Passport Photo Mistakes That Could Delay Your Travel Plans

Keeping your mouth closed also prevents potential issues during future border checks. Some facial recognition systems compare live images with stored passport photos using infrared or 3D mapping. If the mouth is open, teeth and tongue positions can create additional visual patterns that confuse the system. Even subtle differences, like showing a hint of a smile or tilting your head, can reduce the accuracy of these automated matches, especially under poor lighting conditions at airports.