How Do I Get a British Passport Photo?

If you are living in the United States and trying to renew your British passport, chances are good you are struggling to figure out how to get a British passport photo.  After all, if you walk in to your local Walgreens or CVS here in America and ask them about a British passport, it is unlikely they will know anything about the photo requirements since the majority of customers are American and they only inquire about American passport photos.  So how do you get a British passport photo in the United States, and what is the size of the photo?

Above all, please know that traditional paper photos are no longer accepted by Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO).  So if you are searching online for answers about the size of a British passport, then you are on the wrong track.  HMPO will only accept digital photos.  A digital photo is an image that can be taken using your smartphone or other digital device (such as an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or iPad among others).  You will e-mail this image to yourself so you can download it onto your desktop computer and then have it ready for upload when you complete the online passport application on the U.K. government website: https://www.gov.uk/.

The best way to get a digital photo is by having a friend or family member come over to your home and snap a photo using a smartphone or tablet.  You will need to find a plain white, or light-colored background (such as light gray or cream color) without any texture (no tile or brick), and there should be no objects in the background.  Stand about 1 ½ feet from the wall and your friend will stand about 4 ½ feet in front of you and will aim the camera so that your head, shoulders, and upper body are in the frame.  Brush your back hair and make sure your entire face is visible.  Look straight into the camera and maintain a neutral expression with mouth closed.  Take as many photos as you like until you get the right one.   

The U.K. government has provided a short video that offers an easy to understand demonstration of this process.  Here is the link to the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=JWbfnOYmx6I&feature=emb_logo.  The U.K. government also provides examples of good and bad digital photos on their website: https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports.  As you can see from the examples, it is also important to make sure there are no shadows in the background or shadows cast on your face.  

Once you have a good photo, you will upload the image into your online application where it will be scanned by their software to determine if it meets the standard.  You will get a response within seconds.  If your photo result is “Good” then you can continue through the process; if your photo is “Fair” or “Poor” then you will need to take a new photo.  You can also give us a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment to speak with us by clicking on the “Schedule A Call” button on our website if you are having trouble.  We are experts on making sure British passport photos are handled correctly, and we will do the entire application process for you from beginning to end.