A US passport issued to an adult is valid for ten years. A lot can happen in that period of time, especially where your personal appearance is concerned. Weight can be gained or lost, haircuts can change and if you’re surgically-inclined, you might even get a new nose or lips.<\/p>\n
A new photojournalism project by Suren Manvelyan and Biayna Mahari on the Behance Network <\/a>showcases just how much of a difference a few years can make. The project compares old-but-still-valid passport photos with current photos of the same person. Here’s how the creators describe the goal of the project, which they’ve named “Passport and Reality:”<\/p>\n “This is a project about how different can look a person in real life and his own passport photo. People change every minute and the only thing that stays still is their passport photo. All the same person but such different looks.”<\/p>\n Looking at the pictures is like looking back through time: gangly young boys grow into sturdy men, shy girls grow into hip, stylish, adults. I wonder whether the subjects preferred their old passport photos or the new shots?<\/p>\n Despite these changes, most if not all of the people featured for this project are still recognizable in the old passport photos, which is obviously a good thing. However, the Department of State’s requirements<\/a> for passport photos do state that “Your passport may not be accepted at the border if your appearance has changed significantly or if you cannot be identified from the photo in your current passport.”<\/p>\n So, if you don’t recognize yourself in the photo, you might want to go ahead and apply for a US passport renewal a little bit early. Sure, it’s a hassle and you’ll have to pay for it, but that sure beats having problems trying to get in and out of the country.<\/p>\n For detailed instructions on replacing your current US passport, see Can I Renew My Passport By Mail<\/a>?<\/p>\n If you need to replace your US passport, RushMyPassport can make the process quick and easy. We’ll go over the process for you to make sure you understand the paperwork and passport photo requirements. Then, we’ll take your paperwork and passport photos directly to the Department of State for processing is as little as 24 hours.<\/p>\n