statement says tinted lenses are required.
• Glasses on your head or collar: take them off completely before the photo.

Taking your glasses off is easier with a little setup, and it keeps your expression relaxed.

• Take them off 5 to 10 minutes before the photo so the marks on your nose fade.
• Ask a helper to take the photo and tell you when you are looking straight at the lens.
• Put a bright sticker or a small piece of tape next to the camera lens as a target.
• Use the timer and take a burst so you get one with both eyes open and relaxed.
• Do not squint. Open your eyes normally and blink right before the shot.

Our passport photo at home guide covers distance, light and phone settings.

If your current passport photo shows you wearing glasses, nothing is wrong with that passport. It was issued under the rules at the time and stays valid until it expires.

When you renew, by mail with Form DS-82 or online, you simply send a new photo taken without glasses within the last 6 months. You do not need to explain the change. The new photo must still look like you today, so keep your usual hairstyle and facial hair.

If you renew online, the photo is uploaded as a JPG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB. See online passport renewal photo for the digital rules.

The no-glasses rule applies to children and babies too. A child who wears glasses every day still has to take them off for a US passport photo.

• Take the glasses off just before the photo so your child does not get restless.
• Have one adult stand right behind the camera to hold their attention at lens height.
• Take a burst of photos and pick one with both eyes open and looking at the camera.
• If a child cannot remove glasses for a medical reason, the same signed medical statement is needed.

Children under 16 apply in person with Form DS-11 and a printed photo. See baby passport photo for more tips with young kids.

Before you print or upload, check the photo against this list. It covers the eye-related reasons photos get rejected.

• No glasses on your face, your head or anywhere in the frame.
• Both eyes fully open and looking at the camera, not squinting.
• No hair, shadow or glare covering your eyes.
• No colored contact lenses that change your eye color.
• If you have a medical exception: signed statement included, frames clear of the eyes, no glare on the lenses.

Then check the rest of the photo with the passport photo rejection reasons guide.

Most US photo documents follow the passport rule, but a few are handled by the agency at an appointment.

USCIS form instructions do not mention glasses, but USCIS photos follow passport-style standards, so remove them. See our US visa photo, green card photo and REAL ID photo pages for the full rules.

Many countries still allow clear glasses if your eyes are fully visible. Others follow the same no-glasses rule as the US.

If the country you are applying to allows glasses, you can still take them off. A photo without glasses is the simplest way to avoid glare problems anywhere. See the full rules on our UK passport photo, Schengen visa photo and Canada passport photo pages.

Take the photo with your glasses off from the start. Removing glasses from a photo afterward would change your face, and the State Department does not accept photos altered with software, apps, filters or artificial intelligence.

Once you have a glasses-free photo, PhotoForPass fixes the lighting, replaces the background with plain white, sizes and crops it to the official 2 x 2 inch layout, and checks it against the requirements, keeping your face exactly as it is. A digital photo is $16.95, or $18.95 with a 4 x 6 print sheet. Not sure your photo works? Try the free photo checker first.