--- title: 'UK passport photo size: 45 × 35 mm, head 29–34 mm, digital 600 × 750 pixels | Visa and driving licence photo rules' url: https://joelin.cc/en/p/200212 source: https://joelin.cc/en/p/200212 lang: en pubDate: '2026-11-10' date_modified: '2026-11-10' description: A UK printed passport photo is 45 mm high and 35 mm wide, head 29–34 mm, taken in the last month. Digital photos need 600 × 750 pixels. Visa and DVLA rules, with GOV.UK sources. schema_type: BlogPosting ai_role: ai_only translation_assistant: caddy ai_credit: 'AI-assisted writing and editing: Caddy (AI)' faq: - q: What size is a UK passport photo? a: A printed UK passport photo is 45 mm high and 35 mm wide. The head, from the top of the head to the chin, must be between 29 mm and 34 mm high. You need 2 identical photos, taken in the last month. - q: What size should a digital UK passport photo be? a: 'At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and at least 50 KB but no more than 10 MB. Do not crop it yourself: if you take the photo at home, include your head, shoulders and upper body.' - q: What colour background does a UK passport photo need? a: For printed photos GOV.UK says a plain cream or light grey background. For digital photos it says a plain light-coloured background. - q: How recent does a UK passport photo have to be? a: Taken in the last month. This is much stricter than most countries, which usually allow 6 months. - q: Can I wear glasses in my UK passport photo? a: Only if you have to. If you do, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted, the frames cannot cover your eyes and there must be no glare. Head coverings are allowed only for religious or medical reasons. - q: Can I use my passport photo for a UK visa application? a: No. The UK Visas and Immigration guidance says the visa photo must not be the same photo that is in your passport. It must be a JPG or JPEG of at least 600 × 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 6 MB. - q: What photo do I need for a UK driving licence? a: When you renew online you can use your passport photo or upload a new one. On paper you send a recent printed passport-type photo and, for a renewal, you must not sign the back of it. GOV.UK does not publish a separate millimetre size for driving licence photos. --- # UK passport photo size: 45 × 35 mm, head 29–34 mm, digital 600 × 750 pixels | Visa and driving licence photo rules A printed UK passport photo is 45 mm high and 35 mm wide (4.5 × 3.5 cm). The head, from the top of the head to the chin, must be 29 to 34 mm high, the background plain cream or light grey, and the photo taken in the last month. If you apply online instead, the digital photo must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall. The one-month rule is the detail people miss: most countries accept photos up to 6 months old, but GOV.UK asks for a photo taken in the last month. Visa photos and driving licence photos follow different rules, covered below with the GOV.UK page each rule comes from. This page is published on joelin.cc, the site of Joe Lin (老喬), who works in the photo booth business in Taiwan. The sizes come from GOV.UK; pixel counts are calculated from them. Which photo you need: ```mermaid flowchart TD A["What is the photo for?"] --> B{"UK passport?"} B -- "Paper form" --> C["2 printed photos
45 × 35 mm
head 29–34 mm"] B -- Online --> D["Digital photo
600 × 750 px or more
50 KB to 10 MB"] B -- No --> E{"UK visa?"} E -- Yes --> F["JPG, 600 × 750 px
50 KB to 6 MB
not your passport photo"] E -- No --> G["Driving licence:
passport photo or
passport-type print"] ``` ## UK photo sizes at a glance | Use | Size | Taken within | | --- | --- | --- | | Passport, printed | 45 × 35 mm | 1 month | | Passport, digital | 600 × 750 px+ | 1 month | | Visa (UKVI) | 600 × 750 px+ | Not stated | | Driving licence | Passport-type | Recent | The printed passport photo is the only one with official millimetre sizes, and the only one that must be on a cream or light grey background; digital passport and visa photos need a plain light-coloured background. Visa applications are digital only, and GOV.UK describes the driving licence photo simply as a recent passport-type photo. A photo that meets the printed passport rules is therefore the safe choice for a paper driving licence form. | Size
(h × w) | cm | Pixels
at 300 dpi | | --- | --- | --- | | 45 × 35 mm | 4.5 × 3.5 | 531 × 413 | The calculation is millimetres ÷ 25.4 × 300; for example 35 ÷ 25.4 × 300 = 413 pixels. The digital passport minimum of 600 × 750 pixels is higher than this. ## Printed passport photos: the GOV.UK rules The GOV.UK guidance «[Photos for passports: printed photos](https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports/printed-photos)» asks for 2 identical printed photos. The main rules: - 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, not cut down from a larger photo. - Head 29 to 34 mm high, from the top of the head to the chin. - Plain cream or light grey background. - Taken in the last month, printed in colour on white photo paper, with no border. - Neutral expression with your mouth closed. - Head coverings only for religious or medical reasons. - No glasses unless you have to wear them; no sunglasses or tinted lenses, frames must not cover the eyes and there must be no glare. - The photo must not be changed with computer software. Children under 6 do not have to look directly at the camera, and babies under 1 can have their eyes closed. Some applications need one of the two photos countersigned, for example a first adult passport, a lost passport or a renewal for a child aged 11 or under. GOV.UK's «[Countersigning passport applications](https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications)» explains