The UK specification
Per HM Passport Office guidance:
- Size: 35mm wide × 45mm tall (413 × 531 px at 300 DPI).
- Head size: 29–34mm from chin to crown — about 70–80% of the frame height.
- Background: plain cream or light grey, evenly lit with no shadows.
- Digital uploads: between 50KB and 10MB, at least 600 × 750 pixels.
- Taken within the last month for the digital service.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible.
- Nothing covering the face; no head covering unless for religious or medical reasons.
The head-size rule is the one that fails
The 29–34mm chin-to-crown range is narrow and it is the most common cause of rejection. Too far from the camera and the head is undersized; too close and it overflows the range while also distorting facial proportions.
With the 413 × 531 preset, 29–34mm translates to roughly 342–401 pixels of the 531px height. Frame with the crop tool so the head fills about three-quarters of the frame, leaving a small gap above the crown.
Digital versus printed submissions
For the online service, minimum digital dimensions are 600 × 750 pixels — larger than the 413 × 531 that 300 DPI implies. If you are applying online, set the width to 600 and let the height follow the locked aspect ratio to 750.
For a printed photo submitted with a paper application, 413 × 531 at 300 DPI is correct, and the print must be on plain photographic paper with no border.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I wear glasses for a UK passport photo?
- Yes, provided your eyes are clearly visible with no glare, no tinting and no heavy frames obscuring them. Removing them is the safer option.
- What background colour does the UK require?
- Plain cream or light grey. Pure white is a frequent mistake — it can cause the outline of the head to disappear against the background.
- Does 35x45mm work for other countries?
- Yes. It is the standard across the Schengen area, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and much of Asia. The US and India are the notable exceptions, using square formats.