Platform sizes
UK passport photo size
By Suprabhat Updated How we write these
2 min read
The short answer
For an online application the photo must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 tall, between 50 KB and 10 MB. A printed photo is 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, with the head 29–34 mm from chin to crown.
Digital photo (online applications)
| Digital photo | JPEG, at least 600 × 750 px, 50 KB – 10 MB |
|---|---|
| How recent | taken in the last month |
| Background | plain and light-colored, with clear contrast |
Printed photos (paper forms)
| Size | 45 mm high × 35 mm wide |
|---|---|
| Head size | 29–34 mm from chin to crown |
| How many | 2 identical photos |
| Paper | plain white photographic paper, no border |
| Background | plain cream or light gray |
Online, the file is rarely too big
The UK allows up to 10 MB, so an ordinary phone photo is almost never too large. What trips people up is the other end: a photo sent through a chat app or cropped hard can fall under 50 KB or under 600 × 750 pixels, and the service turns it down. Send the original from your phone’s camera roll, not a copy that went through WhatsApp.
The photo also has to be unaltered — no filters, no smoothing, no background removal — and taken in the last month, facing the camera with a plain expression and your eyes visible.
Questions
What size is a UK passport photo?
Online: at least 600 × 750 pixels, 50 KB to 10 MB, in color. Printed: 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, with your head 29–34 mm from chin to crown, on plain white photo paper.
Why is my UK passport photo rejected for being too small?
The file is under 50 KB or under 600 × 750 pixels — usually because it was sent through a messaging app, which shrinks photos, or cropped too tightly. Use the original from your camera roll, or check it with the Photo Size Checker.
Can I take a UK passport photo on my phone?
Yes, for online applications: have someone else take it against a plain light wall, in even light, with no filters. The online service checks the photo as you upload it.
Where these numbers come from
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-28. Platforms change their rules; if one has, the upload limits page changelog says so.