UK Visa Photo Requirements
Almost every site gives you the UK passport spec by mistake. The gov.uk visa photo is digital-only, with no millimetre size at all.
gov.uk does not publish a millimetre size for a UK visa photo. The requirement is digital: at least 600 x 750 pixels, between 50KB and 6MB, in jpg or jpeg, on a plain light-coloured background. No print size, and a 6MB ceiling. If a site tells you a UK visa photo is 35 x 45mm, cream or light grey, maximum 10MB, it is quoting the UK passport spec by mistake.
That mix-up is the whole reason this guide exists. If you are applying online - which is how most UK visa applications now work - you are uploading a file, so a pixel count and a file size are the only numbers that matter. For why a visa photo and a passport photo diverge in general, see visa photos are not passport photos, and for the UK passport photo specifically, UK passport photo requirements.
The actual UK visa photo spec
From the gov.uk visa guidance:
- At least 600 x 750 pixels - a minimum, not an exact size, so bigger is fine.
- 50KB to 6MB, in jpg or jpeg.
- A plain light-coloured background, face forward, neutral expression.
There is no stated millimetre size at all. gov.uk sets a floor on the pixels and a window on the file size, and nothing about print dimensions.
Why the 35 x 45mm figure is wrong here
The "35 x 45mm, cream or light grey background, maximum 10MB" you will find repeated everywhere comes straight from the UK passport photo page. It is a print spec for a different document. The visa guidance is a separate page with a separate spec: digital-only, a plain light background rather than specifically cream, and a 6MB ceiling instead of 10MB. Same country, different documents, different rules - and copying the passport numbers onto a visa upload is how a valid photo gets the wrong treatment.
If you use a visa centre, none of this applies
One important exception. If your application routes you through a VFS or TLScontact visa centre, your photo and biometrics are captured there in person, and you do not prepare a photo yourself. The gov.uk digital spec covers photos you upload as part of an online application; if you have an in-person appointment, the photo is taken on the day.
How to make one
The UK visa photo maker outputs 1200 x 1500 pixels - the same 4:5 shape at double the stated minimum in each dimension, comfortably inside the 6MB cap - on a light background, in your browser with nothing uploaded. gov.uk sets a floor, not a ceiling, on size, so bigger gives you a sharper photo than scraping the minimum. It sets the pixel size and file weight; it does not judge your background shade, framing, or expression, so check those against gov.uk's own guidance. To compare across countries, the visa photo maker hub lists only those verified against their own issuing authority.
FAQ
What size is a UK visa photo?
In pixels: at least 600 x 750, between 50KB and 6MB, in jpg or jpeg, on a plain light background. gov.uk states no millimetre size - the 35 x 45mm figure is the UK passport spec.
Is a UK visa photo the same as a UK passport photo?
No. The passport is a print size (45mm high x 35mm wide, cream or light grey, 10MB ceiling). The visa is digital-only, allows a plain light background, and caps at 6MB. Different documents, different rules.
Why does this tool output 1200 x 1500px?
gov.uk specifies a minimum of 600 x 750, not an exact size. 1200 x 1500 is the same 4:5 shape at double the minimum, which satisfies the requirement with margin and looks sharper, well inside the 6MB cap.
What if I am applying through a visa centre?
Then your photo is taken there in person. The gov.uk digital spec covers photos you upload yourself in an online application; a VFS or TLScontact appointment captures the photo and biometrics on the day.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The crop, resize and compression run in your browser using the Canvas API, so your photo never leaves your device.