WinPhoto

Passport, visa and ID photos · United Kingdom

UK ETA photo: check yours

Check your UK ETA photo against the official rules before you send it. We never change it. Official size: at least 600 x 750 pixels. Background: plain light-coloured, in clear contrast to the person. Rules read on gov.uk on 4 November 2026.

  1. Choose the photo file you were given
  2. We check it against the official rules, without changing it
  3. If it passes, send that same file

Free check. Once it passes, our Detail check, €6.99: unlimited re-checks for 30 days, and we never change your photo. Refund if the authority rejects a photo that passed.

Your photo

Your photo stays on your device: nothing is uploaded, and no face is recognised.

What a passing photo needs

  • Stand a step in front of a plain light wall, with nothing behind you.
  • Face a window or soft light: even light on the face, no shadows on it or behind.
  • Phone at eye level, about 1.5 m away: ask someone, or hold it at arm's length.
  • Glasses only if you must wear them, with no tint or glare.
  • A neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight at the camera.

Check your photo

The first photo loads the face finder and the background outline from this site, about 15 MB, once.

The face finder and the background outline run in this page from files served by this site (sources and licences). They find where a face is in the photo; they never recognise who it is.

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government.

This page only checks your photo: it never crops, edits or re-saves it.

In the UK ETA app, the app takes your face photo itself. If you apply online instead, for example for someone who isn't with you, GOV.UK says the photo must not be altered by computer software, and must show your head, shoulders and upper body. So this page checks your photo as it is and never changes or re-saves it: upload that same file.

Apply directly, and pay only the official fee

We never apply for you: you apply for the UK ETA yourself, on the official site.

Open the official site: gov.uk

GOV.UK: Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). Apply there online, or on the official UK ETA app.

Official fee: £20, as stated on gov.uk, checked 9 November 2026.

  • No other website or app gets you a faster decision. (gov.uk)
Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services.

From gov.uk, checked 9 November 2026.

Sites that look official may charge extra for the same form: use only the official site above.

What you need

Tick as you go: the ticks stay on this page and are not saved.

The photo: check it free on this page before you upload it. Check your photo ↑

The steps on the official site

  1. Apply on the UK ETA app, scanning your passport and face with your phone's camera, or apply online.
  2. Each traveller needs their own ETA, babies and children too; you can apply for other people.
  3. Pay the £20 fee.
  4. Wait for the email confirming your ETA, with its 16-digit reference number, before you travel.

How long it takes: "You’ll usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days." (gov.uk, checked 9 November 2026)

Sources

Official source: gov.uk, checked on 9 November 2026.

An ETA costs £20. Apply for an ETA.
Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services.
Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children.
You can apply for other people.

Official source: gov.uk, checked on 9 November 2026.

It costs £20 to apply online or through the UK ETA app. You cannot get a refund after you apply.
You cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app.
the passport you’ll travel with
an email address
a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
When you apply, you’ll need to upload or take photos of the face of the person applying.
You must follow the rules for digital photos of faces.
If you cannot download the app on your phone, you should apply online.
You must wait until you get an email confirming you have an ETA before you travel to the UK.
The email will contain your 16 digit ETA reference number.
You’ll usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days.

WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government and never applies for anyone. Fees and steps change: check the official site before you pay.

The rules at a glance

For the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), face photo, as the official rules state them.

Size
at least 600 x 750 pixels
Background
Plain light-coloured, in clear contrast to the person.
Glasses
Only if you have to wear them
Expression
A neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
Edits
None: this page only checks your photo, it never changes it. The official rules say: “Your photo must not be altered by computer software or through other means (for example, by adding a filter).”
All the official rules and sources
Digital photo
at least 600 pixels wide, at least 750 pixels tall
File
JPEG; 50 KB to 6,000 KB
This page
Checks your photo as it is; it makes no file
Background
plain light-coloured, in clear contrast to the person
Glasses
Only if you have to wear them
Expression
plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible, facing and looking straight at the camera
Head covering
not allowed unless for religious or medical reasons
Colour
Colour only
  • not altered by computer software or other means, no filters; not mirrored or flipped
  • vertical (portrait) orientation; JPG or JPEG; at least 600 x 750 px; 50KB to 6MB
  • show head, shoulders and upper body; no other objects or people; no red eye
  • no hair in front of the eyes; no shadows on the face or behind; shoulders and torso clothed
  • not a scan or photo of another photo, not the photo in your passport or ID card, not a photo of a document
  • glasses only if you have to: never sunglasses or tinted; no frames, glare, reflection or shadow over the eyes
  • babies under one: lie on a plain light-coloured sheet, photo from above, no hand visible; no toys or dummies

For: UK ETA application online at GOV.UK (photo of the face uploaded); UK ETA app (the app takes the face photo and a face scan; nothing to bring).

