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US adult are good for 10yrs, Last time i check it was $130/us for new $90/us for renewal Youth (up to 16) are good for 5 years, I think they costl less.
We had our renewal passports done at the Post Office where we turned in our paperwork. We were told NOT to smile. However, we had our enhanced driver licenses done at the DMV and they encourage smiling.[They are good for land or boat travel to Canada and a few other places; not flying] The reason for the difference? Who knows? Go figure. At least both look like us, smile or not.
We are told to not smile for our drivers licenses.
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nitram
We were told not to smile when we had ours taken.
Whatever... but the attached pic is a sample from the *official* guide: Photo Examples
If those are NOT teeth, I do not know what teeth look like ...
When we needed new passports, I took the pics my self at home,
used *their* official photo tool, and used those pics.
We both smiled on those pics with our teeth visible,
but NOT as much as some *models* do, when their smile almost looks like a horse smile !!!
Whatever... but the attached pic is a sample from the *official* guide: Photo Examples
If those are NOT teeth, I do not know what teeth look like ...
When we needed new passports, I took the pics my self at home,
used *their* official photo tool, and used those pics.
We both smiled on those pics with our teeth visible,
but NOT as much as some *models* do, when their smile almost looks like a horse smile !!!
It's confusing because that website does talk about a "neutral expression". Maybe they need to update their photos because I remember those from the several years of applying for that green card lottery of yours.
The Aussie site is more clear, talking about a "neutral expression with your mouth closed". Some of the approved samples show people with a slightly bemused look on their face but no teeth displaying, others are positively stern ...
US passports may allow you to crack a smile with teeth showing, but many foreign countries will not accept a US passport with any sort of smile or teeth showing. I believe most passport photographers are explained about this and that's the reason they tell you not to smile. And getting a passport is the reason for your travel to foreign countries, therefore it behooves you to follow the accepted universal rules for passport photos. You surely don't want any problems entering a foreign country with a unacceptable passport.
Teeth should not be visible in the photographs as this will affect the biometric scanning and recognition of the photographs.
Biometrics is a technology that more and more countries are using to make, counterfeiting of passports almost impossible and to allow for automated authentication of the passports and recording of the passport holder’s arrivals and departures. A biometric passport is one that adds a remotely readable computer chip to the traditional passport booklet so that it becomes a kind of smartcard. The computer chip stores a great deal of information, but for identification purposes the most important is a digital image of the passport holder. Using this, digital image facial recognition software can be used to verify the identity of the person carrying the passport with a far greater degree of certainty than traditional visual comparison.
It is like going back to the time when photographs were a new thing. No one smiled in those either. I am not sure what the purpose of it really is.
Useless little tidbit, but the reason people didn't smile back then is because it took a long time to expose those old pictures. It wasn't instant like it is today, so they had to stand there for a long time and smiling would have been annoying. Just had to mention that! lol
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