Have passport photo criteria changed?

[Dimplenose]

I renewd my passport in 2006. I used my local camera shop to take my photos and everything was OK.

DH, DS and DD all need new passports next year and they have recently had their photos taken at the same place. The photos look identical (apart from the face, obviously) to mine but all 3 have been rejected by the passport office because they don't have a cream or grey background (they are white, as is mine).

When did the rules change?

 

[Snowy-girls]

You had me worried as we have been out today and gotten both the girls photo's done on white backgrounds.So i have just gotten off of the phone to the passport office and that is correct it must be a grey or off white/cream background,white is no longer accepted,the rule was changed on 30th Sep.I am absolutley fuming-as you say surely the people in the shops would know this.I am just about to phone my photo shop now and see what they have to say,i wan't my money back or more photo's on the proper background.x.

 

[Dimplenose]

Dh has just phoned from the camera shop. They confirmed that rules have only just changed but are redoing the photos free of charge. thank goodness we didn't use an automatic booth.

ETA DH has now returned and the camera shop aren't very pleased as they have had no info on the changes, they just heard via their disgruntled customers. We now have a set of photos with a grey background and just hope that it is an acceptable shade of grey.... I'm just happy that we decided to send off for the passports 9 months before we need them.

 

[Snowy-girls]

Glad they will do yours .
Just popped back to my photo shop as they wer'nt answering the phone.The guy said they were only told this afternoon of the change.But i can take the girls back next Sat and get them done free of charge.x.

 

[craigs bride]

thats good to hear...i have to get mine ,h2b and babes done when he arrives ...

 

[Cyrano]

Dh has just phoned from the camera shop. They confirmed that rules have only just changed but are redoing the photos free of charge. thank goodness we didn't use an automatic booth.

ETA DH has now returned and the camera shop aren't very pleased as they have had no info on the changes, they just heard via their disgruntled customers. We now have a set of photos with a grey background and just hope that it is an acceptable shade of grey.... I'm just happy that we decided to send off for the passports 9 months before we need them.

The passport offices will not know of every shop that want to provide this service so it is clearly up to the retailer to keep abreast of the criteria.
Similarly that is why we went to a store rather than use a booth, so that we would be covered if the photos were not accepted.

Good to hear that the store are redoing the photos

 

[natalielongstaff]

Glad to hear that the stores are re-doing the pics

 

[Dimplenose]

The passport offices will not know of every shop that want to provide this service so it is clearly up to the retailer to keep abreast of the criteria.

I wouldn't really expect them to, but when the don't smile rule was brought in it was all over the media. I couldn't find any news reports on the internet about not allowing white background when I looked today.

Still as I said before, I've got plenty of time to get it all sorted out.

 

[kristieuk]

I had mine done at a booth last week, and event though the background looked white, it was no longer 'illuminated', and on the pictures it came out off white / grey. They were accepted no problem. My biggest problem was the curtain was flapping in the wind - Sainsbury's gave me my £4 back the first time as the curtain kept blowing in the picture!

I think it has to do with the scanning of the pictures, and the face is much clearer and detailed set against a less bright background.

 

[T16GEM]

I must admit that Shelby's picture on her passport was taken when she was about 3 months old, so there fore looks nothing like her now - anyway..... they picture had a white background and she was wearing a pale top so the photo is really bright and kind of strange to focus on, so I can see why they have changed the rules, at the shop where we had them done they had a cushion to pop the babies on to take pictures too.

Glad that you got it sorted though!