OpenPhotoId · Documents
UK passport photo requirements, checked in your browser
A UK passport photo is either a digital photo for an online application, at least 600 × 750 pixels, or two identical 45 × 35 mm prints for a paper form, and GOV.UK says it must be “unaltered by computer software”. OpenPhotoId is a free passport photo maker that, in your browser, keeps your own background, checks the photo against the rules and saves the file on your own device. No sign-up, no watermark, and nothing is uploaded.
UK passport photo size and rules, digital and printed
These are GOV.UK's rules, from Get a passport photo: Digital photos and Get a passport photo: Printed photos, checked on 22 October 2026.
| Rule | Digital photo | Printed photos |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | applying online | applying with a paper form |
| Size | at least 600 px wide and 750 px tall | 2 identical photos, 45 mm high × 35 mm wide |
| File | at least 50 KB, no more than 10 MB | printed to a professional standard, in colour on plain white photographic paper, no border |
| Background | plain, light-coloured | plain cream or light grey |
| Head | from your own device: head, shoulders and upper body, not cropped | crown to chin 29–34 mm; a close-up of full head and upper shoulders |
| Taken | in the last month | |
| Editing | “unaltered by computer software” | |
| Glasses | only if you have to wear them; never sunglasses or tinted; no glare, reflection or frames over the eyes | |
The printed photos must also not be “a cut down version of a larger picture”. The app saves the UK passport photo as a 600 × 771 JPEG between 50 KB and 10 MB, the 35 × 45 mm shape at a size above GOV.UK's pixel minimum. Every entry, with its official page, is on the supported documents list.
UK passport photo code: what it is, and when you need one
GOV.UK gives two ways to get a digital photo: from a photo booth or shop before you apply, or by taking one on your own device during the application. A photo code belongs to the first way. At the booth or shop you choose the option to get a code with your photos; during the online application you enter it, and the digital photo is added to your application. GOV.UK adds that photos from a booth or shop are more likely to be approved than one taken on your own device.
HM Passport Office's guide for photo suppliers explains what the code is: a short HTTPS link to a JPEG that the booth or shop hosts on the internet, which only HM Passport Office can retrieve. Its photo standards guidance (updated 4 March 2026) says applicants online can either upload a digital photo taken at home or got from a photo shop, or enter a photo code. Both checked on 22 October 2026.
OpenPhotoId does not give you a photo code. A code is a link to a photo held on a supplier's server, and OpenPhotoId never uploads your photo anywhere. You do not need a code if you upload a photo yourself.
What the web app does with a UK passport photo
We checked this in the web app on 22 October 2026, with test images we drew ourselves.
- Your own background is kept and checked. Background starts on “Leave as it is”, and the background check measures your wall against light grey (#DCDCDC).
- No retouching. Soften skin is off for this document, and Formal clothes is not offered: a drawn jacket is an edit.
- A notice before you submit quotes GOV.UK's “unaltered by computer software” rule above the photo.
- If you replace the background anyway, the app warns that the photo can be rejected and tells you to choose Background → Leave as it is, and the result is at most “Passes, with cautions”.
- Twelve checks run on the finished file: head height 64.4–75.6% of the photo, eye line, centring, tilt, glasses, sharpness, even lighting, background, pixel size and file size among them.
Applying online: GOV.UK says do not crop
For a photo taken on your own device, GOV.UK says to include your head, shoulders and upper body, and: “Do not crop your photo - it will be done for you.” The file OpenPhotoId saves is cropped to the 35 × 45 mm shape. GOV.UK does not say whether a cropped file is refused. To follow the instruction as written, use the app to check your UK passport photo (background, lighting, head position, glasses, sharpness) and upload the original, uncropped photo that passed. GOV.UK also says you will need someone to help you take the photo.
Applying on paper: printed photos
The web app can tile the 35 × 45 mm photo on a 4×6, 5×7, A4 or Letter sheet with cutting guides; a 4×6 in sheet holds eight. GOV.UK asks for photos printed to a professional standard on plain white photographic paper, and not cut down from a larger picture, and notes that 45 × 35 mm is the standard size of UK photo booths. It does not say whether a cut print sheet meets that rule, so for a paper form a photo booth is the safer route. More on printing at actual size.
Before you submit a UK passport photo
- Face forwards and look straight at the camera, with a plain expression and your mouth closed.
- Eyes open and visible, no hair in front of them, nothing covering your face.
- No head covering unless it is for religious or medical reasons.
- No shadows on your face or behind you, and no other objects or people in the photo.
- A pass from the app is not an acceptance. HM Passport Office still checks every photo.
Taking the UK passport photo yourself? See how to take a passport photo at home, and passport photo size for other documents.
Free, private, and on every device
Every feature is free, with no account and no watermark. The face detector and the matting model run on your device, so the photo never leaves it, and after the first visit the app works offline. It runs in any modern browser, on desktop or phone, and there are apps for macOS, Windows and Android; the iPhone and iPad download is coming back soon.