Can you smile in a passport photo? Why ICAO says no (2026)

Short answer: no

Nearly every country asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed. The rule comes from ICAO 9303 (the UN standard for travel documents), not from local taste. A smile changes the position of your mouth corners and cheeks, which makes it harder to match your face to the chip photo.

What “neutral expression” really means

Closed mouth. Lips relaxed, neither pressed nor pursed. Cheeks not lifted. Eyes open, not squinting from a suppressed grin. If you can feel any tension in your cheek muscles, you're still smiling. Take a deep breath, exhale, then take the photo on the second breath: the face relaxes by itself.

What about a slight smile or closed-mouth grin?

A “photo smile” with lifted cheeks is a common reason for a rejection, even when the mouth is closed. France is known to be strict on this. Don't risk it.

Why ICAO wants a neutral face

Facial recognition compares distances between fixed points: eye corners, nose tip, mouth corners, chin. A smile moves the mouth corners and cheeks, so the match gets less reliable. A neutral expression keeps those points in their resting positions.

Children and babies

Some countries relax the rule for young children. Australia, for example, allows an open mouth under 3, and Poland is more lenient for children up to 5. Check the rules of the country you apply in.

Take your passport photo with Foto2Pass. Our photo check looks at your expression before you pay, so you can retake if needed.