Quality of the photographs
Photographs must have the following characteristics:
- not older than six months
- 4 x 4 cm width
- preferably be on a white background
- close-up of the head and the upper part of the shoulders so that the face occupies 70-80% of the photograph
- be perfectly focused and sharp
- be of high quality with no ink marks or creases.
- show the person looking directly at the camera
- show the color of the complexion in a natural way
- possess sufficient brightness and contrast
- be printed on high quality, high definition paper. Photographs printed with a digital camera must have high quality color and be printed on photographic high yield paper.
Style and lighting
Photographs must:
- have a neutral color
- show the person’s eyes open and clearly visible – no hair covering them
- show the person facing the camera directly, not looking over the shoulder (portrait style) or with the head tilted, and showing both sides of the face clearly visible
- be shot against a plain light colored background
- be shot with uniform lighting and have no flash shadows or reflections on the face or “red eye” effect.
Glasses and headgear
If you wear glasses or headgear:
- the photograph must show the eyes clearly and without flash reflection on the lenses, without shaded lenses (if possible, avoid heavy frames – wear glasses with lighter frames, if you have them)
- make sure the frame does not cover any part of the eyes.
- No headgear is allowed except for religious reasons, but it must clearly show the facial features from the tip of the chin to the top of the forehead and it must be possible to see both sides of the face clearly.
Expression and framing
The photograph should only show the person (with no chair backs, toys or other people visible) looking at the lens with a natural expression and closed mouth.
