United Kingdom · passport
UK passport photo, digital and print rules
For online UK passport applications you upload a digital photo of at least 600×750 pixels against a plain light background, with your head (crown to chin) filling roughly 64–76% of the frame. Printed photos are 35×45 mm on a cream or light grey background.
- Size
- 35×45 mm
- Digital file
- 600×750 px JPEG
- Background
- light
- Head height
- 64.4–75.6%
- Price
- £4.99 · once
Select country and document
Step 1/3
Popular: · ·
- Head size62.4% · 50–69%
- Eye line61.2% · 56–69%
- Backgroundwhite · σ 6
- Lightingeven
- Resolution1832px
MEETS SPEC — ESTIMATED
Checked against the official specification — source cited on every document.
Worth knowing: For digital applications HM Passport Office crops your photo itself — do not pre-crop a digital submission tightly. Our digital file keeps the required framing; the print sheet is exact 35×45 mm.
How it works
01
Choose your document
58 documents across 29 destinations, each with the official specification built in.
02
Add your photo
Ten checks measure it live on your device — nothing is uploaded.
03
Pay once, download everything
Exact-spec file, print sheet and compliance report. One price, no subscription.
What is a UK Passport photo?
A UK passport photo is a colour photograph against a plain light background — cream or light grey in print at 35×45 mm, or a digital image of at least 600×750 pixels for online applications. The crown-to-chin measurement must fall between 29 mm and 34 mm in print terms, roughly 64–76% of the frame height.
HM Passport Office accepts either a photo code from an approved shop or booth, or your own digital photo uploaded during the online application. For digital submissions the photo should not be tightly pre-cropped — HMPO's own system crops it — which is exactly how PassportClerk frames the digital file it delivers.
Check your photo against those measurements here, free, in your browser. If it passes, one purchase gets you the correctly-sized digital file plus a 35×45 mm print sheet.
UK Passport photo requirements
| Size | 35×45 mm · 600×750 px @300 DPI |
|---|---|
| Digital file | 600×750px JPEG · max 10240 KB |
| Background | light |
| Head height | 64.4–75.6% of frame height |
| Digital upload | accepted |
| Background editing | not permitted — we keep you compliant by not touching it |
- Crown-to-chin must measure 29–34 mm in print (64–76% of frame height).
- For digital applications, do NOT pre-crop your photo — HM Passport Office crops it. You get a photo code from approved providers, or upload your own.
- Digital photos must be at least 600×750 px, 50 KB–10 MB.
- Printed photos: plain cream or light grey background.
Source: official requirements · verified 2026-07
What you get for £4.99
- High-resolution file in the exact spec (600×750px, under 10240 KB)
- Compliance report — everything we measured, printable
- Print-ready 10×15 cm sheet with 4 copies and cut lines
one-time payment — no subscription
Photos that pass
- Exact dimensions — 600×750px
- Plain light background, evenly lit
- Head filling 64.4–75.6% of the frame
- Taken in the last 6 months, neutral expression
Photos that get rejected
- Edited, filtered or AI-retouched photos
- Shadows on the face or background
- Busy walls, gradients or the wrong background colour
- Head too large, too small, or off-centre
- Glare on glasses or tinted lenses
- Old photos, or photos of printed photos
Why PassportClerk
Private by architecture
The free check runs on your device, and paid photos are deleted after 48 hours.
Measured, not guessed
Ten checks against the official specification — with the numbers shown, not a vague thumbs-up.
Exact files, first time
Correct pixels, DPI and file size for the portal, plus a print-ready sheet.
Fair by default
One price, no subscription. Wrong files? We fix them or refund you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UK passport photo code?
A photo code is a reference issued by approved photo booths and shops that lets HMPO fetch your photo digitally. It is one way to submit — you can equally upload your own compliant digital photo, which is what this tool produces.
What background colour does a UK passport photo need?
A plain light background for digital uploads; printed photos should be cream or light grey. Pure white is accepted digitally if it is even and shadow-free — we measure uniformity for you.
What size must the head be?
Crown to chin must measure 29–34 mm on the 45 mm print — about 64–76% of the frame height. The live checker shows your measured percentage as you adjust.
Can I smile in a UK passport photo?
No — plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera. Glasses are allowed only without glare and with your eyes fully visible; no sunglasses or tinted lenses.
Compliance, honestly
- We validate your photo against the official rules — we never retouch your face, and we only normalize the background where the destination country permits it.
- Every requirement is cited from official government sources, with the verification date shown on the page.
- You get a measured report, not a guarantee — final acceptance always rests with the issuing authority.
official requirements · verified 2026-07