Whenever the name China appears, we are reminded of a country preserving its tradition, ancient cultures and religion. China is also a country with beautiful landscapes, monasteries, Buddha temples, and martial arts. It is one of the most favored tourist destinations with millions of tourists visiting China every year. However, due to the growing concerns of the security worldwide, the Chinese visa and passport requirements have also changed. Now, the country complies with new biometric standards. No wonder, many Chinese passports or visa applications are rejected due to incorrect passport or visa photographs.

* The overall size of the passport photo must be 48mmX33mm taken against a white or light blue background.

* The height of head should be between 28mm – 33mm.

* The head width has to be between 21mm–24mm.

* The validity of passport was 5 years previously, but since the year 2007, it will be valid for 10 years for the people above 16 years of age or more.

The Chinese visa requirements are similar to those of the US passport photos. Those applying for Chinese visa, must agree to:

* Submit the 2X2 inches photograph.

* Submit photo with a full frontal view of the face, and taken within last 6 months.

It is not allowed to wear hats while posing for the visa photo. The People’s Republic of China does not recognize the dual nationality. For example, if a Chinese national has settled abroad and has acquired the foreign nationality, the person will automatically lose the Chinese nationality. So, a non-Chinese national is not eligible to apply for Chinese Passport or travel documents.

The Dutch passports are valid for a period of five years from the date of issue. The rules complied by the Dutch passports are similar to those of the European Union. All passports include an embedded contactless smartcard RFID chip for storing biometric data since August 26, 2006. The requirements for the passport photo are one of the strictest and the most difficult to be followed or produced.

The Dutch government has issued clear guidelines if how the photograph has to be produced for the purpose of passport.  The passport photograph must be recently pictured, which is not more than six months old. The size of the photograph must be at least 2”X2” in measurement with a plain, uniform, light gray background. The length of the face of adults, from the chin to crown of head must be 26mm to 30mm. while in case of children aged 11 or below, the length of the face is required to be between 19mm to 30mm. The distance from one ear to another has to be between 16 mm to 20 mm for the adults. In case of children also, the distance from one ear to the other is same. The head of the subject is needed to be in the middle of the photograph. Though, the glasses can be put on, but generally it is advisable not to wear the glasses. Shadows across the face or on the background are not permissible. Hats and scarves are allowed for religious purpose. Any kind of support even to the children is not permissible. 

The requirements for the visa photograph by the Netherlands consulate are specific. The size of the photograph should be 2”X2” and the recent photograph must not be 6 months old. The face of the subject should cover at least 50 percent of the area with the head at the center of the photograph. The full face front view of the applicant should face the camera directly. The color photograph should have a white background with both ears visible in color. Sunglasses or other wears are not acceptable unless required for the medical reasons, for example, an eye patch. Any person wearing a traditional facemask or veil that prevents the adequate identification is not allowed.

  If you want to get a Japanese Passport, you have to apply with required documents including birth certificate, certificate of identity, proof of citizenship, one self-addressed stamped envelope, and valid passport photos. Normally, Japanese government issues passports for two different durations: five years or ten years. The Japanese citizens up to 19 years of age can get a passport, which is valid for a term of five years. However those above 20 years of age, can opt for a blue colored passport valid for five years’ duration, or a red colored passport valid for ten years’ duration. So if you are planning to apply for a Japanese passport, Japanese visa, or Japanese Alien Registration, remember, each one of them has different sizing requirement as far as the sizes of the passport photographs are concerned. So you must ensure that you follow the specifications set for these documents.  

While Applying For A Japanese Passport

In case you require photographs for the Japanese Passport, get a passport photo in the specified size of 45X35mm. The height of the face from bottom of chin to the top of the head is 32mm to 36mm. In addition, the distance between top of the head to the top of the picture is between 2 to 6mm. The face of the applicant must be positioned almost in the middle of the passport photograph. The background of the photograph has to be a completely white or off-white. These provisions for the Japanese passport photos are also confirmed by the standards of EU specifications.

While applying for a Japanese visa

If you are applying for a Japanese visa, get the passport photographs in 45mmX45mm size with a white background. The applicant is not allowed to show the teeth and the facial expressions in the photographs. So, the mouth of the applicant should be closed with neutral expressions on the face. You must submit three identical photographs along with the visa application. The photographs should not be more than 6 months old. Again, these stipulations are similar to the EU passport specifications.

