Hair Rules for Passport Photos: Bangs, Buns, and Beards

Will My Hair Cause a Rejection?

When preparing to take a passport or visa photo, applicants often obsess over their hair. Should you wear it up? What if you change your style frequently? What if you have a massive beard? The US Department of State has surprisingly relaxed guidelines regarding your actual hairstyle, provided you follow one supreme, unbreakable rule: your hair cannot cover your face.

The Bangs Dilemma

The most common hair-related rejection involves bangs. Your full face must be visible from the chin to the top of the forehead. If your styled bangs hang low and cast shadows over your eyebrows or obscure your eyes, the photo will be rejected. You must either pin your bangs back or sweep them significantly to the side. The border agent, and the automated facial recognition software, must be able to see the entire structural shape of your eyes and brow ridge.

Ears: To Show or Not to Show?

A persistent rumor states that your ears must be perfectly visible in a passport photo. This is false for US applications. While some countries do require exposed ears for their visas, the United States does not. If you have long, voluminous hair that naturally falls over your ears, that is perfectly acceptable. You do not need to unnaturally tuck your hair behind your ears, as long as the hair is pushed back far enough to reveal the sides of your face and your cheeks.

Buns, Ponytails, and Head Sizing

Wearing your hair in a high bun or elaborate updo is permitted, but it introduces a major trap: the 'Head Size' calculation. The Department of State requires your head to measure between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of your chin to the total top of your head (including your hair). If you wear a massive, towering bun, the top of the bun is considered the top of your head. This forces the photographer to zoom the camera way out to fit the bun within the required dimensions, which shrinks your actual face down until it's too small to pass the biometric scan.

To avoid this, we strongly recommend wearing your hair down, or in a low ponytail/bun tied at the nape of your neck where it won't add artificial height to your silhouette.

Beards and Drastic Changes

You do not need to shave for your passport photo. If you currently have a large beard, keep it. The government primarily analyzes the upper half of your face (eyes, nose, cheekbones). However, if you apply for your passport with a clean-shaven face and then grow a foot-long beard a year later, do you need a new passport? Generally, no. Minor or even moderate changes in appearance do not require a new physical booklet.

You only need to submit a brand new application and photo if your appearance has undergone a massive, fundamental structural change. This includes significant facial trauma or surgery, massive weight loss or gain that alters your skeletal structure, or a gender transition.

The Bottom Line

Taking your perfect photo at home is the safest way to ensure your hair looks good while remaining compliant. With PhotoStudio, you can take a dozen photos with your hair swept back confidently. Our intelligent cropping AI will analyze the true top of your hair and the bottom of your chin, instantly determining if your head size falls exactly within that critical 50% - 69% threshold, guaranteeing your application sails through processing.