You cannot wear glasses in a passport photo. The U.S. State Department banned eyeglasses from all new passport and visa photos on November 1, 2016, and the rule applies whether you are applying for the first time or renewing.1U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos The only way around it is a narrow medical exception that requires a signed statement from a doctor. For almost everyone, the answer is simple: take the glasses off before the camera clicks.
What the Ban Covers
Every kind of eyewear is prohibited. That includes prescription glasses, reading glasses, sunglasses, tinted lenses, and transition lenses.1U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos2U.S. Department of State. New Requirements for Passport and Visa Photos as of November 1, 20163Travel. New Eyeglasses Policy for Visa and Passport Photographs
The Medical Exception
You may keep your glasses on only if you cannot physically remove them for medical reasons. The State Department’s own example is someone recovering from recent ocular surgery who needs glasses to protect the eyes during healing.3Travel. New Eyeglasses Policy for Visa and Passport Photographs Needing glasses to see clearly does not qualify. The standard is medical risk, not inconvenience.
If you do qualify, you must submit a signed statement from a medical professional explaining why the glasses cannot be removed.1U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos If the lenses are dark or tinted, the statement has to explain why tinted lenses specifically are required.4Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 402.1 Passport Photographs
Even with the doctor’s note, the photo still has to meet strict standards. The lenses cannot produce glare that hides any part of your eyes. The frames and lenses cannot cast shadows on your face. And the frames cannot cover your eyes, including the edges of the iris.3Travel. New Eyeglasses Policy for Visa and Passport Photographs Meeting all three with glasses on is genuinely hard, which is part of why the exception is discouraged.
What Happens If You Submit a Photo With Glasses
A non-compliant photo does not automatically end your application, but it does stall it. The State Department will send a letter or email marked “Additional Information Needed” asking for a new photo.5Travel.State.Gov. Respond to a Letter or Email You have 90 days from that notice to respond. Miss the window and your application is canceled.
The financial sting matters here. The $130 adult passport application fee and the $35 acceptance facility fee are both processing fees, and neither is refundable regardless of whether the passport is issued.6Foreign Affairs Manual. Passport Fees7Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees If a canceled application forces you to start over, you pay the full fees again. That is an expensive outcome for a pair of glasses you could have simply removed.
Contact Lenses Are Fine
Contact lenses are not covered by the ban. Clear contacts are fine, and colored or decorative contacts are allowed too, as long as they do not make your iris appear larger or smaller than its natural size. One easy-to-miss detail: even if you always wear colored contacts, your application form has to list your natural eye color rather than the lens color.4Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 402.1 Passport Photographs
The practical takeaway is the same for anyone with a prescription. Take the glasses off, take the photo, put them back on. Even people who would qualify for the medical exception often find that easier than assembling the paperwork and hoping the photo still clears the glare, shadow, and obstruction tests.