While applying for the Japanese Alien Registration

If you are applying for the Japanese alien registration, you need to get two identical passport photographs in 45mmX35mm size. All of these passport photo requirements match the standards of EU and UK passport specifications. In case of Japanese visa certificate of eligibility, you must produce two identical photographs in 40mmX30mm size.  

A trip to China is a big deal.  If you’re going there, chances are pretty good that you’ve been planning your trip for a while.  No doubt you are looking forward to seeing family and friends that you’ve been away from for years.  Or, perhaps you’re going to explore and experience China for the very first time.  That’s why you don’t want to risk any issues from an improperly prepared passport.

Beginning in 2007, Chinese passports are now valid for 10 years from the date of issue.  If you're planning to visit China for the 2008 Olympic Games and are not a special guest, you want to consider beginning the process for updating and applying for your passport immediately to avoid any delay.

The passport photo for China has specific requirments that you must adhere to if you will have your passport approved:

• Photo must be 48mm x 33mm
• The head height must be 8mm - 33mm
• The head width must be 21mm - 24mm
• Background may be white or light blue

  You can create your own passport photo using the photo wizard on epassportphoto.com

So you have decided to apply for a passport for your newborn? Many of you would agree that it’s quite challenging to take good shots of such young babies. This is because newborns often fall asleep during a passport photography session. Though getting a passport photo of your child can be a tiresome job, but you won’t be able to resist smiling when you recollect these small but important moments of his childhood. Therefore, if you want to succeed in getting a beautiful picture of your child, you should consider each step of getting a good passport photo for your child as a step towards attaining his true identification in this world.  

Wondering how can you get your child’s passport photos, which you would love to cherish forever? Here are few tips:

1)       Ensure that the child has got a good amount of sleep before you take him for a passport photo session. The baby must be in good mood with his eyes open. 

2)       The background of the passport photo should be white. Therefore, you should dress up the baby in contrasting color, which doesn’t blend much with the background color.

3)       Keep the copy of your baby’s birth certificate and his social security card handy.

4)       Babies may get cranky during passport photo session, so you should immediately take a break. Feed the baby if he is hungry, but you can use a bright colored toy to ensure he doesn’t fall asleep.

5)       If the baby is too young to hold his head straight, you can make him lie on a white cardboard and shoot a nice passport photo. You can also put the child in his car seat and put a white towel around him and then take the passport photo.

6)       Always check the passport rules set by government authority, it would help you take the desired shot without wasting much of your time and keeping the child calm.

7)       Parents should not try to support the child by putting their hand or holding the child from the back side.

8)       Don’t put any toys or dummies to console the child, which are visible through camera.

9)       The passport photograph of your child should look identical and should be printed on a low-gloss, plain white paper.

10)   The passport photo of your child should be in sharp focus and should be devoid of any unwanted shadow at the background.

A biometric passport is equipped with enhanced security features to verify the citizenship of travelers. For past few years, various countries have introduced a wide range of procedures and computerized methods to avert passport scams to address the concerns related to international business and personal security.

A biometric passport has intricately designed passport pages, complex watermarks and a data chip. This chip contains all crucial information related to the passport holder such as digital signature data, which helps in authenticating the passport.  The biometrics are considered more personal and reliable than a passport photo or a PIN, as it uses personal traits such as facial or eye maps and fingerprints as primary identification features. These biometric features were accepted by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) after analyzing multiple other biometrics including retinal scan.

The ICAO has also described the standardized file formats and communication practices that should be used in passports. For example, the contactless chip used in a biometric passport can store a digital impression of each biometric feature preferably in JPEG or JPEG2000 format. This contactless chip allows you to store minimum of 32 kilobytes biometric data and uses the interface compliant with the ISO/IEC 14443 international standard. The biometric features stored in the passport are compared by electronic border control systems or e-borders. These standards ensure not only the interoperability among various countries, but also among different makers of passports.

The contactless chip would store the same data, which is visible on the photo page of the passport. In addition, the chip would also include a digital photo of the passport holder, which would facilitate the process of biometric comparison by using the facial recognition technology. The new US passport carries a new look, and would enable international security agencies integrate crucial anti-fraud and security features in the passports.

