Can I wear contact lenses in my passport photo?

Yes. Clear or naturally tinted prescription contact lenses are permitted in passport photos in all major countries including DE, CH, AT, FR, GB, US, AU, and CA. Unlike glasses, contacts do not cause reflections, distortion, or obstruction of the eyes.

Are coloured contact lenses allowed in passport photos?

Coloured contacts that represent your natural everyday eye colour are generally acceptable. Purely decorative or cosmetic lenses that make your eyes look unusual — vivid violet, bright red, white scleral lenses — are likely to cause problems because the eyes must be clearly and naturally visible for biometric processing.

Why are glasses banned but contacts allowed?

Glasses create reflections on the lenses, distort the area around the eyes, and the frames obstruct parts of the facial area. Contact lenses sit directly on the eye and create none of these problems, so there is no biometric reason to ban them.

What about transition lenses that darken in light?

Photochromic lenses (transition lenses) are treated as glasses in passport photos — not as contacts. Whether darkened or clear, they must be removed for the photo.

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May 28, 2026 · Guide

Contact Lenses in Passport Photos 2026 – Are They Allowed?

Short answer: yes. Contact lenses are permitted in passport photos in every major country. This guide explains why contacts are fine when glasses are not, what the rules are for coloured and tinted contacts, and what types of lenses to avoid.

Short answer

Clear prescription contacts: always allowed. Natural-shade coloured contacts: allowed. Purely decorative coloured contacts (vivid colours): use caution. White or black scleral lenses: not recommended. Transition (photochromic) lenses: treated as glasses — must be removed.

Why Contact Lenses Are Allowed When Glasses Are Not

The ICAO Doc 9303 standard prohibits glasses in biometric passport photos for three specific technical reasons. Understanding these makes it clear why contacts do not have the same problem:

Reflections on lenses. Glass and plastic spectacle lenses reflect light — from windows, studio lights, or flash — creating bright glare spots on the lens surface. These reflections obscure part of the eye area, which biometric algorithms need to see clearly. Contact lenses sit directly on the cornea and do not produce any reflections visible in a photo.
Lens distortion. Prescription glasses, especially stronger prescriptions, visibly distort the apparent size and position of the eyes. This changes the facial geometry measurements used for biometric matching. Contact lenses do not affect how the eyes appear in a photo.
Frame obstruction. Glasses frames cover part of the face — the bridge over the nose, the temples, and the rims around the eyes. These obscure facial landmarks used in biometric processing. Contact lenses have no frame.

Coloured and Tinted Contact Lenses

The picture is more nuanced for coloured contacts. The key principle in passport photo standards is that the photo must be an accurate likeness — it must represent your natural, everyday appearance.

Naturally tinted contacts that you wear every day — for example, contacts that change your eye colour from brown to a natural blue or green — are generally acceptable. The resulting eye colour in the photo still appears natural and does not interfere with biometric iris or eye detection.

Purely cosmetic lenses designed to create a dramatic or unnatural appearance — such as vivid violet, bright red, or yellow eyes — are more problematic. No authority explicitly bans them, but they can cause scrutiny during the human review phase of an application, because they make the eyes look unusual or potentially obscure the iris area.

White scleral lenses (which make the entire visible eye white) and black scleral lenses (which make the eye appear entirely black) are not recommended. These obscure the natural appearance of the eyes entirely, which is likely to create problems during both biometric processing and human review.

Transition (Photochromic) Lenses

Transition lenses — prescription lenses that automatically darken in bright light and become clear indoors — are treated as glasses in passport photos, not as contact lenses. Even if they appear completely clear indoors, they are spectacle lenses mounted in a frame, and the frame causes the same obstruction problems described above.

If you wear transition lenses, you must remove them for your passport photo just as you would ordinary prescription glasses.

Glasses vs Contacts vs Coloured Lenses — Quick Reference

Lens type	Allowed?	Reason
Standard prescription glasses	❌ Not allowed	Reflections, lens distortion, frame obstruction
Clear contact lenses	✅ Allowed	No optical interference with biometric recognition
Natural-shade coloured contacts	✅ Allowed	Acceptable if consistent with everyday appearance
Purely decorative coloured lenses	⚠️ Use caution	May be questioned if eyes appear unnatural
White / black scleral lenses	❌ Not recommended	Obscure the eyes — biometric compliance issue
Transition (photochromic) lenses	❌ Not allowed	Treated as glasses — must be removed

Contact Lens Policy by Country

Country	Contact lenses	Source
🇩🇪 Germany	Allowed	Bundesdruckerei / ICAO
🇨🇭 Switzerland	Allowed	ICAO
🇦🇹 Austria	Allowed	BMI / ICAO
🇫🇷 France	Allowed	ANTS / ICAO
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	Allowed	HMPO
🇺🇸 United States	Allowed	State Department
🇦🇺 Australia	Allowed	DFAT
🇨🇦 Canada	Allowed	IRCC

Always verify current requirements with the official authority before submitting your application.

Always verify current photo requirements with the official passport authority in your country before submitting your application.

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