United Kingdom firearms licence photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Home Office (GOV.UK) for the United Kingdom firearms licence, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the United Kingdom firearms licence photo?
A firearm or shotgun certificate application in England, Wales or Scotland must include one photograph. With a paper Form 201, an ordinary passport-style print, 35 x 45 mm (45 mm high), is suitable; online applications use a digital photograph. The Home Office notes ask for a professional-standard, full-face true likeness against a plain cream or grey background, printed on good gloss or matt paper, with a neutral expression and no sunglasses, tinted glasses or red eye.
In Great Britain, firearm and shotgun certificates are granted by the chief officer of police for the area where you live, under the Firearms Act 1968. You apply to your local force's firearms licensing department, using the Home Office's prescribed application form, Form 201, or the force's online version where one is available. The same form covers grants and renewals, and a certificate lasts up to five years.
The photograph is a legal requirement rather than a local preference: the Firearms Rules 1998 require every application for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate to be accompanied by one photograph. The Home Office guide on firearms licensing law repeats that ordinary passport-style photos are suitable and that online applications must use a digital photograph.
A revised Form 201 came into use on 29 September 2026, when the Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2026 took effect. It adds questions about members of your household and any second home where guns will be stored; the Home Office circular describing the changes does not mention the photograph. Northern Ireland has separate firearms law and its own licensing process, run by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
United Kingdom firearms licence photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Home Office (GOV.UK):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (ordinary passport-style print) is suitable for paper applications |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Online applications: a digital photograph; Form 201 sets no pixel size |
| Background | Plain cream or grey, with no other objects or people in the background |
| Print quality | Professional standard; if printed, on good quality gloss or matt paper |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- One photograph, by law
The Firearms Rules 1998, made under the Firearms Act 1968, require one photograph with each grant or renewal application. Form 201's declaration includes a box to confirm you have enclosed it, alongside the referee details and the fee.
- Passport-style size
Form 201 says an ordinary passport-style photo, 45 mm high and 35 mm wide, is suitable. It does not set a separate head size, eye position or pixel count.
- Cream or grey backdrop
Stand against a plain cream or grey background, with no other objects or people visible behind you.
- True likeness, full face
The photo must be a true likeness and show your full face, taken to a professional standard. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open and mouth closed.
- No tinted lenses, no red eye
Sunglasses and tinted glasses are ruled out, and so is any red eye. A head covering is allowed only if you wear it for religious or medical reasons.
- Digital for online forms
If you apply through your force's online system, a digital photograph must be used instead of a print. Form 201 does not set a file size or format, so follow the instructions in the online form.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Tick the declaration box confirming you enclosed one photograph.
- Use a plain cream or grey wall or screen behind you.
- Print on good quality gloss or matt photo paper.
- Hand in or post the photo with the form and fee, unless your force says otherwise.
- Check your force's own instructions before applying online.
Don't
- Do not let other people or objects appear behind you.
- Do not wear a hat unless it is for religious or medical reasons.
- Do not wear sunglasses or tinted glasses.
- Do not send a photo with red eye.
- Do not use a casual snapshot that is not a true likeness.
Sample photos
How a United Kingdom firearms licence photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Form 201 says you must not wear sunglasses or tinted glasses in the photograph. It does not mention clear prescription glasses. Whatever you wear, your eyes have to be open and the photo must still be a true likeness, so avoid frames or reflections that hide them.
Headwear and religious dress
The Home Office notes ask for a full-face photo without a head covering, unless the covering is worn for religious or medical reasons. Your face must stay fully visible, and the photo has to remain a true likeness of you.
Printed and digital photos
Paper applications take one printed photograph. A standard passport-style print from a booth or studio meets the size note, and if you print it yourself, use good quality gloss or matt paper; the photo must still be of a professional standard.
Online applications, where your force offers them, must use a digital photograph. Neither Form 201 nor the Home Office guide on firearms licensing law gives pixel dimensions or a file limit, so the upload page of your force's system is the place to check. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to fit whatever the system asks for, but keep the plain cream or grey background and the full-face pose.
