documents

Many people make simple mistakes when submitting passport photos, which often require them to reapply. Here, learn what to avoid and how to take the perfect photo.

When planning a trip, it’s common to want to spend as little as possible and avoid traps that can land us with unexpected costs. But if it’s time to renew your passport or apply for one, making simple mistakes could end up costing you an extra £102.

UK passport fees exceed £100 for a standard application, so it’s important to ensure everything is correct and up to standard when submitting your application. While there are plenty of official guidelines out there, many applications are still delayed or rejected each year due to photo issues, according to CEWE’s creative lead, Adrianne Yates.

READ MORE: Full list of new passport fees – up to £239READ MORE: British passport change scheduled Wednesday April 8 ‘for first time’

According to HM Passport Office, your passport photo must meet strict requirements so you don’t have to reapply and pay new fees.

For the perfect photo, stand in front of a plain, light-coloured background, use balanced lighting with no shadows, and take a clear, natural image of your face. You’ll also need to keep your expression neutral – so no smiling – with your mouth closed and eyes open.

If you’re wearing glasses, make sure they don’t cause glare. Headwear is only allowed for religious or medical reasons. Additionally, the image must be in colour, unedited, and taken within the last month to reflect your current look.

While these rules are generally well known, Adrianne Yates has shared some lesser-known tips that could help you even further – to avoid an expensive mistake.

The first one is to not tense up – by simply breathing out just before the photo is taken, as people often hold tension in their face without realising.

She says overthinking can also backfire, as trying too hard to take the perfect photo can leave you with what she describes as a “startled” look, which she says could lead to your photo being rejected.

And one of the most common mistakes people make is not paying enough attention to the lighting rules. The rules clearly state that there should be no shadows, but even faint ones, if overlooked, can cause problems. Adrianne highlights how hair, in particular, can cast shadows across your face, so keep that in mind and make sure your features are fully visible.

1 of 4 | President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. A Justice Department disclosure sent to members of Congress shows Trump had classified documents related to his personal business dealings stored at Mar-a-Lago after he left the presidency. File Photo by Graeme Sloan/UPI | License Photo

March 25 (UPI) — A 2023 Justice Department disclosure to Congress revealed that President Donald Trump had documents so secretive that only six people had received copies among classified documents he kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after he left office.

The disclosure was part of former special counsel Jack Smith’s report on his investigation into Trump, which has not been made public. Elements of the report, though, were distributed to the House and Senate judiciary committees and subsequently made public this week as part of their own probes.

The disclosure detailed the types of documents Trump took with him to his home in Palm Beach after leaving office in 2020. Smith was appointed by former President Joe Biden to investigate the mishandled classified documents, resulting in 41 criminal counts against Trump. Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in 2024 and recently ruled that Smith’s full report can’t be released publicly.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday questioning why the Justice Department is “fighting tooth and nail to gag Special Counsel Jack Smith and bury his report.” He said the Justice Department’s disclosure sent to the committee earlier this month included “cherry-picked” documents related to the investigation.

“You have, quite amazingly, missed the fact that some of the documents you provided include damning evidence about your boss’s conduct and may well violate the gag order your DOJ and Donald Trump demanded from Judge Aileen Cannon,” the letter read.

Raskin’s letter said that the Justice Department disclosure included information that Trump held documents at Mar-a-Lago that only six people in the government had access to and that other documents related to his business interests.

The disclosure also indicated that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles — then the CEO of Trump’s super PAC — said she observed Trump showing off a classified map to fellow passengers on his private plane.

“This glimpse into the trove of evidence behind the coverup release a president of the United States who may have sold out our national security to enrich himself,” Raskin wrote.