A passport photo needs to show your face clearly and meet HM Passport Office’s rules. A flattering portrait is not necessarily a suitable passport photo, and a file that uploads successfully is not automatically approved.
Start by checking how you are applying. Online applications use a digital photo. A paper application needs printed photographs, with different size and presentation requirements.
Use a Recent Photo Made for This Application
Your photo must have been taken within the last month. You need a new one when you apply for a new passport, even if your appearance has hardly changed.
That rules out simply reusing a favourite picture from last year’s application folder. It also avoids a common mistake when renewing several family passports: finding an old photo with the right filename and assuming it is still suitable.
Read the official passport photo guidance before taking or buying the picture.
Digital and Printed Sizes Are Different
| Requirement | Digital photo | Printed photos |
|---|---|---|
| Application method | Online application | Paper application |
| Number needed | A digital image or photo code | Two identical prints |
| Size | At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall | 45 mm high and 35 mm wide |
| File size | At least 50 KB and no more than 10 MB | Not applicable to the physical prints |
| Head size | Follow the online photo instructions | Between 29 mm and 34 mm from crown to chin |
Pixels describe a digital file. Millimetres describe a physical print. Treating the figures as interchangeable can leave you with a correctly shaped picture that is still unsuitable for the application method.
A Photo Shop or Booth Can Provide a Code
If you use a participating photo shop or booth, choose the digital passport option that provides a photo code. During the online application, enter that code to retrieve the picture.
Check the image displayed before submitting it. The official photo-code instructions describe how the code adds the photo to your application.
Ask which product you are buying before paying. A strip of printed photographs and a code for an online application are different things, even when both are sold as passport photos.
Taking a Digital Photo at Home
You can have someone take the photo using your own device. Arrange the background and lighting first, then take the picture. This is easier than trying to correct a poor photograph afterwards.
HM Passport Office’s photo-taking instructions suggest standing about 50 cm from the background, with the person taking the picture about 1.5 metres away. Include your head, shoulders and upper body. The online service will crop the photo, so do not crop a device-taken image yourself.
Keep the camera steady and at a sensible height. Check the result on a larger screen if the phone preview makes it difficult to see whether the eyes and facial details are sharp.
Choose a Plain Background
Use a plain, light-coloured background without texture, objects or patterns. A pale wall can work well, provided it does not have visible decoration or a strong shadow.
Look at the whole image rather than just your face. The edge of a picture frame, a door handle or somebody’s hand can be easy to miss when you are concentrating on your expression.
If the setting is wrong, move to a better one and take the photo again. Replacing the background in an editing app changes the image rather than fixing the conditions in which it was taken.
Get Even Light Across Your Face
Facing a window can give more balanced light than standing directly under a ceiling lamp. Avoid bright direct sunlight that makes you squint or creates a sharp division between light and shade.
Check behind your head as well as across your face. A dark shadow on the wall can remain visible even when the face looks bright enough.
If the first attempt has shadows, change your position or the lighting before taking another. Turning up the brightness afterwards can wash out detail without solving the original problem.
Keep Your Face and Eyes Visible
For adults, look straight at the camera with a plain expression, your mouth closed and your eyes visible. Keep hair out of your eyes and make sure nothing obscures your face.
Head coverings are allowed for religious or medical reasons. Arrange them so the face remains visible in line with the official rules.
You do not need to produce a severe or unnatural expression. Relax your face, look forward and let the person taking the photograph check the frame before pressing the shutter.
Glasses Can Cause Avoidable Problems
GOV.UK advises taking glasses off unless you have to wear them. If they must stay on, they cannot be tinted or sunglasses, and the frames, glare, reflections and shadows must not hide the eyes.
A reflection may only become obvious when you enlarge the photograph. Check each eye rather than assuming that transparent lenses will always be acceptable.
If you cannot meet a rule for a medical reason, read the official guidance on adjustments instead of repeatedly submitting a photograph without explaining the circumstances.
Leave Filters and Retouching Switched Off
Passport photos must be unaltered by computer software. Avoid beauty filters, skin smoothing, face reshaping, AI replacement and digital background changes.
Check the camera settings before taking the photo. Some phones and apps apply enhancement automatically, particularly in portrait or beauty modes. Use a normal photo setting and review the original file.
There is also no general requirement to reduce a UK digital passport photo to exactly 100 KB. If it already meets the official file limits, chasing an arbitrary smaller size serves no application requirement and can make fine detail harder to see.
Printed Photos Need Proper Printing
For paper applications, follow the printed photo rules. The two prints should be identical, professionally printed in colour on plain white photographic paper, without borders or physical damage.
Do not cut a face out of a larger group photograph to make the right outer dimensions. The picture itself and the size of the head must meet the requirements.
Keep the prints clean and flat. Send them loose as instructed, rather than gluing or stapling them to the application. Write on the back only where the application specifically requires certification.
Children Have Some Different Rules
Children must appear on their own, without toys or dummies. The rules allow children under six to have a different expression or look away from the camera. Babies under one do not need to have their eyes open.
Those allowances do not mean any casual baby photograph will work. The face still needs to be visible, and an adult’s supporting hand must not appear in the photo.
Choose a calm moment and take a few separate photographs. Check the relevant age rules rather than trying to make a baby follow every adult instruction.
If a Disability Prevents You Meeting a Rule
The official accessibility guidance explains what to do if a disability means the normal photo requirements cannot be met. It describes giving an explanation and supporting evidence with the application.
Do not digitally change the photograph to hide the issue. Follow the adjustment process and explain the circumstances honestly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a selfie?
GOV.UK’s home-photo instructions say to have someone help take the picture. Follow that approach so there is enough distance and the framing is easier to control.
Does a photo booth guarantee acceptance?
A booth or shop can make the process easier, but the photograph still needs to meet HM Passport Office’s requirements. Check it before using the code or posting the prints.
Can I use an AI tool to remove the background?
The official rules require an unaltered photograph. Take the photo against a suitable real background rather than replacing it digitally.
What should I do if the online service raises a warning?
Read the reason carefully. Retake the photo if there is a lighting, framing or clarity problem. If you cannot meet a rule because of a disability, use the official process for explaining why.
Official Sources
- Digital passport photo requirements
- Printed passport photo requirements
- How to take a digital passport photo
- Using a digital photo code
- Passport services and photo adjustments for disabled applicants
Official information checked on 21 October 2026. This is an independent guide; HM Passport Office decides whether an application photo meets its requirements.