UK passport renewal photo requirements: you need a new photo every time, even if you look exactly the same
Renewing a passport feels like it should be the easy version of applying. You already have one, your details are on file, and your face has not changed much in ten years. So it comes as a small surprise that the photo is not something you can carry over. GOV.UK says you must get a new photo when you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed. The other part that catches people out is how fresh the photo has to be, because the UK allows far less time than most countries. This guide covers what a renewal photo needs, how the digital and printed routes differ, and how to avoid the delays that come from a photo that does not meet the rules.
Before you apply
Fees, processing times and procedures change. Check GOV.UK's current photo guidance and adult renewal page before applying. The fees and photo requirements in this guide were checked on October 27, 2026. PassSnap helps you prepare a photo; HM Passport Office decides whether the photo and application meet its requirements.
The practical answer
For an adult renewal, GOV.UK describes two routes, and the photo is different for each.
If you renew online, you need a digital photo. If you renew on paper, you need two new and identical printed photos of yourself. The adult renewal page also lists the other things you need, such as your old passport and a card to pay with online, but the photo is an easy item to underestimate when you have renewed before.
Whichever route you choose, the photo must have been taken in the last month, and it must be new. GOV.UK states that you must get a new photo when you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed. A photo from your last passport will not do. Do not assume a spare from an earlier application is suitable simply because you still look the same.
GOV.UK also states plainly that your application will be delayed if your photos do not meet the rules, and that photos from a booth or shop are more likely to be approved than a photo taken using your own device. Neither statement says you cannot use your own phone. They tell you where the risk sits.
As of October 27, 2026, the GOV.UK adult renewal page lists a fee of £102 to renew or replace a passport if you apply online and £115.50 if you fill in a paper form. Fees change, so check the current page before you pay.
The digital photo rules
If you are renewing online, the digital photo has to meet a specific list of rules. GOV.UK says the photo must be clear and in focus, in colour, and unaltered by computer software. It must be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, and the file must be at least 50KB and no more than 10MB.
It must contain no other objects or people and be taken against a plain light-coloured background that is in clear contrast to you. It must not have red eye.
If you take the photo on your own device, GOV.UK says to include your head, shoulders and upper body, and not to crop the photo, because that will be done for you. This is the opposite of the instinct many people have from other countries, where you crop to an exact size before uploading.
You must be facing forwards and looking straight at the camera, with a plain expression and your mouth closed. Your eyes must be open and visible, and there must be no hair in front of them. You must not have a head covering unless it is for religious or medical reasons, you must not have anything covering your face, and there must be no shadows on your face or behind you.
On glasses, GOV.UK says not to wear them in your photo unless you have to. If you do, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and your eyes must not be covered by the frames or by any glare, reflection or shadow.
A familiar-looking photo is not necessarily a suitable digital file. The background and expression may look fine while the image is too small, or the file may meet the pixel requirement while a reflection hides an eye. Check the file and the visible photo together. Meeting one part of the guidance does not establish that the rest of it has been met.
The printed photo rules
If you are renewing on paper, the rules are different, and they are stricter about the physical print. A printed UK passport photo measures 45mm high by 35mm wide and must not be a cut-down version of a larger picture. Your head, from crown to chin, must be between 29mm and 34mm high.
You need two identical printed photos, separate and not attached to each other, printed to a professional standard. They must be clear and in focus, in colour, on plain white photographic paper with no border, and free of creases or tears.
Because a printed photo is cropped and printed before you send it, the one-month rule is easier to forget. The date that counts is the day the photo was taken, not the day it was printed.
Keep the physical photograph separate in your mind from the online upload. A digital image that looks like a passport photo on screen does not by itself tell you what size it will be on paper. For the paper route, check the finished prints, including the head measurement and their condition, rather than relying only on the file you started with.
Where people get surprised
The first surprise is the new-photo rule. People who renew often assume that if nothing has changed, the old photo or a spare is fine. GOV.UK says you must get a new photo even if your appearance has not changed. Looking recognisably like your old photograph does not remove the requirement to provide a new one.
The second surprise is the one-month rule. Many countries accept a photo up to six months old. The UK's guidance says your photo must have been taken in the last month. If you take a photo early because you want to get ahead of the renewal, it can be out of date before you submit. Take the photo when you are ready to apply, not when you are thinking about it.
The third surprise is the crop instruction. For the online route, GOV.UK says not to crop your photo, because it will be done for you. A photo you have already cut tightly to passport size is not what the system is asking for. Leave the framing generous.
