Passport & visa photos / UK passport photo
UK passport photo: size, rules, and a photo you can make at home
✓ Checked Oct 2026 against the official pages. See sources
A UK passport (paper form) photo is 35 x 45 mm print. Take one against a plain wall at home and PhotoFit crops it to size, checks it, and gives you a print-ready photo and a 4x6 print sheet with 8 copies. The preview is free; the final photo is $4.99.
Make your photo
🔒 Your photo never leaves your device. Face detection, cropping, and the checks all run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to us or anyone else.
2. Your photo
Tips for a photo that passes
- Stand 2 to 4 feet in front of a plain white or off-white wall (or hang a white sheet). Step forward from the wall so no shadow falls behind you.
- Have someone else take it from about 4 feet away, camera at eye level. Selfies at arm's length distort your face.
- Face a window or a soft lamp so both sides of your face are evenly lit. No flash.
- Take off glasses and hats. Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed. Leave room above your head and show your shoulders.
- Use the original camera photo, not a screenshot or a photo sent by text.
Not an official acceptance guarantee. These are basic checks; the agency makes the final decision. Things we can't check: glasses glare, hair over the eyes, how recent the photo is, and whether it looks like you.
$4.99 for the clean photo
- The digital file at the official size
- A 4x6 print sheet (when the document needs prints). Print it at any photo kiosk as a 4x6 at 100%, then cut along the lines
- Retakes: one purchase covers up to 3 photos
The preview above is free and watermarked. Secure checkout by Stripe. Your photo stays on this device during checkout.
Printing: choose 4x6 in, "actual size" or 100%, no borders. Check one photo with a ruler before you cut.
UK passport (paper form) photo requirements
- Printed size
- 35 x 45 mm
- Head size
- 29 to 34 mm from the crown of the head to the chin
- Background
- Plain cream or light grey, in clear contrast to you
- Glasses
- Avoid unless you have to wear them; no tinted lenses, no glare
- Expression
- Plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open
- How recent
- Taken in the last month
Also required
- A close-up of your full head and upper shoulders
- No other objects or people
- No shadows on your face or behind you
- No hair in front of your eyes
- Printed to a professional standard on plain white photo paper, with no border
Good to know
- This is for the paper application. Applying online? GOV.UK takes your photo during the application (or uses a booth code) and says not to crop it, so you don't need PhotoFit.
- GOV.UK asks for 2 identical printed photos, unaltered by software. PhotoFit only crops and resizes.
Questions
What size is a uk passport photo?
35 x 45 mm print. 29 to 34 mm from the crown of the head to the chin.
Can I take a uk passport photo at home?
Yes, with a plain light wall, even light, and someone to take it. PhotoFit crops it to size and checks the basics. It doesn't edit your face or background, because agencies reject edited photos.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. PhotoFit runs in your browser, so the photo stays on your device.
Sources
From the official pages below, last checked Oct 2026. Rules change, so check them before you apply.