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United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo requirements

The photo rules set by UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office) for the United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA), with the official wording and sources.

Based on 3 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What are the United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo requirements?

You take a photo of your face in the UK ETA app, or upload one when you apply online. It must follow the UKVI digital photo rules: a JPG at least 600 x 750 pixels and 50 KB to 6 MB, on a plain light background. An ETA costs £20 and lasts 2 years.

A UK ETA costs £20 and lasts 2 years, or until the passport expires if that is sooner. When applying, the applicant takes a photo of their face in the UK ETA app, or uploads one online that follows the UKVI digital photo rules.

An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) lets a person come to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months, for example for tourism, to visit family or friends, on a business trip or for short-term study. It is linked digitally to the passport and does not guarantee entry.

British and Irish citizens (including dual citizens), people with a UK visa or permission to live, work or study in the UK, and people transiting a UK airport without passing through border control do not need an ETA. Each traveller, including babies and children, needs their own ETA.

United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office):[1]

Digital sizeAt least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall (online upload)
BackgroundPlain and light-coloured, in clear contrast to the person
Photo ageA new photo is required; it must not be the photo in the passport or a photo of another photo
File sizeAt least 50 KB and no more than 6 MB (online upload)
File formatJPG or JPEG (online upload)

Key requirements

  • Upright and unedited

    The photo must be upright, not mirrored or flipped, and not edited.

  • Framing

    Show the head, shoulders and upper body, with no other people or objects.

  • Pose

    Face the camera with a plain expression, mouth closed and eyes open.

  • Not the passport photo

    The face photo must not be the photo that is in the passport, or a photo of another photo. The picture of the passport page is a separate upload.

  • Face scan in the app

    In the app, everyone aged 10 or older also does a face scan to confirm they are a real person. Children aged 9 or under are not scanned. The app uses the phone camera for a photo of the passport, a face scan and a face photo.

  • App feedback

    The app checks the face photo and says if it does not meet the requirements. The applicant can retake it, or submit it anyway if necessary, for example when wearing a head covering for religious or medical reasons.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Stand facing a window or soft light, in front of a plain light-coloured wall
  • Have someone else hold the phone where possible for a straighter, better-lit photo
  • Use a new photo, upright and not mirrored

Don't

  • Do not reuse the photo from the passport or photograph another photo
  • Do not wear tinted glasses; take off glasses unless needed
  • Do not include other people or objects

Glasses

Take off glasses unless they are needed. Tinted glasses are not allowed.

Headwear and religious dress

Head coverings worn for religious or medical reasons are allowed; if the app says the photo does not meet the rules, it can still be submitted.

Babies and children

Every child needs their own ETA and face photo. Under 6: they do not have to look straight at the camera or keep a plain expression. Under 1: eyes can be closed; lay the baby on a plain light-coloured sheet and photograph from above with no hands showing. Babies must not hold toys or use a dummy, and children must be alone in the photo. Children aged 9 or under are not scanned in the app. Applicants under 18 give contact details of someone with parental responsibility.

No printed photo is needed. The photo is taken in the app or uploaded online as a digital JPG.

Where to submit the photo

In the UK ETA app (iPhone 7 or newer with iOS 16 or later, or Android 12 or later with NFC; the original passport is scanned) or online on GOV.UK if the person is not present or cannot use the app. Online applicants upload a photo of the passport and a photo of the face. Payment of £20 is by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay in the app. A decision usually arrives by email within a day but can take up to 3 working days.

How to get your United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA): plain and light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: upright and unedited; framing; pose; not the passport photo.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. No printed photo is needed. The photo is taken in the app or uploaded online as a digital JPG.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In the UK ETA app (iPhone 7 or newer with iOS 16 or later, or Android 12 or later with NFC; the original passport is scanned) or online on GOV.UK if the person is not present or cannot use the app.

United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo FAQ

Yes. In the UK ETA app you take a photo of your face, and anyone aged 10 or over also does a face scan. If you apply online, you upload a photo of your face and a photo of your passport.

No. The face photo has to follow the UKVI digital photo rules, which say it must not be the same photo that is in your passport, or a photo of another photo. The picture of your passport page is a separate upload.

Only if they are 10 or older. The app does not ask you to scan the face of a child aged 9 or under, but every child, including babies, still needs their own ETA and a face photo.

An ETA costs £20, in the app or online, and is not refundable. It lasts 2 years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and allows as many trips as needed while valid.

No. Dual citizens with British or Irish citizenship cannot get an ETA. They should travel on a valid British or Irish passport, or on another passport with a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.

An email usually arrives within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days. Do not travel until you have an email confirming you have an ETA.

You can retake the photo before you submit it. The app lets you submit it anyway if you need to, for example if you wear a head covering for religious or medical reasons.

Related photo specifications

Other United Kingdom documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

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Official sources

  1. GOV.UK. Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK gov.uk. Checked 29 October 2026.
  2. GOV.UK. Using the UK ETA app gov.uk. Checked 29 October 2026.
  3. GOV.UK (UK Visas and Immigration). Take a photo of your face for a visa application or permission gov.uk. Checked 29 October 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"United Kingdom electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-kingdom/eta-photo

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