The rules for passport photos
The photographs you supply with your
application must:
-
show you with a neutral
expression and your mouth closed
(no grinning, frowning or raised
eyebrows)
-
show you on your own (babies should
not have toys or a dummy, and there
shouldn’t be other people in the
photo)
- be
in colour, not black and white
- be
identical
- be
taken within the last month
-
be 45 millimetres high x 35
millimetres wide - this is the
standard size when you have a
passport photo taken in a photo
booth or studio (you should not
trim a larger photograph to meet
this condition)
-
be clear and in sharp focus, with a
clear difference between your face
and the background
-
be taken against a plain cream or
plain light grey background
- not
show you with red-eye
-
be of you facing forward and
looking straight at the camera
- not
be torn, creased, or marked
- be
printed on plain white photographic
paper
- be
free from shadows
-
be taken with your eyes open and
clearly visible (no sunglasses or
tinted glasses and no hair across
your eyes)
-
be free from reflection or glare on
your glasses, and the frames must
not cover your eyes – the Identity
and Passport Service (IPS)
recommends that, if
possible, you remove your
glasses
-
be professionally printed
(photographs printed at home are
not likely to be of an acceptable
quality)
-
show your full head, without any
head covering, unless you wear one
for religious beliefs or medical
reasons
-
be taken with nothing covering your
face – you should make sure nothing
covers the outline of your eyes,
nose or mouth
-
be a close-up of your head and
shoulders with a recommended head
height (the distance between the
bottom of your chin and the crown
of your head) between 29 and 34 mm
-
not have any writing on the front
or back - except when one of the
photos needs to be certified
Click here to download detailed information on
passport photos (PDF, 301KB).
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Getting your photographs certified
The person who countersigns
your application form at section 10 (your
‘countersignatory’) should also certify one
(not both) of the photographs. They do this
by writing on the back:
-
‘I certify that this is a true
likeness of [Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms or
other title followed by your full
name]’
They must then sign and date
the statement. It is not enough just to sign
and date the photograph.
If the application is for
someone under 16 (including babies)
The countersignatory must:
-
sign the application form at
section 10 to confirm that they
have known the adult who signed
section 9 for at least two years
-
certify one of the photographs as
described above, stating the
child’s full name
If you are renewing a passport
If you are renewing your
passport, you only need to get your form
countersigned and a photograph certified if
you look very different from the photograph
in your most recent passport.
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