There is no single answer, which is why this question generates so much contradictory advice. The United States permits a natural smile. The United Kingdom, the Schengen countries and most authorities following biometric norms require a neutral expression with the mouth closed. Both statements are correct, for different passports.
Where a smile is allowed
United States. The Department of State's guidance asks for a neutral expression or a natural smile, with both eyes open. A closed-mouth smile is unambiguously safe; a broad grin showing a lot of teeth is more likely to draw scrutiny, because it distorts the face away from how you normally look.
This applies to U.S. passports, U.S. passport renewals and, in practice, USCIS forms using the same 2 x 2 inch photo. Note the U.S. visa photo follows the same size rules but is worth treating conservatively — a neutral expression is never wrong.
Where a smile is not allowed
United Kingdom. HM Passport Office requires a neutral expression with the mouth closed. No smiling, no frowning, no raised eyebrows.
Schengen area — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria and the rest. Neutral expression, mouth closed, in line with the ICAO biometric standard these formats follow.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, India and most others: neutral, mouth closed. Where an authority publishes a specimen diagram rather than words, the specimen invariably shows a neutral face.
If your country is not listed, assume neutral. It is accepted everywhere; a smile is not.
Why the difference exists
Modern passport photos are inputs to face-recognition systems, not portraits. Those systems compare the geometry between fixed facial landmarks, and a smile moves several of them — it shifts the mouth, raises the cheeks and narrows the eyes. A neutral expression is the reproducible baseline, which is why the biometric standard settled on it and why most authorities adopted it wholesale.
The United States kept a wider tolerance largely for practical reasons: its guidance long predates strict biometric matching, and a natural smile remains acceptable to its systems.
What a neutral expression actually means
Not stern, and not a blank stare. Relax your face, close your lips without pressing them, keep both eyes open and normally wide, and look straight into the lens. Your jaw should be relaxed rather than clenched, and your eyebrows in their resting position.
The reliable trick: exhale, let your face go slack, and take the photo on the way back to normal — that is roughly what a neutral expression looks like.
Children and infants
Expression rules are relaxed for young children precisely because they cannot be directed. A neutral face is preferred but a natural expression is generally tolerated, and for infants under one year the U.S. does not require the eyes to be open. What is not relaxed: no pacifier, no toy, and nobody else's hands or face in the frame. See baby passport photo requirements.
Make the photo
Pick your document below and the correct size and head height are applied automatically — the expression is the one part only you can get right.
Frequently asked questions
Can you smile in a US passport photo?
Yes. The U.S. Department of State accepts either a neutral expression or a natural smile, with both eyes open. A closed-mouth smile is safest; a broad grin showing many teeth distorts the face and invites scrutiny.
Can you smile in a UK passport photo?
No. HM Passport Office requires a neutral expression with the mouth closed. Smiling is grounds for rejection.
Can you smile in a Schengen visa photo?
No. Schengen photo standards follow the ICAO biometric norm, which requires a neutral expression with the mouth closed.
Why are you not allowed to smile in passport photos?
Because the photo feeds face-recognition systems that compare distances between fixed facial landmarks. Smiling moves the mouth, cheeks and eyes, making the measurement less reproducible. A neutral expression is the stable baseline the biometric standard specifies.
Do children have to keep a neutral expression in a passport photo?
The rules are relaxed for young children, who cannot reliably be directed. A natural expression is generally accepted, and for infants under one year the U.S. does not require the eyes to be open. Pacifiers, toys and other people in the frame are still not allowed.