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United Kingdom bus pass photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by GOV.UK for the United Kingdom bus pass, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 12 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the United Kingdom bus pass photo?

There is no single UK bus pass photo rule, because passes are issued locally: by councils in England, through the National Entitlement Card in Scotland, by Transport for Wales and by Translink in Northern Ireland. Most ask for a recent passport-style colour photo of your head and shoulders on a plain light background. Where a size is given it is 35 x 45 mm (45 mm high), and several issuers accept photos up to 12 months old.

Free bus travel for older and disabled people is run separately in each part of the UK, and so are the photo rules. In England you qualify for an older person's pass at State Pension age under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), and the pass comes from your local council, acting as a travel concession authority. Disabled person's passes in England are also issued locally. In Wales you can get a pass at 60, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland the older person's pass also starts at 60.

Department for Transport guidance says the design of the England-wide pass, including where the holder's photograph appears, is fixed by regulations, while each council handles applications. ENCTS passes are free and last no more than 5 years. The department strongly recommends that a pass replacing a lost or stolen one reuses the original photograph, and encourages councils to keep a digitised photo of each passholder.

Because the photo standard is set by whoever issues your pass, check their page before you get a photo taken. The examples below come from the national schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and from councils in England and Scotland.

United Kingdom bus pass photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by GOV.UK:[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm where the issuer sets a size (London Freedom Pass, Scotland NEC, Midlothian)
Head heightRarely set; Midlothian Council asks for 29 to 34 mm, chin to crown
BackgroundSet by the issuer: plain light-coloured (Wales), pale (Freedom Pass), cream or light grey (Midlothian)
ColourColour (Freedom Pass, Scotland NEC, Midlothian)
Photo ageWithin 12 months for the Freedom Pass, Kent and Midlothian; others ask for a recent photo
Print qualityMidlothian: professional print on plain white photo paper, no border, name on the back
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm29–34 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 29–34 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: set by the issuer: plain light-coloured.

Key requirements

  • Your issuer decides

    In England the council, or London Councils for the Freedom Pass, sets the photo rules. In Scotland the National Entitlement Card (NEC) scheme does, with councils, SPT and some Post Offices also taking applications. Transport for Wales issues the Welsh card, and Translink handles SmartPass applications in Northern Ireland.

  • London: Freedom Pass

    Every Freedom Pass application needs a colour photo 45 mm by 35 mm taken within the last 12 months. It must be a current true likeness, full face, facing forward without a hat, against a plain, evenly lit, pale background. London Councils says it cannot accept an application whose photo misses these points.

  • Scotland: the NEC

    The NEC scheme asks for photos of passport quality: 45 mm by 35 mm, recent and like you, in colour and sharp focus, clearly contrasting with the background, with eyes open and visible, no head covering except for religious or medical reasons, and a close-up of head and shoulders.

  • Wales: a digital photo

    Transport for Wales asks for a recent passport-style digital photo, taken on a phone or tablet during the application or uploaded from a computer. It must clearly show your face with head and shoulders, on a plain light-coloured background with no other people or objects. TfW says its rules are not as strict as passport rules, but drivers must be able to recognise you.

  • Northern Ireland: countersigned print

    For a 60+ or Senior (65+) SmartPass, you take the paper form in person to a staffed Translink bus or rail station, with a countersigned passport-sized photograph and proof of age and residency.

  • England: council examples

    Kent County Council asks for a digital photo that clearly shows your face, taken in the past 12 months; passport style is best but not essential. Medway residents apply to Medway Council instead. Other councils publish their own lists, so the rules differ across England.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Read your own council's or transport body's photo rules first.
  • Use a plain, evenly lit, pale background.
  • Frame your head and shoulders, facing the camera.
  • Write your name on the back of a print if your council asks for it.
  • Get the photo countersigned for a Northern Ireland SmartPass.
  • Send copies or scans of documents, never originals.

Don't

  • Do not wear a hat unless your issuer allows it for religious or medical reasons.
  • Do not use a photo older than your issuer accepts, often 12 months.
  • Do not include other people or objects in the picture.
  • Do not let hair, glasses or anything else hide your eyes.
  • Do not alter the photo with software if your council forbids it.

Sample photos

How a United Kingdom bus pass photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Most bus pass issuers say little about glasses beyond keeping your eyes visible. The NEC scheme in Scotland rules out sunglasses and tinted glasses and hair across the eyes. Midlothian Council lets you wear your usual glasses if your eyes show fully, without glare or reflections. Transport for Wales asks for your eyes to be open and visible.

