UK Passport Photo Requirements 2026

The background rule, and a myth about it

Many photo sites say the UK turns down a white background and insists on grey. The published photographic standard says the opposite: a photo may be taken against any plain background that is any light colour, and the examples it gives are “different shades of white (cream, ivory or vanilla) and light grey”. White is acceptable. What fails is a background that is dark, coloured, patterned or textured, or one where a shadow falls behind your head.

There is still a practical case for a light grey or cream wall: it keeps your outline visible if you are wearing a white or very pale top, which a pure white background does not. That is a reason to prefer it, not a rule. This maker applies a light background for you, and you can pick the shade.

One nuance worth knowing before using any editing tool for a UK application: the two published rules do not read alike. The gov.uk digital photo service tells customers the photo must be unedited — in its words, you cannot “correct” your passport photo. HM Passport Office's examiner standard is more permissive, and allows a digitally edited background provided the edit does not affect the image of the customer. So a replaced background is neither automatically fine nor automatically refused. If you can photograph yourself against a suitable plain wall, that avoids the question entirely for the online photo code; this maker is still useful for preparing a print, or for checking your framing and head size before you shoot again.

How to take a UK passport photo at home

Use a plain light-coloured wall in good, even indoor lighting. Natural daylight from a window to one side works well — avoid direct flash which creates shadows behind your head. Stand about 50 cm from the wall so your shadow does not fall on the background. gov.uk says you need someone to help you take it, straight on at eye level. Then use this maker to apply the background, crop to 35×45mm and size the head.

Online vs. printed UK passport photo

When applying online at gov.uk you can upload a digital photo directly, or enter a photo code from a booth or shop. The digital photo sizes are in the table above. For a printed photo (e.g. when using a countersignatory), the photo is 35×45mm printed on photo paper. The maker creates a correctly sized digital file you can upload directly or print at a pharmacy.

Privacy — nothing is uploaded

All photo processing happens entirely in your browser. Your photo is never sent to any server and is not stored. This is especially important for passport and identity document photos containing biometric data. Under GDPR, you should be cautious about services that upload your photo to process it server-side. This tool has no server-side processing at all.