UK passport digital photo

GOV.UK sets these rules for a photo you upload when you apply for or renew a passport online.

• At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall.
• At least 50 KB and no more than 10 MB.
• Clear, in focus and in colour.
• A plain light-coloured background that contrasts with you.
• Taken in the last month.
• Your head, shoulders and upper body are in the frame.
• No other people and no objects in the picture.

The page does not name a file format. The tool saves a JPEG.

GOV.UK asks you not to crop the photo yourself, because the application service does it. The "United Kingdom: passport (online application)" format frames the picture and keeps it far above the minimum of 600 by 750 pixels. If the service does not take that file, upload your original shot instead: this is why the last step tells you to keep it. A phone picture is nearly always heavier than 50 KB and lighter than 10 MB, so the original usually fits the weight limit as it is.

• Take your glasses off if you can. If you need them, the lenses must not be dark or tinted, and the frames, glare and shadows must not cover your eyes.
• A head covering is accepted only for religious or medical reasons.
• Face the camera with a plain expression. The guidance for photographers does not accept a mirrored image, so switch off the mirror mode of a front camera.

• Two identical prints, 45 mm high by 35 mm wide.
• The head measures 29 to 34 mm from the crown to the chin.
• The background is plain cream or plain light grey.
• Plain white photographic paper with no border, in colour, of professional quality.
• The print must not be a cut down version of a larger picture.

For a paper form pick "United Kingdom: passport and driving licence (printed photo)" in the list: it gives the 35x45 mm frame on a light grey background. The Passport Office guidance says that photos printed at home are usually not sharp enough, so order the two prints from a photo lab.

This is the wording of GOV.UK. The guidance for photographers adds detail: blemishes must not be removed, lines and shadows must not be softened, and digital enhancement is not acceptable. A background replaced by software is an alteration too. So make the wall do the work: a real plain light wall, daylight from the front, no shadow behind you. The tool does not retouch the face and does not redraw clothes. Processing is automatic and acceptance of the photo by HM Passport Office is not guaranteed.

For visas and immigration permissions UKVI asks for a JPG or JPEG held vertically, at least 600 by 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 6 MB. The passport service takes up to 10 MB. A passport file heavier than 6 MB will not go into a visa form, so check the weight if you reuse the photo.