Use this guidance to take a digital photo that meets the passport and civil aviation photo rules, using an iPhone or any other smartphone, a digital camera, or a tablet.
The device must be able to take pictures in high resolution. Ask someone to take a photo of you.
Photos for adults
Your photo must be:
in full colour
clear and good quality
unaltered by computer software
a jpg or jpeg file
at least 100KB and no more than 10MB
Your photo must have been taken in the last month
Photo Background
use a plain light-coloured background – white or another neutral colour like grey
no textures or patterns on the back wall
no objects behind you
make sure the person in the picture is in sharp contrast with the background
wear dark clothing
Even lighting and no shadows
there must be no shadows in your photo. No shadows on your face, shoulders, or the background
if there are any shadows anywhere, the passport office will reject it.
it is the best to use natural lighting. Mornings are the best. If natural lighting is not available, use a lamp
Stand in the right position
stand 0.5 metres (1.5 feet) away from your background (this reduces shadow)
the person taking the photo should stand 1.5 metres (5 feet) from you
include your head, shoulders and upper body in the photo
don’t crop your photo – it will be done for you
Body posture – stand straight in front of the camera, look directly into the lens.
Plain expression and face in full view
face front on to the camera
don’t smile, frown or grimace – eyes open and mouth closed
your photo should be a good likeness and taken in the last month
Facial expression must be neutral
Do not smile
Your mouth must be closed
Your head must be straight, do not tilt
No headwear
unless it’s for religious or medical reasons – it must not cover your face
hair must be tied back or loose. Hair must not cover any part of your face
ears, eyebrows and eyes must be clearly visible
Eyes fully visible
hair must be away from your face and eyes
take your glasses off (if possible) – if you need to keep glasses on:
then your eyes must be open and visible (especially your irises) without any glare or reflections
there must be no “red eye” effect in the photo
no sunglasses or tinted glasses are allowed
no hair over your eyes, a fringe must be pushed to the side
