There are a lot of things that you need to think about before taking a trip. You want to be sure you’ve got all your outfits in order, whatever medication you need that you won’t be able to get abroad, etc. But don’t forget the essentials! If you need to get a new passport, make sure you’ve got all the necessary components in place so that you don’t end up scrambling at the last minute.
One of the essential things you need to think about is your passport picture. Fortunately, getting a top-quality passport picture is easier than ever. You just want to be sure that you follow the rules and get it done right. Then you can check out CVS pharmacy passport picture – photobooth.online and get it all taken care of seamlessly.
Make Long-Term Changes Beforehand
Remember, a passport picture is something that will stay with you for ten years. If you’ve been thinking about getting a haircut or a facial, this could be the time to do it. Even though photo apps now allow you to make adjustments to your pictures, you don’t want to have to change them to the point where you become unrecognizable.
Therefore, it pays to think about any long-term changes that you want to make to your appearance and take care of them before you get your photo taken. To customs officers, it matters not how beautiful you are, but the extent to which what they see in the picture matches reality. So you don’t want to have a picture taken and then suddenly change your appearance afterward.
Think about Your Attire
Sure, you’re probably thinking, “What does that matter if it’s a picture of my face?” Well, it still matters. Your photo can show your shoulders as well, so you want to be sure you are wearing an appropriate outfit that is more or less in keeping with what you will probably wear on the day you travel. And if you’re going to be traveling through conservative countries, you should make sure your shoulders are fully covered and you aren’t wearing too low-cut of a shirt.
You should also take into consideration your accessories. Don’t wear anything too wild, or it will look inappropriate. Also, be sure that you are not covering any part of your face to the point where your overall appearance will be altered. If you wear a headscarf or something else on your head for religious reasons, this can be acceptable, as long as your face is still visible. You should avoid wearing other kinds of hats, though.
Be Mindful of Requirements
You should also keep in mind the requirements that passport photos involve. You should be a certain distance from the camera, to the point where your face fills most of the 2X2 inch picture. Your picture also needs to be high enough quality that it includes a high number of megapixels. Any blurriness could cause your picture to be rejected by the authorities.
In addition, your picture should be against a light (preferably white) background and not have any shadows in it that could somehow obscure your face. The purpose is to give customs officers as accurate of a depiction of you as they can possibly get. So if you feel like bright lights expose too many of your flaws, don’t worry about it: the purpose is clarity.
Check with the Rest of the Family
If you’re getting photos taken for the whole family, check to be sure that the kids are in order, as well. It can be difficult to get kids to make normal faces while getting their pictures taken, so perhaps you should practice at home before you head off to the photo booth. In many countries, smiling is actually discouraged as it is seen to alter people’s real appearances too much. And while the US doesn’t have exactly this requirement, you want your kids to be as recognizable as possible.
Also, keep in mind that kids’ appearances change quickly as they grow up. So it is best to give them as neutral of an image as possible while they are young to keep them recognizable.
Double-Check with Experts
When you get your pictures done, be sure to ask an expert whether or not your photos are acceptable. The last thing you want is to go to all that effort, only to find that your whole application package has been rejected because of not meeting the photo requirements. CVS knows the requirements well and can give you a second opinion. Before you submit your documents, go over the requirements again just to double-check that everything is alright.
Check Remaining Documents
Your passport photo is only one element of your application package, of course. You also have to submit a DS-82, proof of citizenship, advance payment, and be prepared to wait a certain amount of time. If you’re submitting for the whole family, this can involve a fair amount of work, so be sure to give yourself adequate time to get it all taken care of.
Get Ready for Your Trip!
Once you’ve got your passport taken care of, you can start focusing on the things you really want to think about, like how many bathing suits you want to bring. Just be sure you get the bureaucratic part taken care of so that you don’t face any last-minute problems. Then you can be prepared to grab your passports and head to the beach!
