Why does the UK use a different shape than the US?

A UK photo is a tall rectangle rather than a square, so a US passport crop will not fit here even at the right file size. The two are genuinely different formats.

Do I need a photo code instead of a file?

Both routes exist. A photo code comes from a certified UK photo shop. This tool produces the digital file for self-upload, which the guidance we found treats as a separate, valid route.

ID & document photos · HM Passport Office

UK passport photo, cropped and sized to spec

Fit your head to the oval and the crop matches the head-height range in the published guidance. Your photo never leaves this device.

Print size: 2 × 3 in
Pixels: 600 × 750
Head height: 64–76 %
File size: 50 KB – 5 MB

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JPG · PNG · HEIC

Fit your head to the oval

Drag to move · pinch or slide to resize

Size 100%

Make your head fill the oval — hair near the top edge, chin near the bottom. It does not need to be exact. Anywhere between the solid and dashed outlines is within spec.

Check and download

Compress to an exact size

Every candidate is measured, not guessed

Target size (KB)

Minimum width (px)

The engine will not go below the minimum width, because under it the photo stops meeting the portal's own spec. It also will not go under 50 KB — HM Passport Office rejects files that are too small. Sharpening is disabled here, because HM Passport Office rejects enhanced or retouched photos.

What HM Passport Office requires

At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall
Between 50 KB and 10 MB, JPEG
Head measures 29-34mm from chin to crown, roughly 64-76% of the image height
Plain light-coloured background, no shadows
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open, no glare on glasses
Taken within the last month
Not edited, filtered or altered by software

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66915bcf49b9c0597fdafc26/Photo_Form.pdf · last checked 2026-08-14

We re-check these figures roughly every quarter, but HM Passport Office can change them without notice and different portals sometimes ask for different limits. Confirm the numbers on the form you are filing before you submit.

Common questions

Why does the UK use a different shape than the US?: A UK photo is a tall rectangle rather than a square, so a US passport crop will not fit here even at the right file size. The two are genuinely different formats.
Do I need a photo code instead of a file?: Both routes exist. A photo code comes from a certified UK photo shop. This tool produces the digital file for self-upload, which the guidance we found treats as a separate, valid route.