UK Passport Photo Size and Requirements

Make a UK Passport Photo Online in Minutes

You do not need a photo booth to get a correct UK passport photo. Take a picture on your phone and upload it to our editor. The tool crops it to 35×45 mm, replaces the background with a plain light one, and checks your head size against the HM Passport Office (HMPO) range.

Use it for a first adult passport, a renewal, a replacement or a child application. Download a digital photo for the GOV.UK service, or print copies for a paper form.

How to Create Your UK Passport Picture in 4 Steps

1. Upload your picture. Choose a recent, sharp, front-facing photo from your phone or computer.
2. Let the tool crop it. The editor centres your head and sets the 35×45 mm frame.
3. Review the checks. The tool tests your background, head size and framing.
4. Download your photo. Save the JPEG for GOV.UK, or lay out copies on a sheet to print.

The process takes about two minutes, and you can retake the picture as often as you like.

UK Passport Photo Size: Millimetres, Pixels and Inches

Forms and websites quote the size in different units. Here is the same photo in each:

Unit	UK passport photo size
Millimetres	35 × 45 mm
Centimetres	3.5 × 4.5 cm
Inches	About 1.38 × 1.77 in
Digital minimum	600 × 750 px
Digital file size	50KB to 10MB

For a printed photo, the face, from the bottom of your chin to the crown of your head, must measure between 29 mm and 34 mm.

Official UK Passport Photo Requirements

Whether you apply on GOV.UK or by post, your photo must meet the same standard. Read these rules before you take your picture. For the full standard, including hair, head coverings and rejection reasons, see our UK passport picture rules or the UK passport photo requirements checklist.

Format and Quality

• Size: 45 mm high by 35 mm wide for a printed photo.
• Digital file: At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and between 50KB and 10MB.
• Colour: Use a colour photo, unaltered by computer software. No filters, effects or retouching.
• Quality: Make sure the image is sharp, clear and evenly lit, with no red-eye.
• Age: Take the photo within the last month.

Background and Lighting

• Background: For printed photos, use a plain cream or light grey background. Digital photos need a plain light-coloured background in clear contrast to you.
• Shadows: Keep shadows off your face and the wall behind you.
• Objects: Keep other people, furniture and patterns out of the frame.

Pose and Expression

• Face the camera. Look straight at the lens, with your head level.
• Keep a neutral expression. Close your mouth and keep your eyes open.
• Clear your face. Move hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.

Glasses and Head Coverings

• Glasses: Do not wear glasses unless you have to. If you must, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted, and the frames, glare or reflections must not cover your eyes.
• Head coverings: Wear one only for religious or medical reasons, and show your full face from chin to forehead.

Accepted vs Rejected UK Passport Photos

Accepted by HMPO ✅	Common reasons for rejection ❌
Neutral expression, mouth closed	Smiling, laughing or frowning
Plain cream or light grey background	Dark, patterned or shadowed background
Both eyes open and clearly visible	Hair across the eyes, or heavy frames
Sharp, high-resolution colour image	Blurry, pixelated or filtered picture
Full head, neck and shoulders in frame	Cropped hair, chin or a tight close-up
Taken in the last month	Old photo, or one edited to smooth skin or remove marks
Head, shoulders and upper body (online upload)	A tight crop of your face uploaded to GOV.UK

What You Get With Our UK Passport Photo Editor

Our online tool handles each step and helps you avoid the common mistakes.

• Automatic cropping: The editor sets a 35×45 mm frame around your face.
• Background replacement: It swaps your wall for a plain light background.
• Head-size check: It compares your head height with the 29–34 mm range.
• Photo converter: Turn an existing picture into a passport-size photo without a retake.
• Phone-friendly editing: Use any smartphone and finish in your browser.
• Digital and print output: Download a JPEG, or a sheet with several copies to print.

How to Take a Better Source Photo

A clear picture gives the cleanest result, so take a few minutes to set up.

• Ask someone to help. Selfies distort your face, so have a friend hold the camera at eye level.
• Face a window. Soft daylight removes shadows from your face.
• Stand about one metre from the camera. Keep the lens level with your eyes.
• Use a plain wall. A simple backdrop gives a sharper background cut-out.
• Leave space around your head. The tool needs room to crop correctly.
• Look straight ahead. Relax your face and keep your head level.

How to Submit Your UK Passport Photo

Apply Online on GOV.UK

An online application needs a digital photo. You can enter a photo code from a booth or shop, or upload a photo you have taken yourself. If you upload your own photo, include your head, shoulders and upper body, and do not crop it, because GOV.UK crops it for you. The service checks the photo and tells you about common problems. GOV.UK notes that photos from a booth or shop are more likely to be approved than photos taken on your own device, so check yours carefully before you submit.

Apply by Post With a Paper Form

Paper forms need two identical printed photos, 45 mm high by 35 mm wide. They must be printed to a professional standard on plain white photographic paper, with no borders, creases or marks. Do not attach them to the form.

First adult and child passports, replacements for lost, stolen or damaged passports, renewals for children aged 11 or under, and renewals where your appearance has changed also need a countersignatory. They write "I certify that this is a true likeness of [name]" on the back of one photo, then sign and date it.

Get Your Photos Printed

GOV.UK says printed photos must be printed to a professional standard, in colour, on plain white photographic paper with no border. They must not be a cut-down version of a larger picture. Take your print sheet to a photo lab or shop and ask for 100% scale, with no fit-to-page setting, so each photo stays 35×45 mm. Prefer your own printer? Follow our guide to printing passport photos at home.

Children and Babies

Children need the same size, but some rules are relaxed:

• Children must be on their own in the photo. Babies must not hold toys or use dummies.
• Children under 6 do not have to look straight at the camera or have a plain expression.
• Children under 1 do not need their eyes open. They can lie on a plain light-coloured sheet, photographed from above.

See our baby passport photo guide for tips.

Need Passport Photos in London or Elsewhere in the UK?

Booths and high-street shops charge more than most people expect, and queues add to the wait. Take your picture at home instead, and use our editor to prepare a compliant photo in minutes. You can print it wherever you like, or upload it straight to GOV.UK.

Other Photo Formats

Not sure your photo passes? Run it through the UK passport photo checker first. Taking it yourself? Read how to take a passport photo at home. Applying for another document? See the UK visa photo guide, the UK driving licence photo maker, the passport renewal photo tool, or the US visa photo maker for the square 2×2 inch format.

Get Your UK Passport Photo Now

Upload your picture, and get a correctly sized 35×45 mm UK passport photo in minutes. No studio visit and no editing skills needed.

PixPassport is an independent service and is not affiliated with HM Passport Office or GOV.UK. HM Passport Office makes the final decision on every photo. Rules checked against GOV.UK passport photo guidance in October 2026.