UK passport photo online: the digital rules
Applying online means uploading your own photo. GOV.UK keeps the file rules short, but two of them surprise people: the photo must be very recent, and you should not crop it.
Official file rules
UK passport digital photo (online application)
| How it is submitted | Uploaded online |
|---|---|
| Format | Not published by the authority |
| Pixels | at least 600 × 750 px |
| File size | 50 KB – 10 MB |
GOV.UK (HM Passport Office) · checked on
The official file rules
- At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall.
- At least 50 KB and no more than 10 MB.
- Taken in the last month.
- Not cropped: GOV.UK crops the photo for you.
Why you should not crop it
Most photo tools crop tightly around the face. For the UK online application that works against you: the service does its own crop, and it needs some space around your head and shoulders to do it. Upload the photo with its natural framing.
That is why the button below keeps your framing as it is. It only makes sure the file is a JPEG within 50 KB and 10 MB, and removes camera and location data.
The minimum size is easy to meet
Any modern phone photo is far larger than 600 × 750 pixels. Problems usually come the other way: a photo forwarded through a chat app can be shrunk below the minimum, or a screenshot may be too small. Always start from the original photo file.
Before you upload
- Take a new photo (the rule is the last month, not the last six months).
- Use a plain, light background and even light, with no shadows on the face.
- Open the tool from the button below and add your photo.
- Download the result and upload it in the online application.
Paper application or photo code?
If you get your photo from a shop or booth, you are usually given a photo code instead of a file. If you take the photo yourself, you upload the file. Printed photos for paper forms follow different, physical rules; see the printed photo options on the UK passport photo page.
Make the file now
Opens the free tool with these rules already filled in. Your photo never leaves your device.
Questions
Does GOV.UK say which file format to use?
The digital photo page lists the pixel and KB limits but no format. JPEG is the most widely accepted photo format, so that is what the tool produces.
Can I use a photo from last year?
No. GOV.UK says the photo must have been taken in the last month.
Will my photo be uploaded anywhere?
Not by Zekoya. Processing happens on your device; you upload the file to GOV.UK yourself.
Official sources
- GOV.UK (HM Passport Office) · checked on
Rules change. Always confirm on the official page before you apply. Zekoya is not affiliated with any government agency.