The fourth surprise is that the online route assumes help. Where you use your own device, you need someone to help you take the photo. A selfie held at arm's length is not what the process describes. Ask someone to hold the camera.
The fifth surprise is that the digital and printed rules do not match. The digital route asks for generous framing and file sizes in pixels and kilobytes. The printed route asks for exact millimetre sizes, two identical prints and plain white photographic paper. If you prepared a photo for one route and then switch to the other, check it again against the requirements for the route you are now using.
The sixth surprise is the gap in the public guidance. The GOV.UK photo page tells you your application will be delayed if the photos do not meet the rules. The pages used for this guide do not set out every next step for a renewal photo that has been rejected. If a problem comes up, follow the instructions you are given during your application and check the GOV.UK pages for the route you are using.
What may change
Fees, processing times and the details of the online application change from time to time. The figures in this guide were read from GOV.UK on October 27, 2026. The photo rules described here are the ones GOV.UK states for digital and printed photos at that date. Before you apply, check the current GOV.UK photo guidance and the adult renewal page.
How PassSnap fits
PassSnap is useful for the part of renewal that people tend to underestimate: taking a photo that follows the rules, on the day you need it. The guided capture checks head size, eye line and framing as you shoot, the timer lets a helper or a stand take the photo without you reaching for the screen, and the optional AI verify step flags glasses, expression and background problems before you use the photo. PassSnap does not retouch or beautify your face, which matters because the UK requires the photo to be unaltered by computer software.
PassSnap cannot make a photo taken using your own device as safe a bet as a booth or shop, and it cannot tell you whether HM Passport Office will accept a particular photo. Because the online application asks you not to crop your photo yourself, check the guidance for the route you are using before you decide which version of a photo to use. For a printed application, the print has to be 45mm by 35mm on plain white photographic paper, in two identical copies.
Treat an optional photo check as another opportunity to notice a problem before you submit. It cannot replace GOV.UK's instructions or the decision made during your application. If the check flags glasses, for example, return to the actual glasses guidance and inspect the image. The useful result is a better-informed choice about whether to retake the photo, rather than an assumption that an app has approved it for a passport.
Before you renew
Decide which route you are taking before you take the photo. Online renewal needs one digital photo. Paper renewal needs two identical printed photos. The rules differ, so it is worth knowing which one you are preparing for.
Take the photo close to the day you apply. GOV.UK says it must have been taken in the last month, so do it when you are ready to submit rather than weeks ahead.
Do not reuse an old photo, even if you look the same. GOV.UK says you must get a new photo when you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed.
If you are using your own device, ask someone to help you. Choose a plain, light-coloured wall that contrasts with you, stand a little way in front of it so your shoulders do not cast a shadow, and use soft, even light from the front. Turn off the flash, portrait mode, beauty filters and any automatic enhancement.
Take the photo with your head, shoulders and upper body in the frame, and do not crop it for the online application. Face forwards and look straight at the camera with a plain expression, your mouth closed and both eyes open. Make sure no hair is in front of your eyes. If you do not have to wear glasses, take them off.
Check the photo at full size on a larger screen before you use it. Look at the background, the edges of your shoulders, your eyes and your hair, and confirm the file is at least 600 by 750 pixels and between 50KB and 10MB. If anything looks doubtful, retake it, or use a booth or shop instead.
If you are renewing on paper, get two identical prints on plain white photographic paper, 45mm by 35mm, with your head between 29mm and 34mm from crown to chin, separate and not attached to each other. Check for creases and tears before you send them.
Official GOV.UK sources
FAQ
Can I use my old passport photo to renew my UK passport?
No. GOV.UK says you must get a new photo when you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed. The photo must also have been taken in the last month. Your previous passport photo does not meet those requirements simply because it still looks like you.
Do I need digital or printed photos to renew my UK passport?
It depends on how you apply. GOV.UK's adult renewal page says you need a digital photo if you renew online, and two new and identical printed photos if you renew on paper. The rules for each are different, so prepare the photo for the route you are using.
What happens if my UK passport renewal photo does not meet the rules?
GOV.UK says your application will be delayed if your photos do not meet the rules. The pages used for this guide do not describe every next step, so follow the instructions you are given during your application. GOV.UK also says photos from a booth or shop are more likely to be approved than a photo taken on your own device, which is worth bearing in mind if time is short.
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About this guide
PassSnap helps prepare photos. It is not a government service and cannot guarantee acceptance.