Headwear and religious dress

The London Freedom Pass asks for a photo without a hat and its page lists no exceptions, so contact London Councils if you wear a covering for religious or medical reasons. The Scottish NEC scheme, Midlothian Council and Transport for Wales all allow a head covering worn for religious or medical reasons, as long as nothing covers your face.

Online applications usually take a digital photo. Transport for Wales and Kent County Council work this way, and an online NEC application on getyournec.scot needs a laptop, tablet or phone with a camera. A digital photo can be cropped to a head-and-shoulders portrait before you upload it.

Printed photos are still used for postal and in-person applications: the Northern Ireland SmartPass, council paper forms in Scotland and Freedom Pass applications sent by post. Midlothian Council, for example, asks for a professionally printed photo on plain white photographic paper with no border, a plain cream or light grey background, your first name and surname in capitals on the back, no software alteration, and a head 29 to 34 mm high. It does not need a new photo for a replacement card and does not always insist on one for a renewal.

Where to submit the photo

In England, enter your postcode on GOV.UK to reach your council's bus pass page, or contact the council about a disabled person's pass. London residents apply for the Freedom Pass through London Councils. In Scotland, you can apply online at getyournec.scot in every area, through the Post Office where it offers the service, through Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in 12 council areas around Glasgow, or through your council.

In Wales, apply online on the Transport for Wales site, or ask TfW for a paper form. In Northern Ireland, get a SmartPass form from a staffed Translink station, by phone or by email, and take it back in person with your countersigned photo and documents.

How to get your United Kingdom bus pass photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United Kingdom bus pass: 35 × 45 mm print, set by the issuer: plain light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: your issuer decides; london: Freedom Pass; scotland: the NEC; wales: a digital photo.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Online applications usually take a digital photo. Transport for Wales and Kent County Council work this way, and an online NEC application on getyournec.scot needs a laptop, tablet or phone with a camera.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In England, enter your postcode on GOV.UK to reach your council's bus pass page, or contact the council about a disabled person's pass. London residents apply for the Freedom Pass through London Councils.

Make this photo online

United Kingdom bus pass photo FAQ

Where an issuer gives a size, it is the standard passport size: 35 mm wide and 45 mm high. The London Freedom Pass and Scotland's National Entitlement Card both ask for 45 mm by 35 mm. Online applications, such as Transport for Wales or Kent County Council, take a digital photo instead.

Often, yes. Transport for Wales lets you take the photo on a phone or tablet during the application, and Kent County Council asks for a digital photo that clearly shows your face. An online NEC application in Scotland needs a device with a camera. Use a plain light background and face the camera.

It depends on the issuer. Midlothian Council does not need a new photo for a replacement card and does not always insist on one for a renewal, though it recommends one. In England, Department for Transport guidance recommends that replacements for lost or stolen passes reuse the original photo.

In Scotland your National Entitlement Card is your bus pass, applied for online at getyournec.scot, through SPT, the Post Office or your council. In Wales, Transport for Wales issues the concessionary travel card. In Northern Ireland, Translink handles 60+ and Senior SmartPass applications.

Usually, as long as your eyes are fully visible. The Scottish NEC scheme bans sunglasses and tinted glasses, and Midlothian Council allows your usual glasses if there is no glare or reflection over your eyes.

A colour photo, 45 mm by 35 mm, taken within the last 12 months. It must be a current true likeness showing your full face, facing forward, without a hat, against a plain, evenly lit and pale background. London Councils will not accept an application whose photo does not meet these points.

Yes. For a 60+ or Senior (65+) SmartPass, you take your completed form to a staffed Translink bus or rail station in person, together with a countersigned passport-sized photograph and documents proving your age and residency.

Related photo specifications

Other United Kingdom documents

Bus and transport cards nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. GOV.UK. Apply for an older person's bus pass gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. GOV.UK. Apply for a disabled person's bus pass gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Department for Transport. Managing the English national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. London Councils. What I need to apply (older person's Freedom Pass) freedompass.org. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Kent County Council. Apply for an older person's bus pass kent.gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. mygov.scot (Scottish Government). Apply for an older person's bus pass (Scotland) mygov.scot. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. National Entitlement Card Programme Office. Proof documents for your application nec.scot. Checked 1 November 2026.
  8. Transport Scotland. 60+ or disabled free bus travel transport.gov.scot. Checked 1 November 2026.
  9. Transport for Wales. Concessionary travel card: frequently asked questions tfw.wales. Checked 1 November 2026.
  10. nidirect. 60+ SmartPass and Senior (65+) SmartPass nidirect.gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
  11. TfL. 60+ London Oyster photocard tfl.gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
  12. nidirect. Free bus travel and concessions nidirect.gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with GOV.UK before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

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"United Kingdom bus pass photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-kingdom/bus-pass-photo

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