It is expected that by 2015, ICAO would have a database of over a billion people worldwide. With a sudden rise in fraudulent methods, it has become mandatory for international security agencies to reinforce security features in passports. Therefore, a biometric passport helps in preventing the theft of identity and fraud. The ICAO suggests facial recognition as the principal biometric followed by iris and fingerprint recognition. The biometric information stored on passport helps in identifying fraud and automating immigration checks in future.

While applying for passports or visas, Germans have been asked to maintain serious expressions on their face. This is done to allow biometric scanners pick right facial features of the passport holders. Besides, the authorities have been directed to accept only those photos for passports, which are taken from the front to allow the “most natural facial expressions possible.”   

These security measures have been taken after September, 2001 attacks to consolidate the security network in Germany as well as around the world. The German Interior Minister Otto Schily says that the facial identification systems can only match the natural features of a person with his or her mouth closed. The United States, Canada, and Britain have already followed these specifications and have already started issuing Biometric passports.

German officials recently exhibited the new passports based on these guidelines. The officials accept that such passport photos would be very tough to manipulate. From March 2007, the German passports have also been carrying two scanned fingerprints stored on a chip.

Remember, U.S. passport photo specifications are different from that of German passport photos. And, not many photographers in Germany are familiar with these specifications. Therefore, you must take a print out of these requirements for U.S. Passports and explain them to your photographer. 

While posing for your passport photo, you should always ask for a complete frontal view of your face. Look directly into the camera and maintain neutral expressions without any smile on your face. Never use the photos that have reflections on the face or with red eyes. The background of the passport photo should be light-colored so as to provide adequate contrast to the face and your hair. The passport photo must be printed on a high-quality paper with around 600 dpi resolution sans any marks or stains on it.

We often see people complaining about a recent passport photo they clicked, and most of the times, it is the photo they need to use on their driver’s license. Now, as this is the photo that is going to stay with you for years to come, do you think you can really afford that “nasty look on your face”? Don’t worry! Here, are a few simple tips to help you look best in your passport photo: 

 1) Dress up nicely

NEVER wear an old battered shirt, or a ripped pair of trousers or a tee-shirt while going for a passport photo. How can you feel nice about your appearance when you dress-up miserably? The camera might miss your dress, but it would certainly figure out how you feel about yourself.  

2. Dump your hat and sunglasses

If you think you can outsmart the camera by hiding a bad hair day under a hat or you can use sunglasses to cover up red eyes, think again! You cannot take a driver’s license photo wearing a hat or sunglasses. Dump these items and opt for a natural look on your face while going in for a passport photo. 

3. Comb your hair

You are required to have your passport photo taken, soon after you pass your driver’s license test. Therefore, do not forget to carry your brush or comb before you leave the house.  

4. Maintain Neutral Expressions

According to new guidelines released by State department, toothy smiles in passport and visa pictures would now be categorized as unusual or unnatural expressions. The person must maintain neutral expressions with both eyes open, and mouth closed. The new guidelines would permit smiling with a closed jaw, but it is not a preferred expression for your passport photo.  

Remember, a passport photo can reflect your confidence and happiness if you closely follow these tips.

Posing a la portrait Pointing your head to the side makes your passport photo immetiadly not valid - we admire the great way Ms. Hilton loves to pose but for your next passport photo keep it simple	Background noise Mr. Barkley - keep this background piece out of the pic
Too light contrast Eminem we know you can make the photo light just a bit darker	Closed eyes Let's ignore for a second the background noise here.  Although this should be an easy one, but in our case Mr. Bushwick keeps his eyes shut (or some part of them)
Unneutral expression Mr. Lil Wayne - the biometrics will go off the wall with such expression	Open mouth Lindsay, please keep your mouth closed. Apparently, the biometrics computers get nervous when they encounter the white color of the teeth
Too dark contrast Nothing to do with Mr. Tyson'S skin color, the biometrics machines and the State Dep. folks would reject this photo due to dark contrast	Uncleared eyes Nicole's left eye is slightly covered by her beautiful hair - a big no-no for passport photos
Background shadow Even the respectful Mr. Blumenthal's photographer got this mistake here.  How to avoid this? simply stand a bit farther from the wall to avoid the shadow	Looking off the camera The eyes should always be pointed forward.  Ms. Foxy Brown we're here! look at us!

Source: the smoking gun's mugshots