UK Passport Photos 35×45 mm
For paper applications, frame your photo to 35×45 mm with your head at 29–34 mm against a plain cream or light grey wall, and print it on a 10×15 cm sheet. Applying online? Upload your uncropped original instead.
Free preview · 1 credit for the photo + print sheet
UK Passport Photo: OK vs Not OK
The Passport Office asks for a plain cream or light grey background, no shadows, a neutral expression and a photo that has not been altered by software.
OK pictures
Facing the camera, neutral face, mouth closed, plain light wall Long hair kept behind the shoulders and away from the eyes Beards are fine — the whole face from chin to crown is visible Glasses only where allowed, with no glare or tint (not for US passports)
Not OK pictures
A shadow on the wall behind you Head tilted to one side Smiling with your mouth open Glare on glasses hiding the eyes Too close — the top of the head is cut off A patterned or cluttered background Looking away from the camera Eyes closed or half closed Beauty filters, retouching or a pasted-in background
Illustrations. Every photo must also meet your document’s size and background rules.
UK Passport Photo Rules
35×45 mm, head 29–34 mm
The photo must be 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, with your head from chin to crown between 29 mm and 34 mm. The tool crops your photo to these measurements.
Plain cream or light grey background
No patterns, no shadows behind you and nothing else in the frame. The background check warns you when the wall looks too dark or uneven.
Not altered by software
Printed photos must be "unaltered by computer software" and digital ones "unedited". The tool only crops and resizes — retake rather than retouch.
Online applications: do not crop
If you apply online, gov.uk asks you to upload the photo uncropped — it is cropped for you. Use the framed photo here for paper forms, and the original from your phone for the online service.
Before You Print
Printed to a professional standard
Paper photos must be printed on plain white photo paper with no border. Use a photo kiosk or a good photo printer — not plain office paper.
Two identical copies
A paper application needs two identical photos. The 10×15 cm sheet holds eight.
How to Make a UK Passport Photo
Take the photo
Stand about 50 cm in front of a plain, light wall in even daylight. Ask someone to take it at eye level, with space above your head and your shoulders in view. Glasses off, neutral face, mouth closed.
Upload it
Open the tool, choose UK passport and upload the original photo from your phone or camera — not a screenshot or a copy sent through a messaging app, which loses detail.
Check the framing
Your face is found automatically and the photo is cropped so your head and eyes land inside the official bands. Drag or zoom to fine-tune, and read the checklist: head size, eye line, tilt, background, expression and sharpness.
Download and print
Download the digital file and a print sheet with several copies. Print the sheet at 100% (actual size) on photo paper at home or at a photo kiosk, and cut along the marks.
Who It Is For
Renewing by post
Make the photos for a postal renewal form without a trip to a photo booth.
Visa applications
Get the exact size a consulate asks for, plus a digital file for online forms.
Online applications
A digital file at the pixel size and file size the portal accepts.
Families
One print sheet holds several copies — enough for every form that needs one.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Make Your UK Passport Photo
35×45 mm, framed to gov.uk measurements, on a 10×15 cm sheet.