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 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 cannot work. It means the home setup has to be plain, 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 image itself must show you alone against a plain light-coloured background, with clear contrast and no red-eye. You should face forwards, look straight at the camera, keep a plain expression, close your mouth, keep your eyes open and visible, and keep hair out of 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
For digital photos, GOV.UK says the background should be plain and light-coloured. For printed photos, the background should be plain cream or light grey. A light grey or cream wall is usually easier for UK photos than a bright white wall, especially because 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.
Avoid textured wallpaper, brick, doors, shelves, picture frames, curtains, windows, blue walls, dark walls, and any background that makes the head outline hard to see.
Lighting should look ordinary and even. If one side of the face is bright and the other side is dark, move the person or the light. If the wall has a shadow around the head, move the person farther 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 plain: face forwards, look straight at the camera, keep your mouth closed, and use a plain expression. Do not smile or frown. Keep both eyes open and visible.
Hair can be worn up or down, but it should not cover the eyes. If a fringe falls into the eyes, pin it back before the photo. The face should be in clear view, with nothing covering it.
Do not wear glasses unless you have to. If you must wear them, your eyes still need to be visible without glare, reflection, shadow, or frames covering them. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are not allowed.
Head coverings are only allowed for religious or medical reasons. Fashion hats, decorative hair accessories, and headwear that blocks the face are not acceptable. If a religious or medical reason means you cannot meet a photo rule, the HM Passport Office service says you can explain the circumstances when submitting 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.
The most common baby-photo problem is not size. It is another person, a hand, a dummy, a toy, or a wrinkled/dark background entering 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 convenient because the photo is prepared for the online flow. A home photo is cheaper and private, but it gives you 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 treat PhotoTools as final approval. It does not inspect whether your face is correctly visible, whether glasses are acceptable, whether the background meets the current UK rule, or whether HM Passport Office will accept the image.
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.
If a print dialog uses "fit to page" or "scale to printable area," the photo may come out slightly wrong. Actual size is the setting you want.
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.
Use one clean original photo if you want, but export separate versions for each document. Do not submit an old Schengen print as a UK passport photo without checking recency, background, head size, and application route.
Official sources to check
Check GOV.UK before applying because the online flow, digital crop rules, and paper-form instructions can change.