UK passport photo requirements

Updated September 25, 2026 · Rules checked September 25, 2026 against gov.uk

UK passport photo rules

These rules come from GOV.UK's photos for passports page.

Children and babies

GOV.UK relaxes a few rules for young children. Children under 6 don't have to look directly at the camera or have a plain expression. Babies under 1 don't have to have their eyes open, and you can photograph them lying on a plain light-colored sheet from above. For all children, no hand supporting them should show, and there should be no toys or dummies (pacifiers) in the photo. For a child under 6, turn on Baby photo: it relaxes the eyes, facing and expression checks. The eyes allowance is only for babies under 1, so for an older child, make sure the eyes are open yourself. See how to take a baby passport photo for setups.

Make a UK passport photo with this tool

1. Check that the document above the buttons says UK passport. It's already selected on this page.
2. Stand in front of a plain cream or light gray wall, with light falling evenly on your face and no shadow behind you. GOV.UK says you'll need someone to help if you take the photo with your own device, so ask a helper to hold the phone.
3. Let the tool crop the photo to 45×35 mm proportions with your head in the 29–34 mm range, then fix anything the checks flag.
4. Read the reminder next to the save button. For the UK, the photo must be unedited and much more recent than the usual 6 months: it has to be from the last month.
5. For an online application, GOV.UK asks you not to crop a photo you took on your own device, because the service crops it for you. Once the checks look good, upload your original photo, showing your head, shoulders and upper body. The tool's JPG meets the digital size rules (at least 600×750 pixels, 50 KB to 10 MB), but it's already cropped, so the original is the better file for GOV.UK.

Paper forms

If you apply with a paper form instead of online, GOV.UK asks for 2 identical printed photos, 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, printed to a professional standard on plain white photo paper and not cut down from a larger picture. A photo booth or shop is the surest way to meet that. Check any print you use with a metric ruler.

Checking a printed UK photo

With an inch ruler, 45 mm is just over 1 3/4 inches and 35 mm is just over 1 3/8 inches. The head, 29–34 mm, works out to about 1.14 to 1.34 inches. A metric ruler is simpler if you have one. Measure before you use the photo, because a print scaled even slightly by a store kiosk or a home printer can push the head out of range.

Things to watch for

• One month, not six. The UK limit is much shorter than the US one, so don't reuse a recent US passport photo.
• No smile. The rule is a plain expression with your mouth closed. That's stricter than the US natural smile.
• Glasses only if you must. Unlike the US, glasses aren't banned outright. But the lenses can't be tinted and the frames and glare can't cover your eyes, so take them off if you can.
• No background changes. GOV.UK asks for a photo unaltered by computer software, so the tool doesn't offer Change background for UK photos. Use a plain cream or light gray wall instead.
• Height by width. GOV.UK gives the size as 45 mm high by 35 mm wide. It's the same shape as a 35×45 mm Schengen photo, but the head size range differs, so choose the UK option.
• Photo codes. GOV.UK also accepts photos from a photo booth or shop that gives you a code to enter in your online application. That's an alternative to taking your own photo.

Questions