Even if you think your glasses make you look smart or love how your
Warby Parkers frame your face, Uncle Sam doesn’t care. Your spectacles
are coming off, even if you always wear them, for your next passport
picture.
That’s the rule, as of Tuesday, from the State Department. The agency spells it out with 20/20 clarity on its U.S. Passports and International Travel web page,
where there's more info on what makes a good pic: “No glasses in your
new U.S. Passport photo starting November 1st.” If the photo of you in
your unexpired U.S. passport or U.S. visa has glasses, relax. “You don't
have to get a passport or visa now,” the agency notes. Next time, you will have to be photographed without your specs — unless there’s a documented medical reason why you can’t.
Why the switcheroo? The change will eliminate glare and shadows that can
cause delays in processing and ensure that picture standards are up to
snuff.
Last year, more than 200,000 passport customers submitted poor quality
photos that were unacceptable. "The No. 1 problem was glasses,'' the
State Department notes. "We had to put their passports on hold because
we couldn't clearly identify them from their photo... This policy change
helps us and it helps you.”
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