If you hold a British passport and live in Ireland, or you are applying from anywhere else, you will most likely renew online. The GOV.UK service asks for a digital photo, and the rules for that photo are set by HM Passport Office. This guide explains them in plain English, shows how the print size works if you apply on paper, and compares the UK visa photo, which follows a very similar standard.
The rules side by side
These are the key measurements from our document rules, with the online file requirements included:
| Document | Photo size | Background | Head size | Digital file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Passport | 35 × 45 mm | light grey, also accepted: cream, white | 64–76% of the photo height (29–34 mm, chin to crown, top of head, including hair) | JPEG, at least 600 × 750 pixels, up to 9.5 MB, for HM Passport Office online application |
| UK Visa | 35 × 45 mm | light grey, also accepted: cream, white | 64–76% of the photo height (29–34 mm, chin to crown, top of head, including hair) | JPEG, at least 600 × 750 pixels, up to 5.7 MB, for UKVI online visa application |
The complete rules are on the UK passport photo page and the UK visa photo page, each with a link to the GOV.UK guidance at gov.uk/photos-for-passports. If anything on GOV.UK differs from what you read elsewhere, GOV.UK is right.
Online applications: the digital photo
For an online application the photo is a file, not a print. GOV.UK sets a minimum size in pixels, listed in the table above, and the image must be clear, in focus and free of any editing. The service can tell you straight away if the photo looks too dark or the face is not centred, so it pays to get the basics right before you upload.
One rule is stricter than most countries: the photo must be recent. HM Passport Office asks for a photo taken within the last month, so an old picture from your phone gallery is not suitable even if it otherwise looks fine. Take a new one on the day you apply.
Printed photos for paper forms
If you apply on paper, you send printed photos instead. They must be the size shown in the table, printed on photo-quality paper, without creases or marks. Do not cut the photos yourself from a larger print unless the measurements are exact. A print-at-home sheet sized to the document, printed at 100 per cent rather than "fit to page", gives correctly sized copies that you can trim along the guides.
The background
GOV.UK asks for a plain, light-coloured background. Cream and light grey are the usual choices, and our document rules list the colours we prepare for. Whatever colour you use, there must be no shadows, no patterns and nothing behind you. Stand half a metre to a metre away from the wall so your own shadow does not fall on it. If your room has no suitable wall, the background can be replaced afterwards with an even colour that suits the document.
Face, expression and glasses
Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and your eyes open and clearly visible. Face the camera directly with your head straight. Nothing should cover your face, and there should be no shadows across it, so stand facing a window for soft, even daylight. Avoid the camera flash, which causes red eye and glare.
HM Passport Office asks you not to wear glasses in the photo unless you have to. If you need to keep them on, make sure there is no reflection on the lenses, the lenses are not tinted, and the frames do not cover any part of your eyes. Sunglasses are never accepted.
How UK visa photos compare
Photos for a UK visa follow almost the same standard: the same print size, the same head size range and the same choice of light background. Where the online system accepts a digital photo, the file settings are the same as for passports. The main practical difference is the application route, so read the instructions for your visa type and appointment carefully before you start.
A quick checklist before you upload
- Taken today, in daylight, facing a window.
- A plain, light-coloured background, such as cream or light grey, with no shadow.
- Camera at eye level, one to one and a half metres away.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open.
- No glasses, or clear glasses with no glare.
- No filters, smoothing or retouching.
Take yours now
PhotoPass ID prepares your photo to the size and file settings above and checks it against the measurable rules before you pay. The digital file costs £6.99. If our processing gets the size, background or crop wrong, we fix it free or refund you in full under our Refund Policy. Final acceptance is decided by HM Passport Office or UK Visas and Immigration.
Applying for a visa rather than a passport? Use the visa page so the right rules are applied: Take my UK Visa photo