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United Kingdom passport photo

United Kingdom passport photo requirements: 35 × 45 mm. Check background, head position, expression, glasses and print or digital format. Official document-specific guidance

No registrationDigital file + print sheetPublic source-backed rules

Upload the source portrait

First the portrait, then the document and only the settings that matter.

Upload photo
Choose a portrait from the gallery or use the camera
Face forwardEven lightingNo heavy shadowsNeutral expression
Start with the portrait first so the correct format and rules can be applied to the selected document.
Step 2

Review the photo and choose the document

Just the preview, the document and a few necessary options.

What you get
Ready digital file
Download a normalized file for online forms, uploads and personal storage.
Print sheet
The same result can be exported as a print-ready sheet for common paper sizes.
Rules matched to the document
Format 35 × 45 mm. This page is checked against public document-specific guidance.
1 Upload a portrait
2 Select the document
3 Download the result
Processing photo…
AI adapts your portrait to the selected document. Usually 30–60 seconds.
Result
Why This Page Is Practical
No registration
Open the workflow from this page directly without creating an account.
Digital + print
The same result gives you a normalized digital file and a print sheet for common paper sizes.
Source transparency
This page shows the source authority, verification level and last verified date.
Route-aware rules
This workflow is tuned for documents that still accept applicant photos.

What this page covers

This page summarizes the photo rules for United Kingdom passport photo. The main print format is 35 × 45 mm.

Use the checklist below to confirm background, face position, glasses and lighting, then prepare the file online with PhotoDocs.

The reference source for this profile is HM Passport Office.

Source and verification

VerificationOfficial document-specific guidance
SourceHM Passport Office
Last verified2026-04-13

This page follows document-specific public guidance published by HM Passport Office.

Official document-specific photo rules were verified on 2026-04-13 using HM Passport Office.

How this page is checked
Structured document profile
This page is maintained as a document profile inside PhotoDocs, not as a generic blog post or a broad passport-photo landing page.
Source and verification
The requirements on this page are tied to HM Passport Office. The page shows its verification level and the last checked date 2026-04-13.
Where AI is used
AI is used to prepare the output photo. Source links, requirement notes and verification labels are stored in the page data and are not inferred from the uploaded portrait.

Trust center

Photo requirements

Format 35 × 45 mm
Digital file 600 × 750 px
Head height 65–78%
Background Light plain cream or grey background without patterns.
Pose Full-face, with the face occupying as much of the frame as possible without being cropped.
Expression Neutral expression; the applicant must be recognizable.
Glasses No glare or darkening; it is better to remove glasses if there is a risk of reflections.
Lighting No digital enhancements, shadows or print artifacts.
Head covering Only for religious reasons and without covering the facial outline.

How to take this photo correctly

  • Start with a recent, sharp portrait for United Kingdom passport photo.
  • Keep the pose aligned with the rule: Full-face, with the face occupying as much of the frame as possible without being cropped.
  • Use a clean setup that matches the required background: Light plain cream or grey background without patterns.
  • Check eyewear before submission: No glare or darkening; it is better to remove glasses if there is a risk of reflections.

Common reasons this photo gets rejected

  • The background does not match the rule: Light plain cream or grey background without patterns.
  • The head is tilted, too close to the edge or cropped too tightly.
  • Glasses, glare, hair or shadows make the eyes hard to see.
  • The facial expression does not match the rule: Neutral expression; the applicant must be recognizable.

More document photo pages for United Kingdom

Same document type in other countries: passport

FAQ

35 × 45 mm. Digital file: 600 × 750 px.
Light plain cream or grey background without patterns. Full-face, with the face occupying as much of the frame as possible without being cropped. Neutral expression; the applicant must be recognizable.
No glare or darkening; it is better to remove glasses if there is a risk of reflections. Only for religious reasons and without covering the facial outline.
This page follows document-specific public guidance published by HM Passport Office.
Yes. Start with a sharp, evenly lit portrait and let PhotoDocs crop and normalize the output for the selected document.