Hair covering ears in passport photos: when it is a problem

The short answer

Hair over your ears is fine in many countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and the US. It is a problem where the ears must be visible, such as France and a China visa. So a Dutch passport photo can have your hair down; a China visa photo cannot.

Country by country

What “ears visible” really means

Where it is required, your ears must be visible, not just the earlobes. In practice:

• Hair tucked behind both ears. A clip, headband or bobby pins. Not just one side: both.
• No earrings that hide the ear shape. Large hoops or cuffs can mask the outline of the ear.
• No shadow on the ear. Even with your hair tucked back, light from the side can hide one ear in shadow. Use daylight from the front.

What about hair over the face?

That is a separate rule, and it applies almost everywhere: hair across an eye, an eyebrow or the edge of the face can get the photo rejected. This includes:

• Bangs that hover over the eyebrow line
• Side-swept hair touching one eye corner
• Loose strands across the nose or mouth

Pull bangs to the side or pin them up so the face is fully unobstructed.

Practical fix

Tie your hair back into a low ponytail. It frees both ears, keeps hair off your face, and does not change how your face looks from the front.

Take your passport photo with Foto2Pass. Our photo check looks for anything covering your face or eyes before you pay.