Digital Photos Rules & Requirements for British Passports
The digital photo must:
Contain no other objects or people.
Be taken against a plain light-coloured background.
Be in clear contrast to the background.
Not have ‘red eye’.
If you’re using a photo taken on your own device, include your head, shoulders and upper body. Do not crop your photo – it will be done for you.
In your photo you must:
Be facing forwards and looking straight at the camera.
Have a plain expression and your mouth closed.
Have your eyes open and visible.
Not have hair in front of your eyes.
Not have a head covering (unless it’s for religious or medical reasons).
Not have anything covering your face.
Not have any shadows on your face or behind you.
Do not wear glasses in your photo unless you have to do so. If you must wear glasses, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and you must make sure your eyes are not covered by the frames or any glare, reflection or shadow.
Photos of babies and children:
Children must be on their own in the picture. Babies must not be holding toys or using dummies.
Children under 6 do not have to be looking directly at the camera or have a plain expression.
Children under one do not have to have their eyes open. You can support their head with your hand, but your hand must not be visible in the photo.
Children under one should lie on a plain light-coloured sheet. Take the photo from above.
A printable version of the whole guide for both digital & printed photos can be found on the Government website
