Passport photos glasses.

[Tolkienista]

I'm applying for a new passport this week and I've read the guidelines on gov.uk. It clearly states no glasses to be worn in the photo taken. I'm surprised to be honest as I'm wearing glasses all the time since my last photo in 2012 when I wore contacts. I look so different without my glasses, any advice.
Ps I wear rimless glasses which show my eye area without shadows.

I'm not sure why you don't just take the glasses off for the passport photo?

Advice? Yes follow the instructions from the passport office.

They use biometric data now and they can’t read your face with glasses on. I’ve always removed mine for passport photos. The government advice is remove them, you can’t get a passport with them on. Not sure why it matters what you look like in the photo, the airport will ask you to remove glasses for biometrics anyway.

Take off your glasses. If you are going through passport control etc they may ask you to remove your glasses.

Your application will be rejected if you are wearing glasses, you will have to retake your photos. Given how long it is taking people to get passports why would you do something that will make your application rejected.

Yep, I stand corrected. Just automatically assumed I'd be wearing my glasses......that's fine, glasses off. Photo about to be taken.

Do you wear glasses? How short sighted are you?

I am so short sighted that everything, even my hand in front of my face is so blurred that I cannot see anything. I had real trouble in the photo booth, I just couldnt see anything, I couldnt see my face on the screen, the outline of where my face is meant to be, none of the operations. I had to try to quickly take them off at what i thought was the right time but still try to maintain my position. It looks nothing like me but thats not my problem, thats the passport offices problem, but taking the picture is next to impossible if you have sight like mine.

I think they can, I went through the machines and it read my face fine with my glasses on (Gatwick)

Yep I'm also short sighted.

But that problem is surmountable if you ask a friend to take the photo (which is what I did last time) or go into a photo shop where they'll take it for you for about £8.

They always ask me to remove mine at Heathrow

My photo has been taken on my phone minus glasses.......I honestly look so much different without glasses on. It's ok.

It will be interesting to see if my photo is accepted when I make my passport application. If not I'll have it done professionally.

This requirement nearly drove me mad when I had to get my passport renewed. I needed to use one of those photo booths that give the code you can put in on your application, but I can't see a damn thing without my glasses and can't wear contact lenses.

So I'd get myself into position so my face was within the oval then take my glasses off, but then I couldn't see the instructions on the screen so had to take a photo with my glasses on to try to memorise the steps it would ask me to follow so I could go through it unable to read the steps, grrrrrrr.

Considered a selfie but couldn't figure out how to get myself into the right position so my head and shoulders were exactly like they need them to be and then remove my glasses without moving out of that position.

I thought it was so they can see your eye colour clearly? Ds had to take his glasses off for his photo. The anti-glare treatment on his glasses made his blue eyes look green

You can put the photo through the government thing online and it will tell you if the photo is acceptable or not. I tried multiple times to take mine at home & gave up in the end and paid the tenner to get it done professionally.

You could have worn your rimless glasses as per the rules from the gov site which state:

"Do not wear glasses in your photo unless you have to do so. If you must wear glasses, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and you must make sure your eyes are not covered by the frames or any glare, reflection or shadow."

I think you can wear glasses, the biometric thing at the airport only says to take off sunglasses and headwear it doesn't say glasses.

The last time i got a new passport photo I got it done in our large Tesco. I have dreadful short sight, so not being able to wear my specs, it made sense to get the photo taken 'officially' as it were, so that it wasn't rejected.

I couldn't see a thing, but it didn't matter, the photographer stood me in the right place and sorted it all. Didn't cost much either as far as I remember.

When I went through Heathrow last week I was told by security to take my ordinary glasses off to go through the biometric gates.

I've just renewed mine and kept my glasses on for the photo. All fine. Just had to remove them at the biometric checker in the airport

Really interesting comments. My glasses being rimless do not compromise my eyes, but I've gone without them for my photo, to adhere to the policy.

Re: the comment on doing a selfie, you can't do one because your features are apparently reversed in the image produced ie: if you had a scar on your left cheek in the selfie it would be on the right. Also hair parting is the other way round on a selfie.

I just went to a Max Speilman in Asda and the lady arranged me while I clutched my glasses!! She did the passport check on gov.uk and I paid £12 with a guarantee that if the website doesn't accept it for any reason they will retake free of charge. I tried to take a photo of DD for hers last year and just couldn't get it accepted so didn't bother trying to do a selfie!

I took my own photo using the PhotoAID app. Took a selfie, in my glasses, got my proofs agreed and sent out to me within days. Very very easy process