Canadian travellers will soon have to wipe that smile off their faces, as new specifications for passport photos come into effect.

The Canada Passport Office announced new specifications for passport photos in a news release Tuesday.

To get a valid passport, Canadians must now send in two photos with "neutral expressions." That means a closed-mouth, straight-ahead gaze into the camera, but no frowning, scowling or glaring.

The new measures comply with recommendations outlined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations agency responsible for aviation issues, and are aimed at making it easier for security personnel to recognize travellers from their passports.

Other rules include:

• Travellers may wear tinted prescription glasses in their photos, so long as their eyes are visible.
• Hairpieces that are regularly worn are allowed, provided they do not alter the traveller's appearance.
• Turbans and head scarves worn for religious purposes are allowed, while veils which hide the face are not.

The new rules came into effect August 15, but for those who've already had smiling photos taken, there's no need to frown. The government is promising a two-month "smile amnesty" to accommodate those who have already filed applications.

"We have already received photos with small smiles that we are ready to accept," Suzanne Meunier, a spokeswoman for the passport office, told The Globe and Mail.

Passport applicants who submit smiling photos after Nov. 3 will be rejected.