Restarting passports and ID documents can be a hassle. There are all of the forms to fill in, photos to provide and then you have to line... sometimes for hours. Queuing services will take the pain out of the queuing for you and if you choose right they will also advise on completing the forms correctly and any additional documents that must be supplied. A good queuing service will also check your passport photos for you personally, as they know that officials are getting stricter about the photos making sure that you comply with guidelines.

Even when you are using queuing services to do the job for you, you don't want to waste time having your passport photos re-taken, so here are some tips on getting them right first time.

1 . The actual photos must be recent; less than one month old according to recommendations.
2 . They should measure 45mm by 35mm.
3. The face should fill three quarters of the photo, measuring 22-25mm through chin to the top of your head.
4. Eyes should be open and be looking directly at the camera.
5. You have to be facing square to the camera, not looking over any shoulder or tilting your head.
6. The background must be simple: light grey, beige or white, without any furniture, items or other people showing.
7. The photos should be vibrant with good contrast.
8. They should be printed on top quality photo paper.
9. Colours should be natural.
10. Illumination should be uniform with no glare or red-eye and no darkish shadows.

These guidelines are relevant for South Africa passport and ID documents. If you are applying for a British passport there are additional very strict regulations, including the directive which you mustn't be smiling in the photo.

The best idea is to use some sort of passport photography service that is experienced in providing high quality passport photos. They should know the regulations for each different passport or visa application and should provide you with good quality photos which will be accepted without any problems. You never know they might even find a way to make you look good too!

Once you've got a good set of passport photos, you can turn your passport application over to a great queuing service and can save all the time and hassle associated with waiting in long queues both to submit your application and gather the finished passport. Just don't let the thought of all that period saved put a smile on your face just when the professional photographer clicks the shutter - after all no smiling is actually allowed in passport photos!