General Chat

Oh good, fingers crossed my post man delivers my licence soon

Good luck with those passports, folks

Lizx

I don't think they worry about driving licence photos - just need to be recognisable as you. It's the new rules for passport photos that are the problem. Professionals will tell you to remove your glasses, and the instructions in the booths have been updated - at least, ours has.

Oh dear, I hope they don't come back and say they need my photo without specs. I might phone on Monday if my licence isn't delivered to check because if everything's not sorted by that night I won't be allowed to drive.

Lizx

We cannot use any photo except one taken by a commercial photographer ....... one of the 2 photos submitted has to have a stamp on the back verifying where and when it was taken.

It is also easy to find places that take passport photos ................ all camera dealers, pharmacies and stores that have camera sections, etc, as well as photographers.

Taking passport photos is really a bread-and-butter thing for many of them.

If the photos are rejected, places will re-take them for free.

Our passport photos have to be taken full face straight on to the camera, with glasses as long as the eyes are clearly visible (no coloured lenses) and no glare on the lenses, no smile, eyes open and looking above the photographer's head, and there must be no shadows anywhere.

Head coverings can be worn for religious or medical reasons as long as there is no shadow and the full face can be seen

There are exact requirements for several aspects ......... measurements for the photo + a frame, colour of background, professionally printed on plain high quality paper, etc

If you are applying for your first passport, a guarantor must also sign the stamped photo (on the back) as being a true likeness. We don't have to get a guarantor when renewing.


My passport photos last year cost about $10 (or ca £4) at a camera dealer's

Hubby had left re-newing his passport a little late so we had to go to Peterborough to get it done in time for our holiday.

Quite a performance really, three members of staff at Peterborough had passed his photo as being acceptable. As we didn't want to wait for four hours his new passport was being sent out in the post later that day. On the way home they rang him to say that the machine had rejected his photo, to say he was fuming is an understatement. He had to get another photo taken and send it direct to a certain member of staff who would deal with it as soon as he had the new photo.

No glasses or expression, poker faced, you look like a zombie. But, as Rollo has pointed out, that is the way they want it for automatic facial data recognition.

I remember years back my wife used to keep a copy of my passport photo in her purse or card wallet.

Not any more - the last one she suggested I burned.....!

Rollo said "Too much"

Anne, I do mine every 3 years as well. For age 73 and 76 the renewal notice had "No photo required" stamped across the top, but for the most recent one, age 79, it said I had to send a new photo.

The old photo was better, because in the new ones you have to take your glasses off. It was accepted, but I didn't like it at all - it didn't look like me!!

If your avatar is you, then I guess you'll have the same reaction. :-0 :-0

I assume that is not a rude word Rollo :-D

I renew my driving licence every three years on line, no need to send a new photo if you are recognisable from the old one.

Sleeshkom ;-)

OH had trouble getting the online passport service to accept a photo.

We recently had to get photos done for an application for a Russian visa. As you have to take the application in person to the visa centre in London or Manchester and that costs time and money I couldn't risk it being turned down. So we drove to a camera shop in our nearest big town and they had a computer program that told them whether the photo they had taken would be acceptable. They took three photos before the computer said it was OK. Cost £8 and more than worth it.

JEAN...What's a passport??? I'm 86 next week and nobody's given me one...I must be the odd one in the reading room...Never had a passport,,never flown,,only time at sea was to the Isle of Wight,,JUST THE ONCE MARK YOU...Furthest I've been "abroad" is the North Coast of Scotland,,now that is beautiful... :-( :-( Ain't I sad??? LES....

It does not matter what age you are once fully grown, around 16, the data points used for facial recognition remain the same. Wrinkles , face and head hair etc are ignored.

Computerised face recognition systems can pick out a face from the crowd in seconds. As the use of the technology spreads it is going to make life very difficut for some. Otoh not everybody wants high levels of surveillance.

Rec reading "Minority Report" Philip K Dick

I sent off a set of photos for my photocard licence, and got them back intact with a note saying they had been scanned and were no longer needed by them.
I offer the same set of photos when agencies require a photo... recent, I think is the keyword...younger peoples' appearance changes very quickly at time whereas us oldies seem to be much the same...

I have just had to update my driving licence from the paper one because I am close to 70. It was such a palaver getting a suitable photo for my passport renewal in 2011 (I had it done at a Timpson's shoe repair shop) that I couldn't face going through that again so I used the online service for driving licence renewal and they will access my passport details, and retrieve the photograph, thus confirming I am who I say I am but using a photo that is 6 years old.

I don't much like the photo but I can be recognised from it so it will have to do for my photo licence.

Hope you get your passport renewed soon, Jean

Lizxx

If you need to drive elsewhere in the EU, inc R.O.I., you must have the photo type driving licence the old paper licences are no longer valid.

Border Agency are very unreliable if you have visa stamps in the old passport and/or hold more than one passport. In that case online or by post is not the best option.

The quality of the photo is not important. Key features are read off and converted to a digital format which can be used in facial recognition systems. A smart phone is fine if you are filing on line. Some quite large towns no longer have full service post offices!

I hadn't realised the unexpired time would 'carry forward'. Mine had run out in Dec.
OH wanted to know why I wanted to renew it when I did. Well, you can dream, can't you? ;-)

One thing I've since discovered- the PP photo can be used for the card style driving licence. I don't have one of those new fangled things but might get round to it eventually.

I renewed mid about three months ago but the on-line system had a glitch as you were unable to upload your photo, and it re-directed you to the print and send option.

I printed off the form, got a photo at the local co-op machine (absolutely awful picture, but met all the rules.....!) and sent in in the post. Back within a week.

If you need to renew for this summer's holiday then you have really left it rather late. You should really renew six months before expiry as the new expiry is then carried forward from the old date.

P.S. just noticed Sept - you should just be O.K.

Having looked at the on-line version and discovered that I had to return my old passport anyway, I decided to get the forms from the Post office and send the whole lot together.

I live in a village, near a small town and there are at least 3 places where you can get a passport/driving licence photo. One is a supermarket booth and the others are shops where they do it for you. Both are cheaper than the booth, which was unexpected.

Some supermarkets still have the photo booths where r you can get passport photos done and you see yourself in the mirror and can adjust your stance before the photo is taken
I did my mine in the photo booth of my local Sainsbury

My daughter got the forms from the postoffice and I did the check and send service last year in May for our Aug/ sept holiday

I got my new passport in 10 days