The United States Mission in Nigeria has warned visa and passport applicants against submitting passport photographs that have been altered with artificial intelligence or other digital editing tools, saying such images will not be accepted and could delay the processing of applications.
In a public advisory, the mission said applicants must submit original, unedited passport photographs that accurately reflect their current appearance.
It stressed that photos should be taken within the last six months and should not contain filters, retouching or any form of digital enhancement. According to the mission, immigration and border officials must be able to easily identify travellers using the submitted photographs.
The advisory noted that the use of AI-generated or digitally manipulated images could lead to significant delays in processing applications, as photographs that do not meet official standards are subject to rejection.
The U.S. Department of State also requires passport photos to be taken against a plain white or off-white background, with applicants facing the camera directly, maintaining a neutral facial expression and ensuring the image is clear and of high quality.
The mission urged intending travellers to carefully review the U.S. Department of State’s passport photo guidelines before submitting applications to avoid unnecessary delays, reiterating that only genuine, recent and unaltered photographs will be accepted.
