Schneier on Security

Johnnie Van de Rechtstraat • September 13, 2006 7:21 PM

Dear Netherlands embassy,

My mother, who is still a Dutch Citizen, recently had to renew her Dutch Passport. The application, downloaded from the Internet, had a detailed description of how the picture had to be taken. Many, many pages of instructions for a simple passport picture made me realize that this was going to be an issue.

The procedures prevented the use of a normal passport type picture. I had to purchase an 18% grey background poster, and we found a local photographer with a Polaroid passport camera. It was difficult to get the position of the head as described in the instructions, since the viewfinder of the Polaroid camera is offset from the lens, but after a couple of attempts we had an image which appeared to meet the requirements. The photographer was overwhelmed by the lengthy instructions.

Now, several weeks later, after the data has been sent to the Netherlands, we were notified that the picture would not work. The problem here is that ALL final images submitted will be subject to subjective judgement calls by some anonymous party in the Netherlands who does not have to hold him or herself accountable. How many good pictures have been rejected, and how many BAD pictures have been accepted? For example, the image was printed on photographic quality paper FROM POLAROID. Yet the rejection stated that the paper on which the images were printed was not good enough. This frankly is, idiotic.

I realize fully that the image is for photometric purposes. But, I find that the technology for taking the “perfect��? photometric image is apparently lacking in most parts of the United States, turning the image requirements for a Dutch passport into a torture session that can last months. I also realize that the requirements come from the US government.

I find the description and the requirements way over the top and grotesquely bureaucratic. My mother, an elderly person, is now severely stressed out over what should have been a simple procedure. Family members have had to set aside time to drive to Phoenix and back. Now I will have reserve more time to either find another photographer or do the images myself. Will the passport office accepted a printed image? All of this is not set forth in the 10+ pages of image requirements.

I find the fact that these procedures were implemented without some kind of reality check and what can and cannot be done very, very troubling. To be frank, I find them stupid and unrealistic. I am amazed that Dutch embassy personnel worldwide did not alert the people who came up with the system that it would have major problems.

Please, get rid of these moronic image requirements.

Address withheld