UK Passport photo — correct size, formatted to spec
Upload your photo and OnSpec formats it to the exact United Kingdom specification: 35 × 45 mm at 600 DPI, with the head positioned inside the accepted range. The crop and a watermarked preview are free.
Spec verified against the official United Kingdom requirements · last checked 2026-07-26.
The UK wants a photo unaltered by computer software and not cropped from a larger picture — removal is available to help you size the file, but it doesn't make a software-edited photo HMPO-safe. Prefer a properly-composed photo on a real cream or light-grey background.
Upload a photo to position it inside the frame
35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px @ 600 DPI
The crop and a watermarked sample are free. Unlock removes the watermark and gives you the print-ready file plus a 4×6 sheet. OnSpec sizes and formats your photo to spec — there is no acceptance guarantee for United Kingdom.
Your photo is processed on this device — including background removal. If you hand it over from your phone, that transfer is end-to-end encrypted: our server only ever holds a blob it can’t read, deleted the moment your computer picks it up.
United Kingdom photo requirements
A UK passport photo is 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall — a portrait rectangle, not a square — and HM Passport Office is specific about the head size: the distance from the crown of your head to your chin must be between 29 mm and 34 mm. The background should be plain cream or light grey (not white), with your face in clear contrast to it. Which application route you use matters: for an online application on your own device, gov.uk says do not crop — upload your full, uncropped photo and HMPO crops it for you, so an OnSpec-cropped file is not what that route wants. For a paper application you need a printed 35 x 45 mm photo, which is exactly what OnSpec's 4x6 sheet is for. (A booth or shop photo with a code is a third option that gov.uk says is more likely to be approved.) Because OnSpec crops and can clean backgrounds in software, we ship this as a sizing tool only — we format your photo to the exact 35 x 45 mm spec and draw the crown and chin guides, but we do not offer an acceptance guarantee for the UK.
- Photo size
- 35 × 45 mm
- File at 600 DPI
- 827 × 1063 px
- Head height
- 29–34 mm
- Background
- #D9D9D9
- Printed photo must measure 45 mm high by 35 mm wide.
- Photo must be taken within the last month — the UK's recency rule is the strictest.
- Your head, from the crown to your chin, must measure between 29 mm and 34 mm high.
- Use a plain cream or light grey background, with your face in clear contrast to it.
- Face forwards and look straight at the camera with a plain expression and no smiling, mouth closed.
- Keep your eyes open and visible, with no hair across them and no 'red eye'.
- Do not wear glasses unless you must; if you do, they cannot be tinted and your eyes must be clear of frames, glare, reflection, or shadow.
- No head covering, except worn for religious or medical reasons.
- No shadows on your face or behind you, and nothing covering your face.
- The photo must be unaltered by computer software and not a cut-down version of a larger picture; for online applications HMPO crops the photo itself.
How to make a compliant United Kingdom photo
- 1.Choose a recent, well-composed, front-facing colour photo taken against a plain cream or light-grey background with even lighting.
- 2.Upload it to OnSpec and select UK Passport.
- 3.Position the top of your head at the upper guide and your chin at the lower guide so your head measures 29–34 mm in the final print.
- 4.Prefer a real cream or light-grey background — HMPO wants a photo unaltered by computer software, so use background removal only if you must.
- 5.For a paper application, download the 4x6 sheet and get a physical 35 x 45 mm print. For an online application, do not upload this cropped file — gov.uk crops your full photo for you, so upload your original, uncropped photo there instead.
Why United Kingdom photos get rejected
- Photo not taken within the last month — the UK requires it be taken in the last month, the strictest recency rule anywhere.
- Head outside the required 29–34 mm crown-to-chin measurement.
- Pure white or dark background instead of plain cream or light grey.
- A photo altered by computer software, or a cut-down version of a larger picture — HMPO asks for an unaltered, uncropped photo.
- Smiling or mouth open — a plain expression with the mouth closed is required.
- Red-eye, or hair falling across the eyes.
- Glasses causing glare, reflection, or shadow over the eyes.
- Shadows on the face or on the background behind you.
Spec verified against the official gov.uk requirements. OnSpec sizes and formats your photo to the UK's 35 x 45 mm spec — but HMPO asks for a photo unaltered by computer software and not cut down from a larger picture, and crops online applications itself, so shoot a well-composed photo on a real cream or light-grey background. We don't offer an acceptance guarantee for the UK.
Requirements formatted from the official United Kingdom guidance. Spec last verified 2026-07-26. Rules can change — always check the official source before submitting.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a UK passport photo?
35 mm wide by 45 mm tall. At 600 DPI that is an 827 x 1063 pixel file, which OnSpec produces exactly.
How big should my head be in a UK passport photo?
The image of your head, from the crown to your chin, must be between 29 mm and 34 mm high — a little under two-thirds of the 45 mm photo height.
What background colour does the UK require?
A plain cream or light grey background, with your face in clear contrast to it. Pure white is not recommended. HMPO wants a photo unaltered by computer software, so shoot against a real cream or light-grey background rather than relying on background removal.
Does OnSpec guarantee my UK photo will be accepted?
No. HMPO asks for a photo unaltered by computer software and not cut down from a larger picture, and the online application crops the photo itself — so we can't promise acceptance. OnSpec sizes and formats your photo to the exact 35 x 45 mm spec; compose it properly on a real cream or light-grey background.
Should I use OnSpec for an online UK passport application?
For the online route, no — gov.uk says 'do not crop your photo, it will be done for you', so upload your full, uncropped photo and let HMPO crop it. OnSpec is for the paper route: use the 4x6 sheet to get a physical 35 x 45 mm print. A booth or shop photo with a code is another option gov.uk says is more likely to be approved.
Can I smile in a UK passport photo?
No. You must have a plain expression with your mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible.
Can I wear glasses?
It's best not to. If you must wear them they cannot be tinted, and your eyes must be clear of the frames and free of glare, reflection, or shadow.