Official requirements
| Print size | 45 mm high × 35 mm wide; two identical prints for paper applications |
|---|---|
| Digital size | At least 600 × 750 px, JPEG, between 50 KB and 10 MB; our export is 630 × 810 px — true 35:45 proportions, above both minimums |
| Face height | 29–34 mm from the crown of the head to the chin (printed photos) — 64–76% of the height |
| Background | Printed: plain cream or light grey. Digital: plain light-coloured. No pattern, shadows or objects, and in clear contrast to you |
| Expression | Plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible, facing forward |
| Glasses | Do not wear them unless you have to; never sunglasses or tinted lenses, and no frames, glare or reflection over the eyes |
| Head coverings | Only for religious or medical reasons, with both edges of the face visible |
| Recency | Taken within the last month |
| Other rules | Colour, in focus, no red eye, no hair in front of the eyes, and the photo must be unaltered by computer software |
How to take a compliant UK Passport photo at home
- Use a plain wall in the required background colour if you can — replacing a background digitally is a fallback, not the first choice, and a couple of authorities (Australia, and Canada for digital uploads) require an unaltered photo.
- Stand roughly half a metre in front of the wall so your shadow does not fall on it, and face a window or another even light source so both sides of your face are lit the same.
- Have someone else take the photo from about 1.5 metres away, holding the phone at your eye level. Arm’s-length selfies widen the face and tilt it, and are a quiet cause of rejections.
- Shoot head and shoulders with clear space on every side of your head. The maker scales and centres you; a tight original crop leaves it nothing to work with.
- Look straight at the lens, keep your head level, close your mouth unless your spec allows a natural smile, and take several shots — then use the sharpest one with no shadow on the face or the wall.
Then open the passport photo maker with the UK Passport preset selected, drag your photo until the top of your head sits between the dashed crown lines, your chin rests on the lower line and your eyes fall inside the shaded band, and download the photo at exactly 630 × 810 pixels — or a print sheet with the copies laid out at 35 × 45 mm each.
Common reasons UK Passport photos are rejected
- Smiling or an open mouth — the UK requires a plain expression.
- Shadows on the face or behind the head, or a background with objects, texture or a doorway in shot.
- Glasses glare, or frames covering any part of the eyes.
- Hair across the eyes or the edges of the face hidden.
- A digital file below 600 × 750 px, or a photo edited/filtered by software.
- A photo more than a month old — the UK recency rule is the strictest of the seven specs here.
For online applications GOV.UK runs its own automated check on the uploaded photo. A booth or shop photo with a code is their lowest-risk route; a home photo that follows the numbers above is the free one.
GOV.UK says printed photos must not be cut down from a larger picture — that rule is about shop prints; the print sheets here are laid out at the exact 35 × 45 mm so each photo is already the right size before you cut on the guides.
Open the maker with the UK Passport preset
Frequently asked questions
What size is a UK passport photo in pixels?
For digital applications, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, as a JPEG between 50 KB and 10 MB. This maker exports 630 × 810 px, which keeps the true 35 × 45 mm proportions while clearing both minimums.
Is a white background OK for a UK passport photo?
For printed photos GOV.UK specifies plain cream or light grey; for digital photos, plain light-coloured. Pure white is not what the printed rule asks for, so the UK preset offers cream and light grey.
How recent must a UK passport photo be?
Taken within the last month — much stricter than the six months most countries allow. Take a fresh photo for every application, even a renewal.
Can children’s photos bend the rules?
Partly: children under 6 do not need a plain expression and under-1s do not need their eyes open, but the size, background and no-other-people rules still apply, and no parent’s hand or arm may be visible.