For UK passports
British Passport Photo Requirements
Renewing a British passport from Canada? The photo is where most people slip. It is smaller than a Canadian one, it sits on a different background, and it has to be less than a month old. Here is exactly what the UK asks for.
A British passport photo is 35 mm wide by 45 mm high, with your head measuring 29 to 34 mm from chin to top, on a plain cream or light grey background, and it must have been taken in the last month. Apply online and you need a digital photo instead: at least 600 by 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 10 MB, uncropped. None of that matches a Canadian passport photo, so the one in your drawer will not do. Below are the current official rules, what they look like in practice, and the mistakes that send photos back.
British Passport Photo Size: 35 x 45 mm
If you apply on paper, you send two identical prints. Each one is 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, about the size of a large postage stamp. Your head, from the chin to the top of the head, has to fill most of it: between 29 mm and 34 mm.
One rule surprises people: the photo cannot be cut down from a larger picture. A bigger print trimmed with scissors does not count, even if the edges are neat.
The prints must be professionally printed, in colour, on plain white photographic paper with no border. No creases, no tears, and nothing written or stamped on either side unless a countersignature is required. Send them loose, not glued or stapled to the form.
British vs Canadian Passport Photo Size, to Scale
British passport: 35 x 45 mm, head 29–34 mm.
Canadian format: 50 x 70 mm, head 31–36 mm. Not accepted for a British passport.
British vs Canadian Passport Photos: Four Differences
Size. British: 35 x 45 mm. Canadian: 50 x 70 mm. You cannot trim one into the other, because the head would be the wrong size and cut-down photos are refused anyway.
Age of the photo. The UK wants a photo taken in the last month. Canada allows six. A photo from the spring will not work for a British application in the fall.
Background. The UK asks for plain cream or light grey on prints. Canadian photos use plain white or a light colour.
The back of the photo. A Canadian passport photo carries the studio's name, address and date on the back. A British print must stay unmarked on both sides, apart from a countersignature when one is needed. Tell us the photo is for a British passport, so that nothing is stamped on the back.
British Passport Photo Specifications at a Glance
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Printed photo size | 45 mm high x 35 mm wide; not cut down from a larger picture |
| Head height (prints) | 29–34 mm from chin to top of head |
| Number of prints | Two identical photos, loose, not attached to the form |
| Recency | Taken in the last month |
| Background (prints) | Plain cream or light grey |
| Background (digital) | Plain light-coloured |
| Digital photo size | At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall |
| Digital file size | At least 50 KB and no more than 10 MB |
| Paper | Plain white photographic paper, no border, no creases or tears |
| Expression | Plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible |
| Glasses | Not worn unless you have to; never sunglasses or tinted lenses |
| Head coverings | Only for religious or medical reasons |
| Alteration | Not altered by computer software; no red eye |
| Countersignature (when required) | Statement, signature and date on the back of one photo |
Digital British Passport Photo: Rules for Online Applications
Apply online and you upload a digital photo instead of mailing prints. The file must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and weigh between 50 KB and 10 MB. It has to be in colour, sharp, and untouched by editing software.
The framing is looser than on a print. The digital photo should show your head, shoulders and upper body against a plain light-coloured background. Resist the urge to crop it: the passport service does that for you.
The one-month rule applies here too. When you come in, ask for the digital file and mention that it is for a British passport.
What to Wear and How to Pose
Think neutral. Face the camera straight on and look into the lens. Keep a plain expression with your mouth closed. Your eyes must be open and easy to see, with no hair across them and nothing covering your face.
Leave your glasses off unless you have to wear them. If you do, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted, and your eyes must not be hidden by the frames or by glare, a reflection or a shadow.
Head coverings are accepted only for religious or medical reasons. Wear a darker top: against a cream or light grey background, a pale shirt makes you fade into it, and the rules ask for clear contrast.
British Passport Photo Examples: Acceptable vs. Unacceptable
Acceptable: plain expression, mouth closed, eyes visible, no glasses, plain light grey background.
Unacceptable: smiling, and glasses with a reflection on the lens.
Baby and Child British Passport Photos
Good news for parents: the rules ease off for little ones. Children under six do not have to look straight at the camera or keep a plain expression. Babies under one do not even need their eyes open.
What does not change: the child must be alone in the picture. No toys, and no dummy (a pacifier) in the mouth. You may support a baby's head with your hand, but your hand must not show in the photo.
For a digital photo of a baby under one, the official advice is to lay them on a plain light-coloured sheet and take the photo from above.
Baby Passport Photo Examples: Acceptable vs. Unacceptable
Acceptable: baby alone, lying on a plain light sheet, photographed from above.
Unacceptable: a pacifier, a toy, and a parent's hand in the picture.
Countersigning a British Passport Photo from Canada
Some paper applications need a second person to vouch for you, on the form and on the back of one of your two prints. That applies to a first adult passport, a first child passport, a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged passport, the renewal of a passport for a child aged 11 or under, and a renewal when you can no longer be recognised from your current passport.
On the back of one photo, that person writes: "I certify that this is a true likeness of [title and full name of the adult or child who is getting the passport]." They sign and date it underneath.
Who can do it? Someone who has known you for at least two years, who is not related to you, not in a relationship with you, and not living at your address. For an application made outside the UK, they must hold a current British, Irish, other EU, US or Commonwealth passport. Canada is a Commonwealth country, so a friend with a Canadian passport can qualify. If their passport is not British or Irish, add a colour photocopy of the page with their photo.
Why British Passport Photos Get Rejected
• A Canadian-format 50 x 70 mm photo sent with a British application
• A photo taken more than a month ago
• A print trimmed down from a larger picture
• A studio stamp or any other mark on the back of the print
• Shadows on the face or on the background
• Glasses with glare, or frames that cover the eyes
• A digital photo cropped or edited before upload
• A parent's hand visible in a baby's photo
The consequence is spelled out plainly in the official rules: your application will be delayed if your photos do not meet them.
Where to Get British Passport Photos in Montreal
British passport photos are part of our international passport photo service at our Jean-Talon studio. We shoot on the right background, print at 35 x 45 mm, and measure the head height before you leave. No appointment is needed, and photos are usually ready in about 15 minutes. If your photo is turned down, we reshoot it free.
Related Services and Guides
British passport photos are part of our international passport and visa photo service. Holding more than one passport? Our guide to international passport and visa photo sizes by country compares the formats, and the Canadian passport photo requirements cover the 50 x 70 mm photo. For a first passport for a little one, see our baby and child passport photo service.
Official Resources
Rules can change, so check the official pages before you apply: the GOV.UK rules for digital passport photos, the GOV.UK rules for printed passport photos, the countersigning rules and the page for British passport applications from overseas.
Pro Tips
- 1Have the photo taken close to your application date: it must be less than a month old.
- 2Ask for 35 x 45 mm prints. A Canadian 50 x 70 mm photo cannot be reused.
- 3Keep the back of both prints blank unless a countersignature is required.
- 4Applying online? Ask for the uncropped digital file, showing head, shoulders and upper body.
- 5Take your glasses off unless you must wear them.
- 6Wear a darker, solid top so you stand out against the light background.
- 7Send the two prints loose, not glued or stapled to the form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need British Passport Photos in Montreal?
Come to our Jean-Talon studio for British passport photos printed to the UK size, or a digital file for your online application. No appointment needed.