Religious headwear in passport photos — country-by-country (2026)

Short answer

Yes, in every country we cover. The universal rule is: religious headwear is allowed if you wear it daily for genuine religious reasons, and the headwear must not cover any part of the face — chin, forehead, jawline, ears in some countries, must all remain visible.

What “face fully visible” means in practice

• Chin to forehead unobstructed. A hijab pulled forward over the forehead fails. Pull it back to the hairline.
• Jawline visible. Niqab, full face veil, or a turban tail draped over the jaw all fail. Some countries (NL, BE) allow these for the photo even when worn daily.
• Ears requirement varies.Most EU countries don't require visible ears anymore; the Netherlands explicitly does not. The US and some others do.
• No shadow on face. The headwear must not cast a strong shadow over your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Country-specific notes

• Netherlands: religious headwear accepted; ears do not need to be visible. Niqab/face veil accepted only if removed for the photo (Rijksoverheid 2014 ruling).
• Germany: religious headwear accepted with face fully visible; chin, forehead, and jawline required.
• UK: religious headwear accepted; HMPO asks for a written statement explaining the daily religious requirement on first application.
• France: religious headwear accepted for the photo, but contested in some municipalities. Ear visibility helps acceptance.
• US (DOS): religious headwear accepted only with an accompanying signed statement from a religious authority on first application. Subsequent renewals are easier.
• Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland: similar to Germany — face fully visible, religious headwear accepted with that condition.

Medical headwear

Headwear worn for medical reasons (head-injury wraps, chemotherapy hats, post-surgical bandages) follows the same rule as religious: face must remain fully visible. A doctor's certificate is usually required to document the requirement.

Practical tips

• Take the photo with the headwear arranged exactly as you wear it daily — your live face at the border will look like the chip photo.
• Use light, neutral-colour fabric where possible. Dark fabric against a light background gives stark edges that biometric scanners read as “edge artefact”.
• Soft, even daylight from the front. Avoid shadows under the brim/edge of the headwear.

Take your passport photo with our AI — we apply the per-country rules including religious- headwear acceptance, and our compliance check flags any face area covered before submission.