head 64–76 %
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14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceUK Visas and Immigration (Home Office), GOV.UK
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended UK visa photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain neutral background in a light grey or cream shade with clear contrast against the face. Head occupies 64–76% of photo height (29–34 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 64–76% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 29–34 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | Plain neutral background in a light grey or cream shade with clear contrast against the face. |
| Pose | Face strictly straight; entire head visible; no other people or objects in the frame. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Photo must be clear, well-lit, and without digital alterations. |
| Head covering | Religious or medical reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Digital resolution | 600 × 750 px |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | min 50 KB · max 6 MB Compress photo to 2 MB — UK visa → |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
A UK visa photograph is digital, set out by UK Visas and Immigration on GOV.UK: a photo of your face, in colour, clear and in focus, taken in a well-lit room and not altered by software or a filter, as a JPG or JPEG file at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, between 50 KB and 6 MB, vertically orientated and not mirrored or flipped. It shows your head, shoulders and upper body against a plain light-coloured background in clear contrast, with no other objects or people and no red eye.
You face the camera and look straight at it with a plain expression and the mouth closed, eyes open and visible, no hair in front of the eyes, no shadows on the face or behind you, no head covering unless for religious or medical reasons, and your shoulders and torso clothed. Do not wear glasses unless you have to; if you must, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted, and the frames, glare, reflection or shadow must not cover the eyes. The photo can come from a phone or tablet, but it must not be a scan or photo of another photo and not the same photo as in your passport or identity card; the guidance advises having another person take it.
Children under 6 need not look at the camera or have a plain expression, and children under one need not have open eyes.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons UK visa photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office), GOV.UK publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A file smaller than 600 × 750 pixels, under 50 KB or over 6 MB, or not a JPG | Use a vertical JPG of at least 600 × 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 6 MB. |
| A background that is not plain and light-coloured, shadows on the face or behind you, red eye | Stand in a well-lit room in front of a plain light wall, with no shadows. |
| Glasses with glare or reflection, sunglasses or tinted lenses, frames over the eyes | Take the glasses off unless you must wear them; then keep the eyes clear. |
| A photo of a photo, a scan, or the same picture as in your passport | Take a new photo of your face, not of a document or print. |
| A filter or edit, a smile or open mouth, closed eyes, hair in front of the eyes | Use an unaltered photo with a plain expression, mouth closed and eyes open. |
How to take it
Background: plain light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 64–76 % of the photo height (29–34 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A UK visa is applied for online on GOV.UK; the digital photograph is uploaded in the application, or taken at the appointment at the visa application centre that takes your biometrics.
gov.uk — apply for the visa that fits your plan
Digital colour JPG, at least 600 × 750 pixels, 50 KB to 6 MB, plain light background.
Authority page| Authority | UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office), GOV.UK |
|---|---|
| Source | UK visa digital photo guidance |
| Verified |
Questions
A digital colour photo of your face, clear, in focus and unaltered, as a vertical JPG of at least 600 × 750 pixels and between 50 KB and 6 MB, showing head, shoulders and upper body against a plain light-coloured background, with a plain expression and the mouth closed, eyes open, no shadows and no glasses unless you have to wear them.
Digital: at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, a file of 50 KB to 6 MB, vertically orientated. GOV.UK gives no printed size in millimetres for this route.
No: GOV.UK says the photo must not be the same photo as the one in your passport or identity card, nor a scan or photo of another photo of you.
Not unless you have to. If you do, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted, and the frames, glare, reflection or shadow must not cover your eyes.
The recommended size for the UK visa photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 64–76% of the photo height. For digital upload, use 600 × 750 px.
Plain neutral background in a light grey or cream shade with clear contrast against the face. The wall should be evenly lit, with no shadow around the head and no pattern. You don’t need a studio backdrop: the tool sets the right background colour.
Consulates usually ask for a photo taken within the last six months, sometimes within three. Take a new one that looks like you today.
Often yes, but not always: tourist, student, work and transit visas can have different size or background rules. Compare the requirements of each UK visa — if they match, one photo will do.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the consulate’s rejection notice.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Religious or medical reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: electronic travel authorisation (ETA).