UK passport photo
One UK rule trips up more people than the measurements do: the photo has to have been taken in the last month. Almost every other country allows six. If you are reusing a photo from a previous application, it will be refused however good it looks.
Specification
Requirements
- Printed photo 45 mm high by 35 mm wide
- Head between 29 mm and 34 mm from chin to crown
- Digital photo at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall
- File between 50 KB and 10 MB
- Plain light-coloured background
- Plain expression with your mouth closed
- Taken in the last month
What gets photos rejected
- Reusing a photo older than a month, which the UK refuses even when everything else is right
- A background that is white but shadowed, which stops counting as plain
- Sunglasses or tinted lenses, which are never allowed
- Head outside the 29 to 34 mm band, usually too large
- A digital file under 600 pixels wide
Questions
What size is a UK passport photo?
Printed photos measure 45 mm high by 35 mm wide. The head must be between 29 mm and 34 mm from chin to crown.
How recent does a UK passport photo have to be?
It must have been taken in the last month. This is stricter than almost anywhere else, where six months is normal, and it is the rule people most often get wrong.
Can I wear glasses?
GOV.UK asks you not to wear glasses unless you have to. If you must, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and your eyes have to be clearly visible.
What are the digital requirements?
At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, between 50 KB and 10 MB, on a plain light-coloured background.