Can You Wear Makeup in a Passport Photo? Rules on Eyeliner, Lashes & More

Can you wear makeup in a passport photo? Yes. The US State Department doesn’t ban cosmetics. But there’s a catch: if your makeup changes how you look to the point where a border agent can’t match your face to the photo, your application gets rejected.

That’s the real rule. Not “no makeup allowed” — but “you still have to look like yourself.” Here’s where the line is and how to stay on the right side of it.

The Official Rule on Makeup

The State Department doesn’t mention makeup by name in its passport photo requirements. What it does say is this:

Your photo must be a good likeness of you, taken within the last 6 months. Your photo should reflect your current appearance.

That’s it. No checklist of banned cosmetics. No approved shade list. The standard is recognition — can someone look at the photo and identify you? If heavy makeup changes the apparent shape of your nose, jawline, or eyes, that’s where problems start.

In practice, this means:

• Light, everyday makeup → always fine
• Natural-looking foundation and concealer → fine
• Heavy makeup that alters your facial features → risk of rejection

The people reviewing your photo are checking whether you look like you. They’re not policing your beauty routine.

What Makeup Is Allowed

Here’s a breakdown of common cosmetics and where they stand:

Makeup	Allowed?	Notes
Foundation & concealer	✅ Yes	Keep it natural — match your skin tone, don’t mask features
Light powder	✅ Yes	Helps reduce shine under flash
Subtle eyeliner	✅ Yes	Thin lines that define eyes without reshaping them
Mascara	✅ Yes	Regular mascara is fine — enhances without altering
Natural lipstick or gloss	✅ Yes	Stick to shades close to your natural lip color
Light blush	✅ Yes	A touch of color on the cheeks is perfectly fine
Neutral eyeshadow	✅ Yes	Matte, natural tones that don’t dramatically change your eye area
Filled-in brows	✅ Yes	Light fill to define your natural shape

The theme: enhance, don’t transform. If you’d wear it to the office on a Tuesday, it’s almost certainly fine for a passport photo.

What Makeup to Avoid

Here’s where people run into trouble. These aren’t banned by name — but they push into “doesn’t look like you” territory, which triggers rejections:

Heavy Contouring and Highlighting

Contouring reshapes your face with shadow and light. In everyday life, it looks great. In a 2×2 inch photo under flat lighting, it can make your nose, cheekbones, and jawline look genuinely different from your natural bone structure. Passport reviewers check facial geometry — and contouring changes it.

Skip the sculpting for photo day. Your natural face shape is what they need to see.

False Eyelashes

Regular false lashes that add a bit of length? Usually fine. Dramatic volume lashes, strip lashes that extend well past your natural lash line, or theatrical-style lashes? These can obscure the shape of your eyes and the area around them.

The safe play: either skip falsies entirely or use subtle individual lashes that blend with your natural ones. If your eyes look noticeably different with vs. without the lashes, that’s your answer.

Bold or Dark Lip Color

A classic red lip or deep berry shade won’t get your photo rejected on its own. But very dark or dramatic lip colors can change the apparent proportion and shape of your mouth in a small photo. The safest choice is a shade within a few tones of your natural lip color — or just a clear gloss.

Colored Contact Lenses

This is one the State Department actually does address. Colored contacts that change your eye color are not allowed in passport photos. This includes cosmetic lenses that make brown eyes look blue, green, or any other color.

The reason is straightforward: your passport photo is used for identification, and eye color is one of the identifying features. If your natural eyes are brown and the photo shows green, it creates a mismatch.

Prescription contacts that don’t change your eye color are fine. Clear lenses, no problem. Just no color-changing ones.

Heavy Foundation or “Instagram” Makeup

“Full glam” looks that involve multiple layers of foundation, baking, heavy concealer sculpting, and dramatic eye makeup combine to create a face that may not match your everyday appearance. Each element alone might be fine — but stacked together, they can add up to a photo that doesn’t look like you at the grocery store.

Skin Conditions and Corrective Makeup

If you use makeup to cover acne, scars, birthmarks, rosacea, or other skin conditions, that’s completely fine. Corrective concealer and foundation that even out your skin tone without changing your facial structure are exactly the kind of makeup that causes zero problems.

The State Department cares about whether your face is identifiable — not whether your skin looks flawless. Covering blemishes doesn’t alter your bone structure, eye shape, or facial proportions.

Makeup Tips for a Better Passport Photo

You’re keeping this photo for 10 years. These tips help you look your best without crossing any lines:

1. Go Matte, Not Dewy

Flash photography and studio lighting love to bounce off shiny skin. Dewy foundation, highlighter, and glossy finishes can create hotspots and uneven lighting in the photo. A matte or satin finish photographs much cleaner.

If you have oily skin, a light dusting of translucent powder before the photo makes a real difference.

2. Define Your Brows

Brows frame your face and show up clearly even in a small passport photo. Fill them in lightly to their natural shape — it adds structure to the photo without altering your appearance.

3. Skip the Shimmer Eyeshadow

Glitter and shimmer particles catch light unpredictably. Under flash, they can create bright spots around your eyes that look like lighting artifacts. Stick to matte eyeshadow in neutral tones.

4. Use Waterproof Mascara

If you’re taking the photo at a drugstore or post office, you might wait under fluorescent lights for a while. Waterproof mascara stays put and avoids smudging that could make your under-eye area look dark or uneven.

5. Blot Before the Shot

Even with matte products, your T-zone can get shiny — especially if you’re nervous or sitting under warm lights. A quick blot with oil-absorbing sheets right before the photo eliminates that mid-photo shine.

6. Test Under Flash

Your bathroom mirror lies. Makeup that looks natural in soft home lighting can look completely different under a camera flash. Take a test photo with flash from arm’s length. If anything looks overdone, dial it back.

This is the single most useful tip. What you see in the mirror is not what the camera captures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I wear eyeliner in my passport photo?

Yes. Regular eyeliner — pencil, liquid, or gel — is fine for passport photos. Keep it natural and close to your lash line. Avoid dramatic wings or thick lines that significantly change the visible shape of your eyes.

Are false lashes allowed in passport photos?

There’s no rule specifically banning false lashes. But dramatic or oversized lashes that alter the appearance of your eye area can trigger a rejection for not being a “good likeness.” Subtle, natural-looking falsies are fine. Dramatic volume lashes are a risk.

Can I wear lipstick in my passport photo?

Yes. Lipstick is allowed. Natural and neutral shades are the safest choice. Bold reds and dark shades are technically fine but can look harsh in the small photo format. Your call — just know it’s a 10-year commitment to that lip look.

Can I use a beauty filter and then take my passport photo?

No. Digital filters, AI enhancement, and beauty mode are not allowed on passport photos. The State Department explicitly prohibits digital alteration that changes your appearance. This includes skin smoothing, face slimming, eye enlarging, and any other filter effects. The photo must be an unedited representation of your face.

What about permanent makeup and tattoos?

Permanent makeup (microblading, lip liner, eyeliner tattoos) and facial tattoos are part of your current appearance — they’re completely fine. You don’t need to cover them or alter them in any way. They’re you.

I wear heavy makeup every single day. Is that “my appearance”?

Technically, the State Department says the photo should reflect your “current appearance.” If you wear a full face of makeup every day and would be unrecognizable without it, you have a reasonable argument. But the safest approach is still to aim for a natural look that splits the difference between your glam and bare-faced self. Border agents see the no-makeup version of you at 6 AM — the photo should work for both scenarios.

Take Your Passport Photo at Home

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No appointment. No pharmacy lines. No rushing to get your look right in a CVS aisle. Take as many shots as you need until you love the one you submit.

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