UK Passport Photo Maker (35 x 45 mm)

Size35 x 45 mm
BackgroundPlain cream or light grey
Head height64–76% of the photo
GlassesNot allowed

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Add a photo for your UK Passport

Take a photo or choose oneOn a phone you can use your camera. JPEG, PNG or HEIC.

For the best result

Plain wallCleaner edges around hair
Face the lightA window or lamp, no side shadow
Neutral faceEyes open, look at the lens
No glassesHats and headphones off too
Arm's lengthHead and shoulders in frame

Your photo stays on your device. It is processed here in your browser — we don't upload it, and we can't see it.

About this photo

A UK passport photo is 45 mm high by 35 mm wide with your head measuring 29 to 34 mm from chin to crown. Two things catch people out and neither is the size: HM Passport Office wants a plain cream or light grey background rather than the white almost every other country asks for, and the photo must have been taken in the last month, not the last six. This page crops to the UK specification exactly and gives you both a digital file for the online application and a printable sheet for a paper one.

How to make a United Kingdom Passport photo

Upload a photo of yourself taken against any background, or take one with your phone.
Our tool finds your face, replaces the background with plain cream or light grey and crops to 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm).
Check the compliance results, then download your photo free — plus a 4x6 sheet you can print at a drugstore.

United Kingdom Passport photo requirements

Print size: 45 mm high x 35 mm wide (3.5 x 4.5 cm)
Head height: 29 to 34 mm from the crown of your head to your chin - about 64 to 76% of the photo height
Background: Plain cream or light grey. Not white, and not a pattern or a shadow
Age of photo: Taken within the last month. This is far stricter than the 6 months most countries allow
Expression: Plain expression with your mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible, facing straight at the camera
Glasses: Do not wear glasses unless you have to. If you must, your eyes have to be clearly visible with no glare. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are never accepted
Hats and head coverings: Not allowed except for religious or medical reasons, and your face must be visible from the bottom of your chin to the top of your forehead
Digital dimensions: At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall for the online service. At true 35:45 proportions that means at least 600 x 771
File size: At least 50 KB and no more than 10 MB for the online service
Prints needed: 2 identical prints for a paper application, in colour on plain white photographic paper with no border
Print quality: Printed to a professional standard, clear and in focus, no creases or tears, and unmarked on both sides unless it is being countersigned
Editing: No filters, no retouching and no digital alteration of your appearance

Mistakes that get this photo rejected

The background is cream or light grey, not white. This is the single most common UK rejection and it is the opposite of the US rule, so a photo made for a US passport is refused here on the background alone.
One month, not six. A photo you had taken for another application last year is not acceptable even if you look identical, and HM Passport Office asks you to confirm the date.
The head has to fill much more of the frame than a US photo. 29-34 mm on a 45 mm photo is roughly 64-76% of the height, against 50-69% for a US 2 x 2 - so a US photo cannot be cropped down into a UK one.
If your photo needs countersigning, the person signs the back of one print. Do not write on the back yourself, and do not sign the front of either photo.
The digital service asks for at least 600 x 750 pixels, which is a 4:5 shape, while the printed photo is 35 x 45 mm, which is not. A file that is genuinely 35:45 and at least 600 wide has to be 771 tall, so aim above both numbers rather than at exactly 600 x 750.
Both prints have to be identical - two prints of the same image, not two photographs from the same sitting.

The six reasons photos come back, across every document

Printing it for about 40¢

The 4×6 sheet this tool gives you holds several copies of your photo at exactly 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm). Order it as an ordinary 4×6 photo print — about 19¢ at Walmart, 39¢ at Walgreens or 42¢ at CVS — then cut them out. That is the same print the store charges $7.64 to $16.99 for at the counter.

The one thing that goes wrong: letting the store’s website or kiosk crop, zoom or “fit” your image. That changes the photo’s physical size and is the most common reason a printed photo is rejected. Always choose the option that prints the whole sheet at actual size.

Common questions

What size is a UK passport photo?

45 mm high by 35 mm wide, with your head between 29 mm and 34 mm from the crown to the chin. That is the same frame most of the world uses, but the head window is specific to the UK - Schengen asks for 32-36 mm and Canada 31-36 mm on the same size photo.

Does the background really have to be cream, not white?

HM Passport Office asks for a plain cream or light grey background. White is what nearly every other country wants, which is why people who have made a US or Indian photo get refused here. If your wall is white, the photo is likely to be rejected.

How recent does a UK passport photo have to be?

Taken in the last month. It is one of the strictest recency rules anywhere - the US, Canada, India and the Schengen countries all allow six months.

Can I wear glasses?

GOV.UK says do not wear glasses unless you have to. If you genuinely need them, your eyes must be clearly visible with no glare or reflection on the lenses. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are never acceptable. If there is any doubt, take them off - nothing requires you to wear them.

What does the online application need?

A digital photo at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, between 50 KB and 10 MB. You upload it during the application rather than sending prints.

How many printed photos do I need?

Two identical prints for a paper application, in colour on plain white photographic paper with no border. The 4 x 6 sheet from this tool holds several copies, so you can print one sheet and cut the pair you need.

Is a UK photo the same as a Schengen visa photo?

The frame is, at 35 x 45 mm, but the details are not. Schengen wants a 32-36 mm head against a plain light background, and its recency rule is six months rather than one. Our 35 x 45 mm page crops to the band all of these countries accept if you need one photo to cover several.

Other photos you can make free

Checked August 2026 Specifications and prices on this page come from the sources below. Rules and prices change — if you spot something out of date, please tell us.