UK visa photo requirements
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) sets the following requirements for digital photos on visa applications:
- Dimensions: at least 600×750px (35×45mm at 300 DPI minimum)
- Format: JPG, JPEG or PNG
- File size: between 50KB and 10MB
- Background: plain light grey or cream
- Head size: 29-34mm from chin to crown
Both minimum and maximum file sizes are enforced. Files under 50KB are rejected for being too small; files over 10MB are rejected for being too large.
Recommended target
For UK visa applications, aim for 500KB-1MB. This is comfortably inside the range, uploads quickly, and preserves full detail. There is no advantage to uploading a 5MB file — the portal will accept it, but it just wastes bandwidth.
The 50KB minimum exists because UKVI wants to ensure the photo has enough detail to identify the applicant. A 50KB photo at 600×750px is technically valid, but a 500KB version will look noticeably cleaner on the officer's screen.
Format choice
JPG is the safest format for UKVI. PNG is accepted but produces larger files for photographic content. WebP is not reliably accepted by the UKVI portal.
Verification before uploading
Check:
- The photo is at least 600×750px
- The file size is between 50KB and 10MB
- The background is plain light grey or cream
- The head is 29-34mm from chin to crown
Privacy for immigration documents
Your UK visa photo is an identity document. FITLY processes everything locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server. This is the correct way to handle an immigration photo online.