Permanent Facial Features in Passport Photos

If you have a beard, a mole, a scar, a birthmark, a tattoo or a piercing, the question is not whether it disqualifies you — it is whether you may remove it. The rule is simple: features that are part of how you look must stay; only genuine permanent characteristics are acceptable, while retouching them away is not. Verified against the UK HM Passport Office examiner standard v51.0 and official US and Canadian guidance.

The principle: a true likeness

A passport photo has one job — to show a true likeness of you. That is why permanent features are welcome and edited-away features are not. The UK standard begins its section on the face with a blunt line: nothing can cover the face, and then lists what is acceptable.

What is acceptable

The UK HM Passport Office standard explicitly accepts these as fine to keep in your photo:

• Beards and moustaches.
• A bindi (a single coloured dot on the forehead).
• A permanent tattoo.

One sharp distinction sits beside the bindi: a temporary celebratory bindi created with a jewel or sticker is not accepted. The line is permanence — what is part of you stays, what is a decoration on the day does not.

Piercings: what is fine and what causes a rejection

Piercings are judged by whether they interfere with the image, not by their existence. The standard notes that multiple facial piercings make it hard for the system to capture the outline of the eyes, mouth, nose, chin and cheekbones, and it advises removing them before taking the photo, because photos where piercings cause reflection are rejected. Where they do not cause a problem, body piercings such as lip rings, eyebrow piercings and nose rings may be accepted.

The US guidance takes the same practical line: you can wear jewellery and keep your facial piercings as long as they do not hide your face.

Do not edit features away

This is the part that catches people out. Removing a scar or birthmark is not a tidy-up — it is a prohibited edit. Both official sources place removing scars or birthmarks, along with removing glare and red-eye, squarely on the list of changes you must not make. The US Department of State tells applicants to submit the original, unchanged photo and not to use software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence to change it.

So a mole, a scar or a birthmark should simply appear as it normally does. The dividing line between allowed adjustments and prohibited enhancement runs through every photo, so keep any processing to cropping, brightness and contrast only — never the face.

Eyes, hair and the rest of the face

Permanent features do not override the basics of a clean face. The UK standard requires that both eyes are open and clearly visible, with no hair across one or both eyes. That is why hair must be kept off the face even when it sits naturally there — the fix is a functional hair accessory, not a retouch. See passport photo expression and passport photo glasses for the surrounding rules, and head coverings for how permanent religious or medical coverings are treated.

A quick checklist

• ✅ Beard, moustache, permanent tattoo — keep them.
• ✅ Bindi (single dot) — fine; a jewel or sticker bindi is not.
• ✅ Piercings — fine if they do not reflect or obscure; remove if in doubt.
• ✅ Mole, scar, birthmark — leave them exactly as they are.
• ❌ Never edit, smooth or remove a facial feature.
• ✅ No hair across the eyes; both eyes clearly visible.

Check the finished photo with our passport photo checker, confirm the size on the photo size chart, and review the common rejection reasons before you submit.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep my beard or moustache in a passport photo?
Yes. Beards and moustaches are explicitly acceptable in the UK HM Passport Office standard.

Can I edit out a scar, mole or birthmark?
No. Removing scars or birthmarks is a prohibited edit. Submit the original, unchanged photo so it shows a true likeness.

Are facial piercings allowed?
Often yes — lip rings, eyebrow piercings and nose rings may be accepted if they do not hide the face or cause reflection. Remove them if there is any risk of a reflection, which is a rejection reason.

Is a bindi acceptable?
A permanent bindi (a single coloured dot on the forehead) is acceptable, but a temporary celebratory bindi made with a jewel or sticker is not.

Can I keep a permanent tattoo in the photo?
Yes. A permanent tattoo is explicitly listed as acceptable.

What about a temporary feature, like a henna mark?
The dividing line is permanence. Temporary decorations are not treated the same way as permanent features, so avoid relying on them being accepted.

Sources: UK HM Passport Office, “Photo standards” v51.0 (published 19 January 2026), §3.2 Face and §3.3 Eyes; US Department of State passport photo guidance (as of snapshot 2026-07-10); canada.ca photo guidance (as of snapshot 2026-09-24). Requirements change, so confirm the current rules before you submit.