United Kingdom Passport Photo Maker
A UK passport photo is 35×45mm on a plain light-coloured background. HM Passport Office names shades of white, cream, ivory and light grey as acceptable examples, so a white background is fine, despite how often the opposite is asserted elsewhere. This maker applies a light background and sizes your head to the required band.
Prepared for the published requirements of: Passport (HMPO), Most UK visas.
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A clear, front-facing photo works best
JPG · PNG · HEIC · processed on your device, never uploaded
Before you upload — United Kingdom photo preparation checklist
- A plain, evenly lit background to start (we apply the selected colour)
- Face the camera straight on, both ears roughly visible
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
- A recent photo, taken within the last 6 months
- Shadows on your face or the wall behind you
- Glare or tint on glasses
- Hair across the eyes, hats or caps
- Filters, beauty smoothing, or a cropped group photo
Get the head size right
For United Kingdom, your face should fill 65–75% of the photo — the maker does this automatically, but here's what it should look like.
Correct head size
Too small / far away
Too close / cropped
Making a passport photo for a baby or infant? Use the baby & infant guide — the lay-on-a-white-sheet method makes it easy.
United Kingdom passport photo specification
- Print size
- 35 × 45 mm
- Head height
- 29–34 mm (chin to crown)
- Head % of frame
- 65–75%
- Background
- #EFEAD9
- Digital size
- min 600×750px
- File size
- 50–10240 KB
- Min DPI
- 300
- Glasses
- allowed if both eyes stay clearly visible and free of glare
- Expression
- neutral only (biometric)
Good to know
HM Passport Office accepts any plain light-coloured background, and its own examples include shades of white, cream, ivory and light grey — white is not a rejection reason. Light grey is applied here because it also suits Schengen states that do reject white. Note the two rules do not read alike: the gov.uk online service tells customers the photo must be unedited, while the examiner standard allows a digitally edited background as long as the edit does not affect your own image. Neither automatic acceptance nor automatic rejection follows, but photographing yourself against a suitable wall is the safer route for the online photo code. Glasses are allowed if both eyes stay clearly visible and glare does not hide them.
Verified 4 Jun 2026gov.uk
Report outdated informationWhat background a UK passport photo needs
HM Passport Office accepts a plain background in any light colour, naming shades of white, cream, ivory and light grey among its examples. What fails is a background that is dark, coloured, patterned, textured, or carries a shadow behind your head. This maker defaults to a light grey because it also suits Schengen consulates that do ask for grey, and because it keeps your outline visible against a pale top; change it if you prefer. Confirm the current guidance before submitting.
UK passport photo specification
The photo is 35×45mm with the head (chin to crown) between 29 and 34mm. You'll need a neutral expression with your mouth closed, both eyes open and visible, and nothing covering the face. Glasses are allowed provided both eyes stay clearly visible — frames may sit over the eye socket but must not hide the white or pupil, and if glare stops the checks locating your eyes you must take them off.
Online photo code vs. printed photo
When you apply online you can either upload a digital photo or use a code from a photo booth. One nuance is worth knowing before using any editor: the customer-facing online rules say the photo must be unedited, while HMPO's examiner standard permits a digitally edited background where the edit does not affect the image of you. Neither automatic acceptance nor automatic rejection follows, so an unedited capture against a suitable wall is the safer route for the online code. For a printed photo, download the 6×4 sheet and print it on photo paper.
A UK visa photo: same rules, but it must be a different photo
UK Visas and Immigration works to the same 35×45mm frame, plain light background, neutral expression and mouth-closed rules — but it also states that the photo you submit must not be the one already in your passport or identity card. Same specification, different image, so take a fresh photo rather than reusing the one you printed. The visa route is digital: the guidance describes a JPG of at least 600×750 pixels between 50 KB and 6 MB. Make the new photo here, then compress it into that band, and confirm the figures on the application screen before uploading.
Meeting the United Kingdom upload file-size limit
Online United Kingdom uploads accept 50–10240 KB. If your portal needs a smaller file, compress the finished photo to an exact size. Your image stays in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
What background colour does a UK passport photo need?
HM Passport Office asks for a plain light-coloured background and gives shades of white, cream, ivory and light grey as examples, so white is acceptable. The tool applies a light background for you. One nuance worth knowing: the gov.uk digital service tells customers the photo must be unedited, while HMPO's examiner standard allows a digitally edited background where the edit does not affect your own image. An unedited capture is the safer route for the online photo code.
What size is a UK passport photo?
35×45mm, with the head measuring 29–34mm from chin to crown.
Can I take a UK passport photo at home for the online application?
Yes. Take a front-facing photo against a plain wall in even light, then use this maker to set the correct size and light grey background and upload it.
Are glasses allowed in a UK passport photo?
Yes, provided both eyes stay clearly visible. Frames may sit over the eye socket or eyelids but must not hide the white or pupil of the eye, and glare or reflection that stops the checks finding your eyes means you have to remove them. The blanket no-glasses rule belongs to the US, not the UK — though taking them off is still the simplest way to avoid a glare problem.
Can I reuse my UK passport photo for a UK visa application?
No. The specification is the same — 35×45mm, plain light background, neutral expression — but UK Visas and Immigration states the photo you submit must not be the one already used in your passport or identity card. Take a fresh photo to the same rules. The digital guidance describes a JPG of at least 600×750 pixels between 50 KB and 6 MB; confirm the figures on the application screen before uploading.
What background does a UK visa photo need?
A plain light-coloured background, the same as the passport photo. This preset applies light grey or cream; avoid patterns and shadows, then confirm the current UKVI instructions before uploading.
What size is a passport photo for United Kingdom?
A passport photo for United Kingdom is 35×45mm. EasyPhoto sets this size automatically.
What background colour does a passport photo for United Kingdom need?
Any plain light colour — light grey, cream, ivory or white. The tool applies the recorded default; compare it with the linked current instructions before submitting.
What is the head size in a passport photo for United Kingdom?
Your head should measure 29–34mm from chin to crown. We size it to that band and flag it if it's off.
Can I wear glasses or smile in a passport photo for United Kingdom?
Glasses: allowed if both eyes stay clearly visible and free of glare. Expression: neutral only (biometric).
What file size does the United Kingdom online passport upload need?
Online uploads accept 50–10240 KB, so compress your photo to fit if needed.
Is the United Kingdom passport photo maker free and private?
Yes. It's free, with no watermark, and processed entirely in your browser. Your photo is never uploaded.
Does a UK passport photo have to avoid a white background?
No. HM Passport Office accepts a plain background in any light colour and gives shades of white, cream, ivory and light grey as its own examples. Light grey is applied here because it also suits Schengen consulates that do ask for grey, and because it keeps your outline visible if you are wearing something pale.