The size
- Printed photo: 35 mm wide by 45 mm high.
- Head: from the chin to the top of the head, between 29 mm and 34 mm.
- Digital photo for online applications: at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall. The Passport Photo Maker makes it 700 by 900 pixels.
The main rules
- A plain, light-coloured background with no pattern, objects or shadows.
- Face the camera with a neutral expression, mouth closed and eyes open and visible.
- Even light, with no shadows on your face or behind you, and no red eye.
- Nothing covering your face; head coverings only for religious or medical reasons.
- A recent photo, in focus, in colour and not edited.
Rules change from time to time, so check the current requirements on GOV.UK before you apply.
Make it at home
- Stand in front of a plain light wall, facing a window, and ask someone to take the photo from about 1.5 metres at eye level.
- Open the UK Passport Photo maker, where United Kingdom is already chosen.
- Move and zoom the photo until your chin and the top of your head sit on the guide lines.
- Download the digital photo for an online application, or the 4x6 inch (6x4) sheet to print at a shop or photo kiosk, then cut along the lines.
The photo is cropped in your browser and never uploaded.
Common reasons photos are rejected
- Shadows behind the head or on one side of the face.
- Head too small or too big in the frame.
- Glare on glasses, or hair covering the eyes.
- Photo taken at arm's length, which distorts the face.