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UK Passport Photo: Get Inside the 50 KB – 10 MB Window

This is the opposite problem from most upload forms. GOV.UK requires a digital passport photo to be at least 50 KB and no more than 10 MB, at least 600 × 750 pixels, in colour and unaltered. A photo that has been aggressively compressed for some other purpose often falls under the floor — and the fix is not more compression, it is going back to a higher-resolution original. Use the table below to work out which side of the window you are on before you do anything.

UK passport digital photo requirements (official)

Minimum file size50 KB — a smaller file is rejected
Maximum file size10 MB
Minimum dimensions600 pixels wide × 750 pixels tall
BackgroundPlain light-coloured
ColourIn colour, clear and in focus
AlterationUnaltered by computer software
TakenWithin the last month
Printed size35 × 45 mm

Source: GOV.UK — Get a passport photo: digital photos

Drop an image here, or click to browse

JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF or BMP · one image at a time

Target size: 1000 KB

Your image never leaves your device — all compression happens locally in your browser.

Something wrong with this tool? Tell us and we'll fix it

How to use

  1. Check your file size and dimensions against the table below.
  2. Over 10 MB, or larger than your upload allows: drop it in and compress toward 1 MB.
  3. Under 50 KB, or narrower than 600 px: do not compress — go back to the original photo.
  4. Download the result and re-check that it is still at least 600 × 750 pixels.

Frequently asked questions

My photo is under 50 KB. Can this tool fix that?
No, and no compressor can — compressing only makes a file smaller. GOV.UK rejects photos below 50 KB because that usually means the image has been shrunk or heavily compressed somewhere, and there is not enough detail left to verify it. The fix is to go back to the original photo from the camera or phone, and upload that instead. If the original is over 10 MB, compress it down toward 1 MB with the tool above.
Why is there a minimum size at all?
Because the passport system needs enough pixel detail to match the face against the chip and against other records. A 20 KB photo can look fine on a screen and still be useless for verification. It is the same reason the rule sets a 600 × 750 pixel floor rather than only a file-size ceiling.
Can I crop the photo myself?
For a photo taken on your own device, GOV.UK says to include your head, shoulders and upper body and explicitly not to crop it — the system crops it for you. The rule exists because a self-crop usually gets the head proportions wrong. So: do not crop, and do not resize below 600 × 750.
Does compressing count as altering the photo?
No. GOV.UK means altering the appearance — retouching, filters, reshaping. Re-encoding to reduce file size is a technical step, not a change to how you look. What it does mean is that you should not run the photo through anything that smooths skin or changes colour.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. The whole thing runs in your browser; the file stays on your device. For a document photo this matters — see how to confirm it in the network tab.

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