United Kingdom visa photo
United Kingdom visa photo: 35 x 45 mm. United Kingdom: no head height is published for this document. A file uploaded online must be at least 600 px. Source: GOV.UK, UK Visas and Immigration, checked September 2, 2026.
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Your photo is processed on this device and never uploaded.
The original background remains because this authority does not allow replacement. Use a photo already taken against the required plain background.
The requirements
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 600 px |
| File size | 6 MB |
| File formats | JPEG |
| Head height, chin to crown | The authority publishes no head height |
| Background | Plain light-coloured background with the face in clear contrast to it |
| Glasses | Allowed but discouraged. Removing them is the safer choice. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons, and the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. |
| Ears | No |
| Also required |
|
How to apply: United Kingdom
A UK visa photo is almost always a digital file. UK Visas and Immigration asks most applicants to upload a photo to the online application, and the photo may be taken with a phone or a tablet. The file must be a JPG at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, with a file size between 50 KB and 6 MB. Some applicants instead have their photo taken at a visa application centre.
The framing is wider than for a passport photo. UKVI asks for the head, shoulders and upper body, with the face in the middle, and it does not publish a head height in millimetres. The background must be plain and light-coloured so that the face stands out, with no shadow and no other people or objects.
The photo must not be altered by software. Cropping the original to the right shape is fine, but filters, smoothing and background replacement are not. The printed size of 35 x 45 mm only matters when a paper photo is specifically requested.
Why photos get rejected here
File too small
The upload needs at least 600 x 750 pixels and at least 50 KB. A photo compressed by a messaging app is often too small.
Edited with software
Filters, beautification and AI background removal count as alteration. Upload the photo as the camera took it, cropped if needed.
Hair across the eyes
The eyes must be open and visible, with no hair across them and no red eye.
Something covering the face
Nothing may cover the face, and there must be no other people or objects in the frame.
A dark or busy background
Use a plain, light-coloured background with your face clearly contrasting against it.
What helps
Ask someone to take the photo
Hold still facing the camera while someone else takes the photo from arm's length or more, so the face is not distorted.
Include the shoulders
Frame the head, shoulders and upper body. A tight passport-style crop is not what the UKVI instructions describe.
Check the file before uploading
Make sure the file is a JPG between 50 KB and 6 MB and at least 600 x 750 pixels.
Stand away from the wall
A step or two in front of the wall keeps your shadow off the background.
Babies and young children
UKVI's visa photo page does not set out separate rules for babies, and we are not claiming one exists. Keep the child alone in the frame against a plain light background, with the face fully visible.
How to take a baby's passport photo at home
Glasses
UKVI discourages glasses. If you wear them, there must be no glare and the eyes must be clearly visible.
Passport photo glasses rules by country
Head covering
A head covering is allowed for religious or medical reasons, as long as the face is fully visible.
Applying online
Most applicants upload a JPG photo to the online application: at least 600 x 750 pixels and between 50 KB and 6 MB. Others have the photo taken at a visa application centre.
Questions about United Kingdom photos
Can I take my UK visa photo with a phone?
Yes. UKVI says the photo may be taken with a phone or a tablet, as long as it meets the rules and is not altered by software.
Is the UK visa photo the same as the UK passport photo?
No. The visa upload has its own pixel minimum and a 6 MB file limit, and it frames the head, shoulders and upper body.
Do I need a printed photo?
Usually not. A printed photo of 35 x 45 mm is only needed when one is specifically requested.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
- GOV.UK, UK Visas and Immigration: Take a photo of your face for a visa application or permissionchecked September 2, 2026
Editor: Mehmet Apaydın (Xenit)How we check our numbers