Quick answer
UK passport photo requirements depend on how you apply. If you apply online through GOV.UK, you need a digital photo or a digital photo code from a booth or shop. If you apply with a paper form, you need 2 identical printed photos, each 45 mm high by 35 mm wide.
For online applications, do not think in terms of a 35 x 45 mm print sheet. GOV.UK asks for a digital photo that is clear, in colour, unaltered, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and between 50KB and 10MB. If you take the photo on your own device, include your head, shoulders, and upper body. The online application crops it.
For paper forms, the physical print matters: 45 x 35 mm, professional standard, plain white photographic paper with no border, and a head image between 29 mm and 34 mm from crown to chin.
Digital vs printed UK passport photos
Start here before you prepare the image.
| Application route | What you need | What not to do |
|---|---|---|
| Online application with your own photo | A digital image taken during the application flow | Do not upload a 4 x 6 print sheet |
| Online application with photo booth/shop | A digital photo code entered in the application | Do not crop or re-edit the booth image yourself |
| Paper form | 2 identical printed 45 x 35 mm photos | Do not attach the photos to the form |
| Child passport | Same route choice, with child-specific pose rules | Do not include another person, toy, or dummy in the photo |
GOV.UK says photos taken from a booth or shop are more likely to be approved than a photo taken on your own device. That does not mean a home photo can not do the job. The home setup has to be clean, well lit and close to the official examples.
UK digital passport photo specs
A digital UK passport photo must be:
- clear and in focus;
- in colour;
- unaltered by computer software;
- at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall;
- at least 50KB and no more than 10MB;
- taken in the last month.
The picture should be of just you, against a plain light-coloured background, with good contrast and no red-eye. Position yourself to face forward directly at the camera with a neutral expression, closed mouth, eyes open and visible, and your hair away from your eyes.
The important home-photo detail: if you are using your own device, GOV.UK says to include your head, shoulders, and upper body and not to crop the photo yourself. The online application will crop it. A tight 35 x 45 mm-style portrait can be less useful for the online flow because there may not be enough room for the official crop.
Printed UK passport photo specs
Printed UK passport photos are for paper forms. GOV.UK says you need 2 identical printed photos.
| Printed-photo rule | GOV.UK requirement |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 45 mm high by 35 mm wide |
| Quantity | 2 identical printed photos for a paper form |
| Head image | 29-34 mm from crown to chin |
| Paper | Plain white photographic paper, no border |
| Quality | Professional standard, clear, focused, in colour |
| Background | Plain cream or light grey |
| Software edits | Not altered by computer software |
| Posting | Photos separated, loose, and not attached to the form |
The printed photo must not be a cut-down version of a larger picture. That is not just wording for photo booths. It is a practical warning against trimming a casual portrait until it happens to measure 45 x 35 mm. The original still needs the right face size, background, pose, and print quality.
Background and lighting
GOV.UK says the background for digital photos should be plain and a light color. For printed photos background should be plain cream or light gray. A light gray or cream wall is usually easier for UK photos than a bright white wall, especially as it gives better contrast around the head.
Use this setup:
- Stand about 50 cm from the background to reduce shadow.
- Ask the photographer to stand about 1.5 metres away.
- Face a window or use balanced front lighting.
- Check for shadows on the face and behind the head.
- Remove objects from the background before taking the photo.
No textured wallpaper, brick, doors, shelves, picture frames, curtains, windows, blue walls, dark walls and any background that makes it difficult to see the head outline.
Lighting should be normal and flat. If one side is bright and the other side is dark, change the person or the light. If there is a shadow around the person's head on the wall, take the person away from the wall. Do not plan to fix the background later with editing software.
Face, expression, hair, glasses, and headwear
The UK rule is deliberately simple: face forwards, look straight at the camera, keep your mouth closed and have a plain expression. Do not smile, do not scowl. Both eyes open and visible.
Hair can be worn up or down, but must not cover the eyes. Pin back any fringe that falls into the eyes before the photo. The face must be clearly visible, and no face covering is allowed.
If you don’t need glasses, don’t wear them. If you have to wear them your eyes still have to be visible without glare, reflection, shadow or frames covering them. Sunglasses or tinted glasses are not allowed.
