UK Passport Photo Requirements And Size
Are you renewing your British passport or applying for your first one? Don’t forget to submit a recent passport photo with your application. Your photo should have been taken within the last month. To ensure a smooth application process and avoid delays, it’s important to check the UK passport photo requirements in advance.
Table of contents
- UK passport photo size
- British passport photo background
- Colour and lighting
- Pose and facial expression
- UK passport photo clothing requirements
- UK online passport photo specifications
- UK passport photo guidelines
- How to make sure that my passport photo meets the requirements?
The following information will also be helpful for those planning to apply for a British visa: United Kingdom visa photo requirements are the same as the offline British passport.
UK passport photo size
For printed UK passport photos, the required size is 35 × 45 mm (width × height). The height of the head, measured from the chin to the crown (top of the head, excluding hair), must be between 29 mm and 34 mm.
If you are applying online through GOV.UK, your digital passport photo must meet the following requirements:
- Minimum image size: 600 × 750 pixels;
- File size between 50 KB and 10 MB;
- A clear, colour image that is in focus;
- No filters, digital alterations, or facial retouching.
British passport photo background
The portrait should be taken against a plain, light-coloured background, preferably the white one. There should be no shadows or objects on the wall.
Colour and lighting
The picture must be in colour and of decent quality: with no strong shadows, blurring or visible pixels.
Pose and facial expression
TThe applicant must face towards and look straight at the camera. You should keep a neutral facial expression with a mouth closed. Eyes should be open and visible.
UK passport photo clothing requirements
UK passport photo rules restrict certain types of headwear, accessories, and clothing.
- Head coverings and hair accessories are generally not permitted unless worn for religious or medical reasons. Religious headwear, such as hijabs or turbans, is acceptable provided it does not obscure any part of the face;
- Sunglasses are not allowed;
- Uniforms or clothing that resembles a uniform should not be worn.
Prescription glasses may be worn, provided your eyes are clearly visible and there is no glare, reflection, or shadow obscuring them.
When choosing clothing for your passport photo, follow these guidelines:
- Wear normal everyday clothing that you would typically wear in public;
- Avoid light grey, cream, or similarly coloured clothing that may blend into the background;
- Do not wear camouflage or military-style clothing;
- Avoid high-necked garments that cover a significant portion of the neck;
- Ensure your clothing does not cast shadows on your face or neck.
What to Wear for a Passport Photo? Detailed Passport Photo Dress Code
UK online passport photo specifications
If you apply for a passport online, then stick to the following dimensions:
The digital photo for a passport should be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall;
The size should be of at least 50KB and no more than 10MB.
The format requirements for digital photos are less demanding than those for printed. Gov.uk online service prepares digital images for printing automatically. However, the official governmental photo tool still does not cope with editing the background and image quality, so it is better to take care of this part of the process in advance.
UK passport photo guidelines
One of the most convenient ways to obtain a compliant UK passport or visa photo is to use a specialised online photo editor. Visafoto.com instantly crops and formats your image to meet all official UK passport photo requirements, including size, background, head position, and image quality standards.
In addition to correct formatting, the service also improves overall photo quality. It enhances lighting, sharpens details, adjusts contrast, and helps ensure the image meets official clarity requirements, even if the original photo was taken in less-than-ideal conditions or with a smartphone camera.
How to quickly get a compliant UK passport photo online?
Source
Result
Use the generated digital photo for your online UK passport application. It is already formatted to meet GOV.UK requirements and can be uploaded directly during the application process.
If you are applying using a paper form, it is recommended to prepare a 35 × 45 mm photo that can be printed on a standard 10 × 15 cm photo sheet. This format typically allows four passport-sized images to be printed on a single postcard-sized page.
The printed template can be easily produced at most UK photo printing services, including retailers such as Tesco and Boots, which offer convenient in-store photo printing from a digital file or USB drive.
The same photo file can also be used for UK visa applications, as the requirements are largely consistent across official document types.
Where to print a passport-size photo in the UK: Tesco, Boots CEWE, and other budget-friendly options
How to make sure that my passport photo meets the requirements?
You can validate your photo right during the online passport application process.
- Head to the UK government website and choose the Passports, travel and living abroad section;
- Go to “Passports” section and click the “Apply online for a UK passport”;
- Continue answering the questions according to your personal data. After a few steps you will be asked to upload your image. The service will automatically check if it’s suitable for your passport.
Validating the photo at Gov.uk
It is convenient that the picture is uploaded at the very start of the application process, before entering detailed data and paying the fee. If something go wrong you can just replace the photo and continue to fill out the form.
If your photo purchased on Visafoto does not pass the check, contact our support team. We will fix the picture completely free of charge.
You can also use the same instructions for creating the UK visa photo and the BNO (British National Overseas) passport photo.
Get the U.K. passport photo online now!
Last update: June 2026