Prepare a UK passport photo from a picture you already have — 35 x 45 mm if printed, at least 600 x 750 pixels if uploaded digitally. Vekyo checks head size and framing directly against HM Passport Office's published specification.
Official requirements
Verified — last checked 2026-08-11
These figures were directly confirmed against the official source below.
Digital photo requirements
Minimum pixel size
600 × 750 px
File size
50KB to 10MB
Format
jpg
Printed photo requirements
Photo size
35 × 45 mm
Head height (chin to crown)
29–34 mm
Paper / printing
Printed to a professional standard, in colour on plain white photographic paper with no border, no creases or tears.
Other requirements
Background
Plain cream or light grey background, in clear contrast to the face
Expression
Facing forwards, looking straight at the camera, plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible, no hair in front of the eyes.
Glasses
Do not wear glasses unless you have to. If required, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted, and eyes must not be obscured by frames, glare, reflection, or shadow.
Head coverings
No head covering unless it's for religious or medical reasons; the full face must remain visible.
Maximum photo age
1 month
Source: HM Passport Office — GOV.UK: Photos for passports, last verified 2026-08-11.
Common mistakes
✕Photo older than one month
✕Shadows on the face or behind the subject
✕Hair covering the eyes or outline of the face
✕Red-eye or an expression that is not plain/neutral
How to take a good photo
✓Use a plain cream or light grey background with even lighting
✓Face the camera directly with a plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open
✓Keep hair away from your eyes and the outline of your face
✓Avoid glasses if possible; remove head coverings unless worn for religious or medical reasons
How Vekyo works for a United Kingdom passport
Upload a recent photo, and Vekyo detects your face, then checks it against the United Kingdom passport specification above — including its plain cream or light grey background, in clear contrast to the face background requirement — before letting you crop and position it to match, entirely in your browser. Vekyo only crops, rotates for straightening, and resizes your photo; it never changes your facial features, skin tone, or facial structure, and never generates or beautifies a face. Backgrounds are never automatically replaced — if yours doesn't look plain and evenly lit enough for this document, you'll see a warning instead of a silent pass.
Frequently asked questions
Vekyo prepares your United Kingdom passport photo at 35×45mm, based on the published specification linked on this page — you don't need to measure or crop it yourself.
Plain cream or light grey background, in clear contrast to the face Vekyo's compliance check flags a background that looks patterned, shadowed, or uneven before you pay, so you can retake the photo if needed.
Yes. A recent phone photo works well as long as it is a clear, front-facing shot in good, even lighting against a plain background. Vekyo crops and resizes it to the required dimensions in your browser.
Yes. Vekyo lets you prepare a photo that matches the United Kingdom passport photo specification from an existing picture, without visiting a photo studio. You still need to check your final photo, and print it, according to your application's instructions.
No. Vekyo only crops, resizes, and repositions your existing photo to match the required dimensions. It never alters your facial features, skin tone, or facial structure, and never generates or beautifies a face.
No. Face detection, cropping, resizing, and file generation all happen locally in your browser. Your photo is not uploaded to our servers for image processing. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
No. You get a free preview of your finished photo — including its compliance score and checklist — before paying anything. Payment only unlocks the full-resolution, watermark-free download and the printable sheet.
Your compliance checklist shows exactly which checks passed, which need attention, and which failed, with a plain-language explanation for each. From there you can use Auto-Fix to automatically correct issues like cropping, brightness, or sharpness, adjust the crop yourself, or upload or retake a different photo — you can keep adjusting until it looks right, all before you pay. A mistake we see often for a United Kingdom passport: photo older than one month.
Yes. Vekyo generates a printable PDF sized for a United Kingdom passport — 35×45mm — with multiple copies laid out on a 4x6 inch or A4 sheet, so you can print it at home or at a photo lab without distortion.
Vekyo prepares your photo according to the published United Kingdom passport photo specification linked on this page. You are responsible for confirming your final photo meets your specific application's requirements before submitting it.
We cannot guarantee acceptance. Vekyo prepares your photo according to the published photo specifications, but final acceptance is always decided by the receiving government authority. Always verify the latest requirements on the official source before submitting your application.
Prepared according to the published requirements — not a guarantee of acceptance and not government approved. Always verify the latest requirements with the official authority before submitting your photo.