Intending travellers to the United States have been warned that using artificial intelligence or digital editing tools on their passport photographs will lead to significant application delays. The United States Mission in Nigeria issued the directive, clarifying that edited or filtered images will be rejected outright.
The warning coincides with a broader effort by U.S. authorities to tackle AI-manipulated images in official documentation, as border agency facial recognition systems depend heavily on unedited, high-fidelity photos for identity verification. Applicants are directed to review full guidelines on the U.S. Department of State’s website, travel.state.gov/photo.
Reiterating the policy in a statement and an accompanying flier published on its official X handle on Saturday, the mission stressed that photos must be taken within the last six months and accurately represent the applicant.
“Do NOT use AI or digital editing tools on your passport photo. We will not accept photos that are edited or filtered,” the mission stated. “Your photo should be recent… and look like you (the TSA or CBP agent must be able to tell it’s you). Submitting a digitally enhanced photo will significantly delay your application.”