Head coverings are permitted only for religious or medical reasons. Fashion hats and decorative hair accessories and headwear that cover the face are not acceptable. If you have a religious or medical reason why you can’t meet a photo rule, the HM Passport Office service allows you to explain the circumstances when you submit the photo.
Children and baby photos
Children must be on their own in the picture. Babies must not be holding toys or using dummies.
There are age-specific allowances:
- Children under 6 do not have to look directly at the camera or keep a plain expression.
- Children under 1 do not have to have their eyes open.
- You may support a baby with your hand, but your hand must not be visible in the photo.
- Children under 1 should lie on a plain light-coloured sheet, with the photo taken from above.
Size isn’t the most common baby photo problem. It’s another person, a hand, a dummy, a toy, or a wrinkled/dark background coming into the frame.
Should you use a photo code, a home photo, or a print sheet?
For an online UK passport application, there are two official-friendly routes:
- get a digital photo code from a booth or shop before applying;
- take a digital photo on your own device during the application.
A booth or shop code is handy since the photo is ready for the online flow. Home photo is cheaper, private, but you have more responsibility for the setup
A print sheet is a different route. Use a 35 x 45 mm print sheet when the application path asks for printed photos with a paper form. Do not upload a 4 x 6 sheet containing several copies to the online passport application.
How PhotoTools fits the UK workflow
PhotoTools can help with the printed-photo workflow. The UK/EU preset creates 35 x 45 mm copies on a standard photo sheet at 300 DPI, and the processing happens locally in your browser.
Use PhotoTools when:
- you are using a paper form;
- you need 2 identical printed UK passport photos;
- you want a 35 x 45 mm print layout on 4 x 6 photo paper;
- you will print at 100% actual size and measure the cut photos.
Do not take PhotoTools as your final approval. It does not check whether your face is visible correctly, whether glasses are acceptable, whether the background meets the current UK rule or whether the image will be accepted by the HM Passport Office.
35 x 45 mm print math
At 300 DPI, a 35 x 45 mm printed UK passport photo is roughly:
35 mm / 25.4 x 300 = 413 px
45 mm / 25.4 x 300 = 531 px
That pixel value is useful for print layout. It is not the same thing as the GOV.UK online digital-photo rule. Online applications ask for a larger uncropped digital image, at least 600 x 750 pixels, and the service crops it.
For paper forms, print the sheet on photo paper at 100% scale. Cut two identical photos, then measure one with a ruler:
- width: 35 mm;
- height: 45 mm;
- crown-to-chin image height: 29-34 mm.
There may be a small problem if you print the photo using "fit to page" or "scale to printable area" in the print dialog. The setting you want is full size.
Common UK passport photo rejection risks
| Problem | Why it is risky | Better fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cropped digital photo too tightly | GOV.UK wants head, shoulders, and upper body for own-device digital photos | Upload a wider original image |
| U.S.-style white background for a print | Printed UK photos require cream or light grey background | Use a plain cream or light grey wall |
| Texture behind the head | Background is not plain | Move or cover the background |
| Shadow behind the head | Can fail both digital and printed rules | Stand 50 cm from the background |
| Glasses glare | Eyes are not fully visible | Remove glasses if possible |
| Smiling | UK adult photos need a plain expression | Retake with mouth closed |
| Edited background | Photo is altered by software | Use a real light background and retake |
| Low-resolution upload | Digital image may fail the 600 x 750 px minimum | Use the original high-quality file |
| Wrong paper | Printed photos must be on photographic paper | Use matte or glossy photo-quality printing |
| Photos attached to form | GOV.UK says printed photos should be loose | Keep the two prints separated and loose |
UK vs Schengen 35 x 45 mm photos
UK passport photos and many Schengen visa photos share the same outer 35 x 45 mm print size, but that does not make them interchangeable.
UK printed photos have a specific 29-34 mm crown-to-chin image height, cream or light grey printed-photo background, and paper-form instructions for 2 loose photos. Schengen visa photo rules depend on the member state, consulate, or visa application centre, and some routes take a digital photo at the appointment.
If you want, you can use one clean original photo, but export separate versions for each document. Before using an old Schengen print for your UK passport photo, check the date it was taken, the background, the head size and the application route.
Official sources to check
Check GOV.UK before applying because the online flow, digital crop rules, and paper-form instructions can change.