that the countersignatory writes «I certify that this is a true likeness of…» on the back of one photo, signs and dates it. They must have known you for at least 2 years and cannot be a relative. ## Digital passport photos For an online application the [same GOV.UK guidance](https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports) asks for a digital photo at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, between 50 KB and 10 MB, on a plain light-coloured background and taken in the last month. Do not crop it: if you take it yourself, include your head, shoulders and upper body. Photo booths and photo shops can give you a photo code instead of a file, which you enter in the online application. ## Visa photos: digital, and not your passport photo UK Visas and Immigration published «[How to take a photo for a visa application or permission](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-take-a-photo-for-a-visa-application-or-permission)» in February 2026. The photo must be a JPG or JPEG of at least 600 × 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 6 MB, in portrait orientation and not mirrored, on a plain light-coloured background. It must not be the same photo as the one in your passport, and your shoulders and upper body must be clothed. Glasses and head covering rules are the same as for passports. Note the different file limits: 10 MB for passports, 6 MB for visas. Physical biometric residence permits have also ended: GOV.UK's «[Biometric residence permits](https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits)» page says all BRPs have expired and have been replaced by eVisas, which have no printed photo. ## Driving licence photos (DVLA) On «[Renew your photocard driving licence](https://www.gov.uk/renew-photo-driving-licence)» GOV.UK says that online you can use your passport photo or upload a new one. For a paper application «[Renew your driving licence](https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence)» asks for a recent printed passport-type photo and says not to sign the back of it. GOV.UK does not give a separate size, head height or background for driving licence photos, so use a photo that meets the printed passport rules. The countersignature rule is different for applications where your identity has not been checked another way. According to «[ID for a driving licence application](https://www.gov.uk/id-for-driving-licence)», if you do not prove your identity with a UK passport or a share code, the form and photo must be signed by someone who holds a GB driving licence, knows you personally and is not a relative. ## Where to get a UK passport photo Photo booths in supermarkets and stations print passport photos and can give a photo code for online applications. Photo-Me booths in the UK, by town and postcode area, are on the [UK passport photo booth map](https://photobooth.joelin.cc/en/uk/idphoto/), with a guide to [using a booth photo code](https://photobooth.joelin.cc/en/guide/uk-passport-photo-code/) (both run by Joe Lin, who also publishes this site). Passport photo sizes and background colours in other countries are compared in our [table of passport and ID photo sizes for 23 countries](https://joelin.cc/en/p/10106). ## Common practical questions ### What size is a UK passport photo? A printed UK passport photo is 45 mm high and 35 mm wide. The head, from the top of the head to the chin, must be between 29 mm and 34 mm high. You need 2 identical photos, taken in the last month. ### What size should a digital UK passport photo be? At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and at least 50 KB but no more than 10 MB. Do not crop it yourself: if you take the photo at home, include your head, shoulders and upper body. ### What colour background does a UK passport photo need? For printed photos GOV.UK says a plain cream or light grey background. For digital photos it says a plain light-coloured background. ### How recent does a UK passport photo have to be? Taken in the last month. This is much stricter than most countries, which usually allow 6 months. ### Can I wear glasses in my UK passport photo? Only if you have to. If you do, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted, the frames cannot cover your eyes and there must be no glare. Head coverings are allowed only for religious or medical reasons. ### Can I use my passport photo for a UK visa application? No. The UK Visas and Immigration guidance says the visa photo must not be the same photo that is in your passport. It must be a JPG or JPEG of at least 600 × 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 6 MB. ### What photo do I need for a UK driving licence? When you renew online you can use your passport photo or upload a new one. On paper you send a recent printed passport-type photo and, for a renewal, you must not sign the back of it. GOV.UK does not publish a separate millimetre size for driving licence photos. Sources: Passport photos: GOV.UK guidance «Photos for passports», printed and digital sections (page updated 9 September 2026), and «Countersigning passport applications». Visa photos: GOV.UK «How to take a photo for a visa application or permission» (first published 12 February 2026) and «Biometric residence permits». Driving licence: GOV.UK «Renew your driving licence», «Renew your photocard driving licence» and «ID for a driving licence application»; GOV.UK gives no millimetre size for DVLA photos. Page used for periodic re-checks: https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports . Pixel counts at 300 dpi are calculated from the sizes. All sources checked on 10 November 2026. AI-assisted writing and editing: Caddy (AI)