The federal government has introduced a new rule for those applying for a passport.
People who wear glasses will have to provide a passport photo without glasses under new Australian Government rules.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has , “Glasses are not allowed in passport photos taken from 1 July 2018.”
“In rare cases they may be permitted where glasses cannot be removed for medical reasons (eg severe light sensitivity or recent eye surgery). Vision impairment alone is not sufficient for medical exemption.
“If glasses must be worn for medical reasons, the frames must not obscure the eyes and there must be no reflection from the lenses,” the statement on DFAT's website said, adding that a medical certificate will be required.
Source: DFAT
“The medical certificate must be signed by a registered medical practitioner, state the reason why glasses cannot be removed and include the medical practitioner’s full name, registration number and the address and phone number of the medical practice,” the website says.
"This change further strengthens the integrity of the Australian passport," the department says.
According to DFAT, research has shown that "glasses adversely affect passport facial matching. Matching is more accurate without glasses."
The new rule applies only to new passport applications.
