United KingdomUK Driving Licence Photo Requirements: Use Your Passport Photo Online, 45 x 35 mm by Post, £14 to Renew
To change your UK driving licence photo you renew the licence: £14 online (passport photo or a new upload), £17 by post with a printed passport-type photo.
Key points
5 points- To update the photo you renew your full or provisional licence and get a new one: £14 online, £17 by post (GB).
- Online, DVLA lets you use your passport photo or upload a new one.
- By post, send form D1 with a recent printed passport-type photo — do not sign the back of the photo.
- The UK passport print standard is 45 mm high x 35 mm wide, head 29–34 mm, plain cream or light grey background.
- A photocard licence must be renewed every 10 years.
The photo on a UK photocard driving licence cannot be swapped on its own. DVLA says that to update the photo you renew your full or provisional driving licence and get a new licence. Here is what the photo must look like and how much it costs.
Online: reuse your passport photo
- Renewing online in Great Britain costs £14; there is no fee if you are over 70 or have a medical short period licence.
- DVLA says you will be able to use your passport photo or upload a new one.
- You cannot renew online if your name or title has changed since your current licence, or if you have a 5-year bus or lorry licence.
- The new licence should arrive within a week; you must send your old photocard to DVLA.
By post or at a Post Office: a printed photo
- By post: get a D1 pack at a Post Office and send it with a recent printed passport type photo and a £17 cheque or postal order to DVLA, Swansea SA99 1DH. DVLA asks you not to sign the back of the photo.
- At a Post Office that deals with DVLA photocard renewal: take your reminder letter and photocard; the fee is £21.50.
- By post or at a Post Office, the licence should arrive within 3 weeks.
What a passport-type photo means
The printed photo standard on GOV.UK for UK passports is:
| Requirement | Printed photo |
|---|---|
| Size | 45 mm high x 35 mm wide, not cut down from a larger picture |
| Head | Crown to chin 29–34 mm |
| Background | Plain cream or light grey, in clear contrast |
| Professional standard, in colour, on plain white photo paper, no border | |
| Pose | Facing forwards, plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open, no hair over the eyes |
| Glasses | Only if you have to; no sunglasses or tinted lenses, no glare or frames over the eyes |
First provisional licence
A first provisional licence costs £34 online or £43 by post with form D1. You must be at least 15 years and 9 months old.
Northern Ireland: different rules
In Northern Ireland licences are issued by the DVA, and nidirect sets out its own photo rules:
- Printed photo: 45 mm high x 35 mm wide (do not trim photos to meet this), in colour, against a light grey or cream background, taken within the last month.
- Digital photo: taken within the last month, plain light-coloured background, stand 0.5 m from the background with the photographer 1.5 m away, head, shoulders and upper body in the frame, do not crop; or buy a photo code at a participating outlet.
- A printed photo must be certified (signed on the back by an authorised person) if you apply with ID other than a current UK or EEA passport, an eVisa or a UK travel document. Online renewals need no certification.
Get a 45 x 35 mm photo on our UK driving licence photo page.
06Questions
5 answers01How do I change the photo on my UK driving licence?
Renew your full or provisional licence. Online it costs £14 and you can use your passport photo or upload a new one; by post it costs £17 with form D1 and a printed photo.
02What size is a UK driving licence photo?
DVLA asks for a passport-type photo. The UK passport print standard is 45 mm high x 35 mm wide with the head 29–34 mm from crown to chin.
03Should I sign the back of the photo?
In Great Britain, no — DVLA says not to sign the back. In Northern Ireland a printed photo must be certified in some cases, for example if you do not have a current UK or EEA passport, an eVisa or a UK travel document.
04Can I wear glasses in my driving licence photo?
Only if you have to. No sunglasses or tinted lenses, and your eyes must not be covered by the frames, glare or reflections.
05How often do I renew a photocard licence?
Every 10 years. You get a reminder before it ends.
07Official sources
- GOV.UK — Change the photo on your driving licence (DVLA)
gov.uk - GOV.UK — Renew your driving licence (DVLA)
gov.uk - GOV.UK — Apply for your first provisional driving licence (DVLA)
gov.uk - GOV.UK — Get a passport photo: printed photos (HM Passport Office)
gov.uk - nidirect — The photo for your driving licence (DVA, Northern Ireland)
nidirect.gov.uk - nidirect — Having your photo certified for a driving licence
nidirect.gov.uk
Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .
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