UK Visa Photo Size & Background, Resolved
Ask the internet for the UK visa photo background and you will get two confident, contradictory answers: "plain white" and "light grey or cream". They cannot both be the standard — and the disagreement sends real applicants away from visa application centres to retake photos.
The published GOV.UK standard says: paper photos on plain cream or light grey; digital photos against a plain light-coloured background. White is the answer for the United States and China, not the published UK standard. The maker above defaults to light grey, with cream/off-white one click away.
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Click or drop a photo here
Everything runs in your browser — your photo is never uploaded to a server. Face the camera, use even lighting, and (for passports and visas) shoot against a plain, light wall.
Choose document, size & background
UK visa photos follow the GOV.UK photo standard: 35×45 mm, head 29–34 mm, plain cream or light grey background for paper photos (plain light-coloured for digital).
Official specification
| Dimensions | 45 mm high × 35 mm wide |
| Head size | 29–34 mm, crown to chin |
| Background | Paper: plain cream or light grey. Digital routes: plain light-coloured |
| Recency | Taken within the last month (GOV.UK standard) |
| Source note | GOV.UK publishes one photo standard — its passport photo page. No separate UK visa photo page exists on GOV.UK (checked 2026-10-18); visa photos follow the same standard. |
We publish only values we verified on the official source named above. Final acceptance is always decided by the issuing authority — check your application instructions before submitting.
Why "white" keeps winning the search results
Most generic photo sites copy the U.S. specification (plain white) onto every country page. The UK standard is genuinely different: cream or light grey for paper, because a pure-white background can wash out fair complexions against the print. When a blog and GOV.UK disagree, GOV.UK wins — the table above is taken from the GOV.UK photo page, checked on 2026-10-18.
One honesty note: GOV.UK does not publish a separate visa-photo page. Visa applicants are directed to the same photo standard, and application centres (VFS Global / TLScontact) apply it. If your appointment letter specifies something different, the letter wins.
Sizes & backgrounds on this site
| Output | Millimetres | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| 630 × 810 px (India ICAO digital) | 35×45 mm | 630×810px |
| 600 × 600 px (digital) | 51×51 mm | 600×600px |
| 2×2 in · 51×51 mm (print, 300 DPI) | 51×51 mm | 1500×1500px |
| 35×45 mm (300 DPI) | 35×45 mm | 1050×1350px |
| 33×48 mm (300 DPI) | 33×48 mm | 990×1440px |
| ≈37.5×47.5 mm (AU range midpoint) | 37.5×47.5 mm | 443×561px |
| 50×70 mm (300 DPI) | 50×70 mm | 591×827px |
Backgrounds: White #FFFFFF • Off-white / cream #F6F1E7 • Light grey #E8E8E8 • Blue #0090FF • Red #DB1514. Background replacement is offered only for documents whose rules allow it — for U.S., UK passport, Australian and Canadian documents the tools on this site are format-only, by design.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a UK visa photo?
35×45 mm, head (crown to chin) 29–34 mm, following the GOV.UK photo standard: plain cream or light grey background for paper photos, plain light-coloured for digital.
Is a white background accepted for a UK visa photo?
The published GOV.UK standard for paper photos is plain cream or light grey, not pure white. To match the standard, use light grey or cream — both are one click in the maker above.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. Cropping, resizing, compression and (where offered) background replacement all run locally in your browser. Your photo never leaves your device.
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