UK Passport Photo
413 × 531 pixels, with the head-height rule applied.
The specification
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Printed size | 35 × 45 mm |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 |
| Head height | 29–34 mm from chin to crown of the head |
| Background | Plain light grey or cream; not pure white |
| Used for | A United Kingdom passport or driving licence renewal |
Converting millimetres to the pixels you upload
The printed requirement is 35 × 45 mm, and the pixel figure comes from the standard 300 dpi that print services use: 413 pixels across matches 35 mm. Uploading a file sized to these pixels with the physical size recorded in its header is what lets a lab print it correctly without further instruction.
Framing it so it is not rejected
Size alone is not enough. 29–34 mm from chin to crown of the head. Crop so the head occupies that proportion of the frame with a small margin above the hair and the eyes in the upper third of the image. UK rules specify a light grey or cream background rather than white, which is a common cause of otherwise well-sized photos being refused.
The grey background rule that catches people out
UK rules specify a plain light grey or cream background, not white. A photo taken against a white wall and submitted for a UK passport is a documented rejection reason, and it is the single most common difference between a UK and a US photo of otherwise identical geometry. The head must measure 29–34 mm from chin to crown — a tighter band than the US rule — and the photo must have been taken within the last month.
Compliance is verified by the issuing authority, not by this page. Requirements change, and some offices add local conditions. Check the current published rules for a united kingdom passport or driving licence renewal before you submit.
Why this runs in your browser
The file is read from your disk by the browser, decoded with the browser's own codecs, and re-encoded in this tab. No upload request is made, nothing is queued on a server, and closing the tab leaves no copy anywhere. You can verify this in the network panel while it works.
How to use it
- Start with a straight-on portrait against a plain background.
- Select UK Passport Photo to apply the 413 × 531 pixel frame.
- Adjust the crop so the head height rule is satisfied.
- Download, and print at 35 × 45 mm if you need a physical copy.
Worth knowing
- UK Passport Photo photos print at 35 × 45 mm, which is 413 × 531 pixels at 300 dpi.
- Head height requirement: 29–34 mm from chin to crown of the head.
- Background: Plain light grey or cream; not pure white.
- Source requirement: within the last six months, unretouched, neutral expression.
Limitations
- This page sizes and crops; it cannot certify compliance.
- Low-resolution sources cannot be enlarged to 413 pixels without visible softness.
- Phone portrait-mode and beauty filters can be grounds for rejection.
- Print accuracy depends on the lab honouring the physical size.