The short version
- SelfieToPassport: a 1200 x 1500 px UK visa JPEG from a phone photo you take now, free preview, $6.95.
- Make the photo at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, in portrait orientation.
- Save it as a JPG or JPEG between 50 KB and 6 MB, in colour.
- Show your head, shoulders and upper body against a plain light-coloured background.
- Plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open; glasses off unless you have to wear them.
- Use a new photo: not a scan of another photo or your passport picture, with no filters and no mirroring.
- Ask someone else to take it; a phone or tablet is fine.
When you upload a photo for a UK visa
In most cases a UK visa application includes enrolling fingerprints and a facial image. When your earlier biometrics can be reused, you can send a new facial image with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or through an online form.
A photo taken with a phone or tablet is accepted, and UK Visas and Immigration suggests having someone else take it to lower the chance of a rejection.
The rules
- In most cases, people applying for a UK visa or entry clearance must enroll fingerprints and a facial image, unless exempted, deferred, excused or allowed to reuse earlier biometrics. gov.uk
- Applicants whose biometrics can be reused may upload a new facial image with the UK Immigration: ID Check smartphone app or through an online form. gov.uk
- UKVI accepts a visa photo taken with a phone or tablet. gov.uk
- UK Visas and Immigration recommends having someone else take the visa photo to lower the chance of a rejection. gov.uk
The file rules for the UK visa photo
The file is a JPG or JPEG, at least 600 x 750 pixels, in portrait orientation, between 50 KB and 6 MB. The Home Office says an image under 50 KB is too small and poor in quality, and one over 6 MB is too big to store.
It must be in colour, clear and in focus, and taken in a well-lit room.
The rules
- A UK visa photo must be at least 600 pixels wide by 750 pixels tall, between 50 KB and 6 MB, saved as a JPG or JPEG and in portrait orientation. gov.uk
- According to Home Office guidance, a facial image under 50 KB is too small and poor in quality, and one over 6 MB is too big to store. gov.uk
- UK Visas and Immigration asks for a sharp, in-focus color photo taken in a well-lit room. gov.uk
- Home Office guidance says an uploaded facial image must be in color, because grayscale images cannot be accepted. gov.uk
Framing, background, glasses and head coverings
Show your head, shoulders and upper body against a plain light-coloured background, with no shadows on your face or behind you.
Look straight at the camera with a plain expression, mouth closed and eyes open. Glasses come off unless you have to wear them, and a head covering is only for religious or medical reasons.
Children under 6 may look away from the camera or show an expression, and babies under one may have their eyes closed.
The rules
- UK Visas and Immigration wants a digital visa photo that shows the head, shoulders and upper body, not just the face. gov.uk
- A UK visa photo needs a plain light-colored background that stands out clearly from the applicant. gov.uk
- UKVI rules out shadows on the applicant’s face or on the wall behind them in a visa photo. gov.uk
- In a UK visa photo the facial features must be clearly visible, with the applicant looking straight at the camera, a plain expression, a closed mouth and open eyes. gov.uk
- UK Visas and Immigration says to leave glasses off unless they are needed; tinted lenses and sunglasses are not allowed, and the eyes must show clearly with no glare, reflection or frame in the way. gov.uk
- Home Office guidance allows a head covering in a visa photo only for religious reasons, such as a headscarf, or medical ones, such as a wig worn by a cancer patient. gov.uk
- Under UK visa photo rules, children below age 6 may look away or show an expression, and those under one may have closed eyes. gov.uk
Why it must be a new, unaltered photo
The Home Office wants a new photo taken live, not an older picture. It cannot be a scan or photo of another photo, the photo in your passport or identity card, or a picture of the document itself, and it cannot be altered by software, filtered, mirrored or flipped.
Officials may reject facial photos after 5 attempts if your face cannot be compared with the image in your identity document.
The rules
- When a UK visa applicant uploads a facial image through the ID Check app or the online form, the Home Office requires a new photo taken live, not an image captured earlier. gov.uk
- A UK visa photo cannot be a scan or snapshot of another photo, the picture already in the applicant’s passport or identity card, or an image of the identity document itself. gov.uk
- UK Visas and Immigration refuses visa photos changed by computer software or any other means, including an added filter. gov.uk
- A mirrored or flipped image cannot be used as a UK visa photo. gov.uk
- Home Office officials may reject facial photos after 5 attempts when the face cannot be compared with the image in the applicant’s identity document. gov.uk
How to fix the photo
SelfieToPassport crops and resizes the photo in your browser, without retouching the face, mirroring it or replacing the background, and shows the result in a free preview before you pay $6.95. It is for a photo you upload, not the one taken at a biometrics appointment.
- Have someone take a new photo of you now against a plain light-coloured wall, glasses off, no hat.
- Keep your head, shoulders and upper body in a portrait frame.
- Resize to 1200 x 1500 pixels and save as a JPEG.
- Check that the file is between 50 KB and 6 MB.
- Upload it in the app or the online form.
FAQ
What size is a UK visa photo?
At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, as a JPG or JPEG between 50 KB and 6 MB, in portrait orientation. Source: official page "Take a photo of your face for a visa application or permission", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Can I use the photo from my passport for a UK visa application?
No. The photo cannot be the same one that is in your passport or identity card, or a scan or photo of another photo of you. Source: official page "Take a photo of your face for a visa application or permission", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Can I take my UK visa photo with my phone?
Yes. A photo from a phone or tablet is accepted, and UK Visas and Immigration suggests having someone else take it. Source: official page "Take a photo of your face for a visa application or permission", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
What happens if my UK visa photo keeps failing?
Officials may reject facial photos after 5 attempts if your face cannot be compared with the image in your identity document. Source: official page "Biometric enrolment: policy guidance › Facial images", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Where this information comes from
Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.
- Biometric enrolment: policy guidance › Facial images gov.uk · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Take a photo of your face for a visa application or permission gov.uk · checked Oct 25, 2026
Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.