Women have found their makeup and hairstyles have rendered them unrecognisable from their passport photos. Photo / 123rf
Women have found their makeup and hairstyles have rendered them unrecognisable from their passport photos. Photo / 123rf
Of all the travel-related photos we take, the passport photo is often the one we want to look good for.
Have a bad hair day, angry zit, sunburn or eye bags and you will survive but be forced to relive that moment every time you hand your passport to an airport official for the next decade.
During the pandemic, many countries worldwide allowed people to take their own passport photos, to avoid non-essential shop visits.
For once, travellers enjoyed taking dozens of photos in the comfort of their homes and selecting the best, rather than having the fate of their photo rest in the hands of an impatient 17-year-old working at the local Warehouse Stationery.
It’s no surprise people make a special effort to look their best on passport photo day, with hundreds of videos tagged #passportmakeup on TikTok, several with millions of views and one with almost 15 million views.
According to the the videos, certain makeup techniques such as cat-eye eyeliner, brushing your eyebrows upwards and bronzer on your cheekbones make people look better in passport photos.
In the videos, women share their attempts to get the perfect passport photo, whether it’s by getting expensive facials, attempting certain styles of hair or makeup or having friends shine iPhone lights at their faces to achieve a particular look.
Several women admit they have gone to a passport photo office several times as they were unhappy with the photo.
There is no real issue with trying to look nice for a passport photo. Problems arise, as some women have discovered first-hand when their efforts make them unrecognisable.
“They almost didn’t let me on my flight,” said Alisha Marie, in a TikTok which has more than 20 million views.
“They said I don’t look like my passport” the fashion influencer said to the person behind the camera, in what appears to be an airport back in May 2023.
“This is why you should never do hot photos for your passport, because I don’t look like this,” she laughed, holding up the passport photo page, which showed a picture of her in a full face of makeup with a fringe.
White travelling, however, Marie had no fringe or makeup on and wore a black cap and baggy jersey.
Marie claimed she had “never been so humbled” in her life. Australian, Beth Gould had a similar experience in June this year.
Wheeling her suitcase towards her friend behind the camera, the Melbourne woman explained that a passport scanner did not recognise her when travelling in Taiwan.
“I had to go to the desk and get my identification verified. Basically, I don’t look like my passport because…” she said, gesturing to her sweatpants and bare face. Like Marie, the Aussie had “glammed up” for her photo which then did not look like her.
Women aren’t the only ones rendered unrecognisable from their passport photos. Last year,
Tomi Grainger from New South Wales was stopped at Sydney International Airport after officials claimed his passport was invalid.
At first, Grainger could not work out the issue, as the 8-year-old passport didn’t explore for a few years.
“Then it dawns on me. I no longer look like the person in that picture,” the traveller told TikTok, revealing why he looked different.
What are the rules around makeup?
Kiwis can take their passport photo at home but it must pass a strict set of criteria, as stated online by the Department of Internal Affairs. The passport photo must be a colour portrait taken within the last six months and cannot be a selfie (taken by the subject).
According to the DIA, there are three main reasons at-home photos are rejected; the camera is too close (therefore the person’s face is too large), there are shadows on the face or behind the head, and the background is not plain.
The DIA clearly state how photos must be taken, including example photos that would be accepted or rejected according to different criteria.
For a New Zealand passport, you must keep a neutral expression with a closed mouth and can only wear prescription glasses if they aren’t tinted or thick-framed and don’t cause a glare or flash in the photo.
People cannot wear hats, hoods or headbands and head covering are only allowed if you wear one for religious or medical reasons and have an endorsement in your passport.
As tempted as younger travellers may be, you cannot use filters or digitally edit your image, however, there are no specific requirements or rules regarding makeup or hairstyles.
