UK passport and visa photo rules for online applications
GOV.UK sets slightly different digital photo rules for passports and for visas. Most phone photos already fit, but high-resolution cameras can produce files that are too large for the visa limit. Here’s what each service asks for and what to do if your photo doesn’t fit.
Last checked against the official sources: 20 October 2026
| Rule | Passport (online) | Visa or permission |
|---|---|---|
| File size | 50 KB to 10 MB | 50 KB to 6 MB |
| File type | Not stated on GOV.UK (phone and booth photos are JPEG) | JPG or JPEG |
| Pixel size | At least 600 wide × 750 tall | At least 600 wide × 750 tall, upright |
| Framing | Head, shoulders and upper body. Don’t crop it yourself: “it will be done for you” | Head, shoulders and upper body |
| Age of photo | Taken in the last month | Not stated |
| Editing | Must not be altered by computer software | Must not be altered by computer software or other means, such as a filter |
| Background | Plain, light-coloured, contrasting with you | Plain, light-coloured, contrasting with you |
Visa photo over 6 MB?
This opens the compressor at 5,000 KB, comfortably under the 6 MB limit whichever way the portal counts megabytes.
When you actually need to shrink the photo
A typical phone photo is 2 to 5 MB, which fits both services without any changes. You only need to make it smaller when:
- Your visa photo is over 6 MB. This happens with 48- and 50-megapixel camera modes, some Android “high resolution” settings and photos from dedicated cameras.
- Your passport photo is over 10 MB. This is rare, but possible with RAW-style or very high-resolution exports.
Compressing to 5,000 KB keeps the photo far above the 600 × 750 pixel minimum, so the face stays sharp. Choose a lower limit only if a service tells you to.
Photos that are too small can’t be fixed by compressing
Both services need at least 50 KB and at least 600 × 750 pixels. A photo that is under either minimum has usually been through a messaging app such as WhatsApp, which shrinks images. Compressing can only make a file smaller, so go back to the original photo on the phone that took it, or take a new one.
Does compressing count as “altering” the photo?
GOV.UK’s rule is about changing how you look: filters, beauty modes, retouching, background removal or editing your features. Saving the same photo as a smaller JPEG doesn’t change any of that. If you’d rather avoid any re-processing at all, switch your camera to its standard 12-megapixel mode and retake the photo, which usually lands well under 6 MB.
Tips that get photos accepted
- Ask someone else to take it, at eye level, about 1.5 metres away, against a plain light wall.
- Use soft, even light from the front to avoid shadows on your face and behind you. Turn off the flash if it causes glare or red eye.
- Keep a plain expression with your mouth closed, eyes open and hair away from your eyes. Avoid glasses unless you need them; no tinted lenses.
- For passports, GOV.UK says a photo from a booth or shop that gives you a photo code is more likely to be approved than one taken on your own device.
Official sources
This is an independent guide, not affiliated with any government. We check these rules regularly, but they can change at any time, so confirm them on the official pages above before you submit.
Questions
What size should a UK online passport photo be?
GOV.UK asks for a colour photo at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, with a file size between 50 KB and 10 MB. It must show your head, shoulders and upper body against a plain light background, must not be cropped by you or altered by software, and must have been taken in the last month.
What is the maximum file size for a UK visa photo?
For visa and permission applications, the photo must be a JPG or JPEG file between 50 KB and 6 MB, at least 600 × 750 pixels and upright. If your file is over 6 MB, compressing it to around 5,000 KB keeps it sharp and safely under the limit.
My photo is under 50 KB. Can I make it bigger?
Not usefully. A photo under 50 KB has usually been shrunk by a messaging app, and enlarging it adds no detail. Use the original photo from the camera or phone that took it, or take a new one.