UK passport photo requirements: digital or printed?
Choose your application route before using a photo tool. This guide compares the two formats so you can decide whether you need an original digital photo or printed photographs.
| Application | Photo requirements |
|---|---|
| Online | Digital image, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall; 50KB to 10MB. |
| Paper form | Two matching prints, 35mm wide by 45mm high. Crown-to-chin height: 29–34mm. |
Taking a digital photo yourself
GOV.UK requires an unaltered image. Have someone take it against a plain, light background. Include your head, shoulders and upper body, and leave cropping to the application service. Do not replace the background or retouch the image for this route.
A shop or booth can instead supply a photo code. A downloaded image is not automatically a photo code; PixPassVisa does not issue HMPO photo codes.
Check GOV.UK digital photo instructionsPreparing printed photographs
Use professionally printed colour photos on plain white photographic paper, with no border. GOV.UK also requires unaltered printed photos. A correctly sized print sheet alone does not establish that the original photograph meets the rules.
Check GOV.UK printed photo instructionsChoose your next step
If your original is suitable for an online application, you may not need an editor. For feedback, use the free photo checker and select United Kingdom. Its result is guidance, not HMPO approval.
To understand the tool settings, read the UK passport preset page. Check the editing restrictions before purchasing prepared files.
Reviewed 14 October 2026 against the GOV.UK pages linked above. PixPassVisa is independent of HM Passport Office. Read our editorial process.