Smiling in a photo has become a reflection of our modernity. As soon as they point a camera at us, what usually follows is a wave of grimaces among everyone present. However, there is a kingdom that has not yet been conquered by this gesture: identification documents. Can you smile in the photo of the passport or ID?
The answer to this last question is: it depends. Depending on the country where you are and the regulations of the Ministry of the Interior of each one, you may or may not be able to smile in your passport or ID photo. In the United Kingdom or France, for example, it is banned, while in Spain you can do it lightly, although your face must remain clear of any accessories or strands of hair.
However, despite being able to do so in certain countries, it is still recommended for all users to remain serious in front of the camera. The reason is very simple, and is based on the most fundamental function of a passport or DNI: to facilitate the identification of its bearer.
Why it is not advisable to smile in your passport or ID photo
As you must already know, the passport is not just a compendium of pages to fill in with stamps. The polycarbonate sheet where your data appears also has a chip that contains all your biometric information. That is, a scan of your face. The same also applies to your ID.
This information in the passport is composed of elements such as the distance between the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Thanks to this distinctive data of each person, most airports in the world can recognize the faces of travelers with an infinitely low percentage of coincidence.
Of course, this all changes when you smile for the camera. “When the mouth is open may hinder the effective operation of facial recognition technology“A spokesman for the UK Home Office told the BBC.
Biometric scanning devices usually examine between 14 and 20 points on your face. However, smiling causes all these areas to change location and change their shape, which can lead to problems when it comes to identifying the subject of the photograph.
For this reason, the biometric system works best if you maintain a placid and casual gaze (don’t frown or smile).
UK Home Office
Thus, if you appear smiling in your passport or ID photo, You may be required to take an extra step of verification when going through airport security, either the one of your country or the one of destination, and although the possibilities are quite low, they still exist. Of course, this is also the case for those who have undergone extensive modifications to their faces due to plastic surgeries and the well-known fillers facials, as was the case with Australian tiktoker @tomi.queen a couple of days ago.