Can You Smile in a Passport Photo?

Many people think passport photos must be completely blank-faced. That is true in some countries, but the U.S. rule is more relaxed. You can smile. The catch is that the smile has to be natural and controlled, and your eyes still have to be fully open and visible.

What the State Department allows

The State Department's photo page says you can smile, provided your eyes are open and your mouth is closed. A neutral expression, with your face relaxed and your mouth closed, is the other accepted option.

The Foreign Affairs Manual, the internal guidance used by passport specialists at 8 FAM 402.1-5, explains how they judge it. The applicant's expression should be natural. Normal, unexaggerated smiles are acceptable, but unusual expressions and squinting are not. Both eyes should be visible and open.

• CorrectCentred, neutral, even light

• SmilingMouth must be closed

Acceptable vs rejected expressions

Why the rule is about the eyes and mouth

Passport photos are used for face comparison, both by officers and by automated systems. A big smile changes the shape of the cheeks and narrows the eyes, and an open mouth changes the distance between the nose and chin. A relaxed face keeps those features close to how you look most of the time, which makes matching easier. That is why the rule focuses on keeping the eyes fully open and the mouth closed rather than banning smiles altogether.

Tips for a natural, relaxed expression

1. Breathe out before the shot. A slow breath out relaxes the jaw and shoulders.
2. Close your lips gently. Let your teeth rest slightly apart behind closed lips; clenching makes the jaw look tense.
3. Think of a soft smile, not a camera smile. A slight lift at the corners of the mouth reads as natural. If you are not sure, go neutral.
4. Look at the lens, not the screen. Looking at the phone screen makes your eyes appear to look down.
5. Avoid harsh light in your eyes. Bright sun or a lamp pointed at you causes squinting. Use soft, indirect light.
6. Take several frames. Use burst mode or a timer and pick the one where your eyes are most open and your face most relaxed.
7. Rest between shots. Holding a smile for a long time makes it look forced. Relax, then try again.

Medical conditions and expressions

Some people cannot produce a natural expression or open both eyes. The Foreign Affairs Manual covers this directly. Applicants with physical or mental disabilities, including loss of muscle control from age-related degeneration or a condition such as Bell's palsy, may not be able to produce a natural or unexaggerated expression, and specialists may accept such a photo. The same applies if one or both eyes cannot open because of a medical condition. In rare cases where the reason is unclear, a statement signed by a medical professional may be requested.

If this applies to you, take the best photo you reasonably can, and consider including a short signed medical statement with a mail or in-person application to avoid back-and-forth.

Babies and young children

Children follow the same expression rules, but infants get a specific exception: the State Department says it is acceptable if an infant's eyes are not entirely open, and the manual notes that a newborn's eyes may be partly or completely closed. All other children must have their eyes open. A toddler with a big laughing grin may need a few tries. The baby passport photo guide and child passport photo guide have tips for getting a calm moment.

Smiling in specific situations

Braces, missing teeth or dental work

There is no rule about teeth themselves. Because the State Department asks for a closed mouth, braces, gaps and dental work are usually not visible at all. You do not need to hide them in any other way, and you should not edit them out.

Dimples, laugh lines and natural features

Permanent features of your face are part of your likeness. A slight smile that shows your usual dimples is fine. The goal is a photo that looks like you on an ordinary day, not a neutral mask.

Your expression in your current passport

Your new photo does not need to copy the expression in your old passport. There is no rule that your expression must match your previous passport photo. If the old photo shows a big grin from a time when you were photographed differently, choose a calmer expression now.

Online renewal photos

The expression rules are exactly the same for the digital photo you upload with an online renewal. Since you choose the photo yourself, you have the advantage of picking the best frame from several. Take ten or more shots, compare them at full size, and choose one where your eyes are wide open and the smile, if any, is subtle. A photo you are happy with is also one you will be carrying for the next ten years, so it is worth a few extra tries.

Expression mistakes that look like something else

Some rejections blamed on the smile are really about other rules:

• Tilted head while smiling. People often tilt their head when they smile. Keep your head straight and face the camera directly.
• Shadows under the eyes. Overhead lights deepen eye sockets and can make eyes look closed. See shadows in passport photos.
• Retouched teeth or skin. Teeth whitening and skin smoothing are edits, which are not allowed. See editing and filters.
• Selfie distortion. At arm's length, a smile can look exaggerated because the lens enlarges the center of the face. See why selfies fail.

Quick expression check before you submit

• Both eyes fully open and looking at the camera.
• Mouth closed, with a neutral face or a slight natural smile.
• Eyebrows relaxed, not raised.
• Head straight, not tilted.
• No retouching of teeth, skin or eyes.

When the expression looks right, check the photo against the full passport photo requirements or use our free passport photo checker.