Can You Smile in a Passport Photo? — Expression Rules by Country

Short answer: in most countries, no — and the reason is face matching, not fussiness. The rule, the exceptions, and how to look relaxed instead of stiff.

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The rule

Almost every country follows the ICAO 9303 standard — the international spec behind passport photos worldwide: neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight into the lens. That covers the entire Schengen area, the UK, Canada, Australia, China, India, Japan and many more. The notable exception is the United States, where the official rules explicitly allow a natural smile.

Why smiling gets photos rejected

Your passport photo is matched to your face at the border — by eGates and by officers, using facial-recognition software. That software measures the distances between landmarks on your face: eye corners, nose tip, mouth corners, jawline. A smile changes that geometry — cheeks lift, eyes narrow, the mouth stretches. A neutral face keeps every landmark stable, which is exactly what the matching algorithm wants.

There's a second, more practical reason: teeth. They change over time and vary with expression, so a closed mouth keeps the biometric template focused on the parts of your face that don't change.

What "neutral" actually looks like

• Lips together, jaw relaxed. Don't clench or press — you want a flat, soft mouth, not a forced one.
• Neutral is not sad. A downturned mouth can read as frowning. Think "resting face", not "bad news".
• Both eyes open, gaze at the lens. Half-closed or squinting eyes fail everywhere — it's one of the classic retry causes.
• Breathe out gently right before the shot. It drops your shoulders and relaxes your jaw instantly.
• Take several shots and keep the most relaxed one. Trivial when you shoot at home — see the home photo guide.

The US exception: a natural smile is allowed

The US State Department's photo requirements ask for a neutral expression or a natural smile, with both eyes open — teeth showing is acceptable. What still fails: laughing, an open mouth, exaggerated expressions, or squinting. If you're not sure, go neutral anyway: a neutral face is accepted everywhere, including the US.

Babies and young children

Kids get relaxed expression rules almost everywhere — no neutral expression required for infants, and young children just need both eyes open and looking at the camera where possible. How to actually achieve that (and the under-one eye exceptions) is in the baby & child passport photo guide.

Expression is the easiest fix

Expression sits at #3 on our rejection reasons list — and it's the one cause that costs nothing to fix: no equipment, no travel, just a flat face and a deep breath. Combine it with the right outfit (dress code guide) and you've removed two of the most common failure reasons before you even crop the photo.

Expression sorted? Make the photo now → · Sizes for every country: full chart