Passport Photo Accessories — Piercings, Hair Accessories and Face Coverings
Jewellery, piercings and hair accessories are not banned outright — but they can push a photo into rejection if they cover the face, change the shape of your head, or reflect light. The UK standard accepts beards, moustaches and a bindi, but refuses a celebratory jewel or sticker; it accepts a hair band or clip when the face is visible, but asks for a new photo if the accessory changes the head's shape; and it rejects piercings that cause reflection. Here is the line for each. Verified against the UK HMPO photo standards, September 2026.
The 15-second answer
- Nothing can cover the face. That single rule settles most accessory questions.
- Beards, moustaches and a bindi are accepted — but a temporary celebratory bindi made with a jewel or sticker is not.
- Piercings can be accepted, but reflections are rejected. Body piercings such as lip, eyebrow and nose rings may be accepted; multiple facial piercings that interfere with capturing the outline, or that cause reflection, are rejected.
- Hair accessories are fine if the face is visible — but an accessory that changes the shape of your head (a headband with a large bow, for example) means a new photo.
- Hair must not cross your eyes, and the contrast between head and background must stay clear.
Piercings and jewellery
The standard is about the system seeing your face clearly. Multiple facial piercings make it difficult for the system to capture the outline of the face, and photos are rejected where piercings cause reflection — a bright glint where the camera catches the metal. Individual body piercings that do not hide features or reflect into the frame may be accepted: lip rings, eyebrow piercings and nose rings are named as potentially acceptable. Ears must be visible in the usual way; oversized ear jewellery that changes the head's outline is the kind of thing that triggers a new-photo request rather than a pass.
Hair accessories
A head accessory — a hair band or a hair clip — is accepted if your facial features are clearly visible and there is contrast between the head and the background. But you will be asked for another photo if the accessory changes the shape of your head: the standard's own example is a headband with an attached large bow. The test is silhouette: does the thing on your head change the outline the system reads?
Hair across the face
Customers must not have hair across one or both eyes. A fringe that falls into the eyes is not a style question; it is a visibility question. Sweep it clear, and keep the hairline from merging with the background so the head-to-background contrast stays strong.
Face coverings, bindi and religious items
Nothing can cover the face. Within that rule the standard accepts beards, moustaches and a bindi, and permanent tattoos. It does not accept a temporary celebratory bindi created with a jewel or sticker. Head coverings worn for religious or medical reasons follow their own rules — see the head coverings page linked below — and hearing aids may stay on, while earphones and over-head headphones may not.
60-second accessory check
- ☐ Nothing covers any part of your face
- ☐ Hair is clear of both eyes
- ☐ No piercing catches the light and reflects into the frame
- ☐ Head accessory does not change the shape of your head
- ☐ Facial features are clearly visible around any jewellery
- ☐ Contrast between head and background is still strong
Frequently asked questions
Can I wear earrings in a passport photo?
Small jewellery is generally fine provided nothing covers your face and nothing reflects into the frame. The issue the standard flags is reflection and silhouette, not jewellery as such — and hair accessories must leave your facial features clearly visible.
Can I wear a nose ring or lip ring?
Possibly. The standard names lip rings, eyebrow piercings and nose rings as piercings that may be accepted, but it rejects photos where piercings cause reflection or where multiple facial piercings interfere with capturing the outline of the face.
Can I wear a hair band or hair clip?
Yes, if your facial features are clearly visible and there is contrast between the head and the background. You will be asked for another photo if the accessory changes the shape of your head, such as a headband with an attached large bow.
Is a bindi allowed?
A bindi may be accepted, and beards, moustaches and permanent tattoos are accepted. A temporary celebratory bindi created with a jewel or sticker is not accepted.
Can I wear a wig?
The standard's test is visibility and silhouette, not the hair's source: nothing may cover the face, hair must not cross your eyes, and any head covering must leave your facial features clearly visible.
What about a head covering for religious reasons?
Those follow their own rules and paperwork — see the head coverings page. Keep in mind hearing aids may stay on, while earphones, earbuds and over-head headphones may not.
This page expands the accessories half of the dress code guide. Religious and medical headwear is on the head coverings page, medical allowances for glasses are on the glasses page (including when they are medically necessary), and expression rules are on the expression page. The full list is in the top rejection reasons.