17 September 2007
With almost two years passed since the introduction of new standards for passport photos to support the introduction of biometrically enabled passports, we have recently undertaken an internal review of these standards and can confirm that there will be no significant change to the current requirements.
We will however be enforcing the requirement for photographs not to have a white background from 1 January 2008. The requirement for photographs to have an off white, cream or grey background has been stated on our photo guidance since January 2005, but this has not been enforced until now in recognition of the need for time for photographic studios to acquire a more suitable background. White backgrounds often scan very poorly on our system, resulting in poor definition and contrast, and otherwise acceptable photographs are being returned to customers, with many of these returning to the studio which provided them. In testing we have found that a 5 to 10% grey background provides the best results for all skin tones.
Accordingly, from 1 January 2008, we will not be accepting photographs taken against a white background. This move is essential to ensure not only that customers are not inconvenienced by having to provide a second set of images, but also ensures that the biometrics stored on British passports meet the internationally agreed standard.
We are also now able to provide clarity on back print. In early testing we identified that trademarks on the reverse of photos could show through on the front of the image when scanned onto our system. As the quality of images now being received has increased this has become much less of an issue, and the enforcement of the no white background requirement will also serve to reduce the incidence of such occurrences. We have continued to accept backprinted images where there are no scanning problems as we knew that meeting this requirement was causing difficulties for the industry. Backprinted paper will therefore continue to be accepted and the requirement will be removed from our guidance in due course.
"Red eye" has not been specifically mentioned in previous guidance but IPS are unable to accept photographs that have this effect, as this means that the image we have on our database, and contained in the chip, is not a true likeness of the holder. This change will also be reflected in future versions of our guidance.
When taking passport photographs bear in mind that around half of all those rejected are due to customers not following guidance on pose, such as keeping hair away from their eyes, keeping mouths closed and ensuring that they are looking straight at the camera, with no tilt from side to side or backwards or forwards. To ensure head size is correct, IPS has developed the template currently in use at selected branches of Post OfficeLimited and Worldchoice travel agents, and it is hoped that this will be downloadable from the IPS website before the end of the year.
You may have seen recent stories about our longer term desire to take our own images for use in the passport. This is tied in to our plans for the next generation of biometric passports which will include fingerprints. This is some way off but at present there are no intentions to remove the requirement for all applicants to provide good quality photographs with their applications, as these are an important part of our identity checking process. We also use facial biometrics to identify known fraudsters and to detect those individuals who try to obtain multiple passports in different identities.
There is a page on our website (www.ips.gov.uk) aimed at the photographic trade and all these changes will be reflected here in due course.