Where to submit the photo
With a paper form, post or take the completed Form 201, the fee and the photograph to your police force's firearms licensing department, unless the police tell you otherwise. For a renewal, include a signed and dated recent copy of the certificate being renewed. Electronic applications generate their own receipt.
In Scotland, Police Scotland lets you download Form 201 or collect a hard copy from any police station, and its web page asks you to send the application with identical photographs and payment to your local firearms licensing processing centre. That wording suggests more than one print, while Form 201 asks for one, so check with the processing centre. For a renewal in Scotland, Police Scotland writes to you 16 weeks before expiry and says not to send the completed form until a Firearms Enquiry Officer tells you how. In Northern Ireland, PSNI's online application guidance asks you to upload an image of yourself similar to the passport standard: full face, without a hat, against a plain background with as little visible behind you as possible.
How to get your United Kingdom firearms licence photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United Kingdom firearms licence: 35 × 45 mm print, plain cream or grey background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one photograph, by law; passport-style size; cream or grey backdrop; true likeness, full face.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Paper applications take one printed photograph. A standard passport-style print from a booth or studio meets the size note, and if you print it yourself, use good quality gloss or matt paper; the photo must still be of a professional standard.
- Submit the photo with your application. With a paper form, post or take the completed Form 201, the fee and the photograph to your police force's firearms licensing department, unless the police tell you otherwise.
United Kingdom firearms licence photo FAQ
An ordinary passport-style photo, 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, is suitable for a shotgun or firearm certificate application on a paper Form 201. Online applications use a digital photograph instead, and Form 201 sets no pixel size for it.
One. The Firearms Rules 1998 require each grant or renewal application to be accompanied by one photograph, and Form 201 asks you to confirm you have enclosed it. Police Scotland's web page mentions sending identical photographs, so applicants in Scotland should check with their processing centre.
No. Form 201's guidance for referees says the form gives them no opportunity to sign, and there is no legal requirement for them to see it. A Firearms Enquiry Officer contacts your two referees directly to confirm they are willing to act.
A plain cream or grey background, with no other people or objects visible. The photo must also be of a professional standard, and Form 201 specifically rules out red eye.
Sunglasses and tinted glasses are not allowed. Form 201 says nothing about clear prescription glasses, but your eyes must be open and the photo a true likeness, so make sure frames and reflections do not hide them.
Yes, where your police force offers electronic applications. The Home Office says a digital photograph must be used for online applications. Size and file limits are set by the force's online form rather than by Form 201.
Northern Ireland has its own firearms law, and certificates are handled by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Its online guidance asks for an uploaded photo similar to the passport standard, full face and without a hat, against a plain background. Form 201 applies only in England, Wales and Scotland.
Related photo specifications
Other United Kingdom documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) photo
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- CitizenCard photo 720 × 1280 px
- Driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
- British citizenship (naturalisation) photo 45 × 35 mm
- Bus pass photo 35 × 45 mm
- Zip oyster photocard photo
- Blue badge (disabled parking permit) photo
- PASS proof-of-age card photo 45 × 35 mm
Licences and permit cards nearby
- Estonia weapons permit photo 30 × 40 mm
- Finland firearms permit photo 36 × 47 mm
- Ireland SPSV taxi licence photo 70 × 100 mm
- Austria weapons passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Czech Republic firearms licence photo
- Spain gun licence photo 26 × 32 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All United Kingdom photo specifications
- Licences and permit cards: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Home Office (GOV.UK). Firearms application forms (Form 201, September 2026) gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Home Office. Form 201: application for the grant or renewal of a firearm and/or shotgun certificate assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Home Office (GOV.UK). Guide on firearms licensing law gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Home Office (GOV.UK). Circular 013/2026: The Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2026 gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Police Scotland. Firearms and Shotguns scotland.police.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Police Service of Northern Ireland. Initial Grant Online Application Guidelines psni.police.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Home Office (GOV.UK). Shotgun and firearm certificates gov.uk. Checked 1 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Home Office (GOV.UK) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"United Kingdom firearms licence photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-kingdom/firearms-licence-photo