Digital passport photo size & cropping
UK digital passport photo size and cropping
A UK digital passport photo must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, with a file size of at least 50KB and no more than 10MB. GOV.UK sets a minimum, not an exact size. If you take the photo on your own device, do not crop it: include your head, shoulders and upper body and GOV.UK will crop it for you.
Checked against GOV.UK on . Official sources:
Digital vs printed passport photo size
| Rule | Digital (online application) | Printed (paper form) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | At least 600×750 pixels | 45mm high × 35mm wide |
| File size | 50KB to 10MB | — |
| Head size | Not stated; GOV.UK crops own-device photos | 29mm to 34mm, chin to crown |
| Cropping | Do not crop your own photo | Not cut down from a larger picture |
| Background | Plain, light-coloured | Plain cream or light grey |
| How many | 1 | 2 identical photos |
Why you shouldn't crop your own digital photo
The 35×45mm size belongs to printed photos. For an online application, GOV.UK asks for a photo that shows your head, shoulders and upper body and says: do not crop your photo, it will be done for you. Cropping tightly yourself can cut off the space the service needs and can make the photo look edited.
If you got your photo from a booth or shop with a photo code, you don't handle the file at all — you enter the code during the application.
Why photos end up too small or the wrong file size
- Screenshots are often smaller than the original and lose quality. Use the original photo file.
- Messaging apps compress photos, which can push them under 600×750 pixels or under 50KB. Send the original by email or cable, or use the phone that took it.
- Very large files over 10MB, from some high-resolution cameras, should be exported again at a slightly lower quality without cropping or editing.
How to check your photo's pixel size and file size
The quickest way is to open the free checker and choose the photo: it shows the exact pixel dimensions and file size and compares them with the GOV.UK limits, without uploading the photo. You can also check on your device:
- Windows: right-click the file, choose Properties, and look at Size on the General tab and Dimensions on the Details tab.
- Mac: select the file in Finder and choose File > Get Info. Size is near the top; Dimensions are under More Info.
- iPhone: open the photo in Photos and tap the info button or swipe up to see the resolution and file size.
- Android: open the photo in your gallery or Google Photos and swipe up or open the details to see the resolution and size.
Width is the first number and height the second: a portrait phone photo of 3024×4032 pixels is far above the 600×750 minimum.
Photo code or your own photo?
GOV.UK offers two routes to a digital photo. With a photo code from a booth or shop, the photographer handles the size and file for you and you type the code into the application; GOV.UK says these photos are more likely to be approved. With your own device, you take the photo during the application with someone helping you, and the size and file rules above apply. Either way the photo must be taken in the last month.
Digital passport photo checklist before you upload
- At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall
- File size between 50KB and 10MB
- Taken in the last month, in colour, clear and in focus
- Not edited, filtered or retouched, and no red eye
- Plain light-coloured background with no other people or objects
- Head, shoulders and upper body visible, and the photo not cropped by you
- Facing forwards with a plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and nothing covering your face
The first two points, and the background, are what the free checker tests automatically. Check the rest by eye before you upload.
What the 7:9 download in our checker is for
Our free checker exports a 700×900 pixel JPG in the 7:9 shape of a 35×45mm photo. Any 7:9 image needs to be at least 600×772 pixels to clear GOV.UK's 600×750 minimum, and 700×900 is comfortably above that. Use it to preview your framing or to print at 35×45mm. For a GOV.UK online application with your own photo, upload the uncropped original instead.
Check your photo's pixel size and file size now with the free UK passport photo checker, or read the full UK passport photo size guide.
Free pre-check before you upload to GOV.UK
Our free UK passport photo checker tests pixel size (at least 600×750), file size (50KB–10MB), format, background and shape in your browser. Your photo is never uploaded.
Open the free checkerFrequently asked questions
What pixel size is a UK digital passport photo?
GOV.UK says a digital passport photo must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall. It sets a minimum, not an exact size, so a larger original photo from your phone is fine.
What file size does a UK digital passport photo need?
At least 50KB and no more than 10MB, according to GOV.UK.
Do I need to crop my digital passport photo?
No. If you take the photo on your own device, GOV.UK says to include your head, shoulders and upper body and not to crop it, because it will be cropped for you.
Does a digital passport photo need to be 35×45mm?
No. Millimetre sizes only apply to printed photos. A digital photo is measured in pixels (at least 600×750) and file size (50KB to 10MB).
What file format should a digital passport photo be?
GOV.UK’s digital photo rules do not name a file format. JPG is the format phones and cameras normally produce and is the safest choice; the download from our checker is a JPG.