Official source: www.gov.uk, checked on 4 November 2026.

When you apply, you’ll need to upload or take photos of the face of the person applying.
If the person you’re applying for is not with you, you must apply for their ETA online.
You’ll need a photo of their passport and a photo of their face.
You must follow the rules for digital photos of faces.
If the photo of the face of the person applying does not meet the rules, the application may be delayed or rejected.

Official source: www.gov.uk, checked on 4 November 2026.

Your photo must not be altered by computer software or through other means (for example, by adding a filter).
at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall
at least 50KB and no more than 6MB
a jpg or jpeg file
vertically orientated
Your photo must not be mirrored or flipped.
be taken against a plain light-coloured background
be in clear contrast to the background
show your head, shoulders and upper body
The photo can be from a phone or tablet.
be a scan or photo of another photo of you
be the same photo of you that is in your passport or identity card
have a plain expression and your mouth closed
not have a head covering, unless it’s for religious or medical reasons
You should try to arrange for another person to take your photo. This will help reduce the chance of having your photo rejected.
Do not wear glasses in your photo unless you have to. If you have to wear glasses they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and your eyes cannot be covered by the frames or glare, reflection or shadow. Your eyes must be seen clearly.
Children under 6 do not have to be looking directly at the camera or have a plain expression.

Official source: www.gov.uk, checked on 4 November 2026.

You need to take a photo of your face using the app. If you are applying for someone else, such as a child, take a photo of their face.
The app will tell you if your photo does not meet the photo requirements. You can still submit it if you need to – for example, if you have a head covering because of religious or medical reasons.
The app will use your camera to scan your face. This is to confirm you are a real person.

Official source: www.gov.uk, checked on 4 November 2026.

(e) the applicant must provide a facial image in accordance with the application process and which complies with the rules for digital photos on ‘https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports’; and

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government. Rules change: check the official page before you apply.

How to use it

  1. Use the original photo file, as the photographer or the camera gave it.
  2. Choose it here. The page finds your face and checks the photo without changing it.
  3. Move Top of head if the dashed line is not at the top of your head.
  4. Fix what the page lists, and tick what only you can confirm.
  5. If it passes, send that same file, unchanged.

Questions

What size is the UK ETA photo?
As a digital photo, at least 600 pixels wide, at least 750 pixels tall. The file: JPEG; 50 KB to 6,000 KB. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.
What background does the UK ETA photo need?
Plain light-coloured, in clear contrast to the person.
Can I wear glasses in my UK ETA photo?
Only if you have to wear them, with no tint and no glare over your eyes.
Can I smile in my UK ETA photo?
Plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible, facing and looking straight at the camera.
Can I wear a head covering in my UK ETA photo?
Not allowed unless for religious or medical reasons.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The photo is read and checked in your browser. The page tells our server only that a photo was checked, that it passed, or that a file was saved; never the photo, your face or any measurement. It finds where your face is in the photo; it never recognises who you are.
How is the head measured?
The page finds your chin and eyes in the photo and estimates the top of your head from your forehead, since hair hides it: the dashed line shows the estimate. If it is not at the top of your head, move it with Top of head and the checks follow.
Will my photo be accepted?
Only the issuing authority decides. A photo that passes every check here meets the published size, head and background rules as checked on 4 November 2026; you confirm the rest, such as glasses, expression and how recent the photo is.
Why can't I save a new file here?
This page only checks your photo: it never crops, edits or re-saves it. In the UK ETA app, the app takes your face photo itself. If you apply online instead, for example for someone who isn't with you, GOV.UK says the photo must not be altered by computer software, and must show your head, shoulders and upper body. So this page checks your photo as it is and never changes or re-saves it: upload that same file.
What does the Detail check add?
Detail check for your UK ETA photo, €6.99: the Detail check of your own photo against the official rules (opt-in; it never changes your photo), unlimited re-checks and the whole family's photos for this document for 30 days. No file and no print sheet: the rules don't allow us to change this photo. Pay only once your photo passes. Refund if the authority rejects a photo that passed. Paid once, with no subscription. In the Detail check our AI model, run in the EU, checks glasses, expression, shadows and more in the file you chose, if you choose to send it, and never changes it. Without buying you can check any photo here and save the acceptance report, free.
What is the official UK ETA website?
The official site is GOV.UK: Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), at https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply. Apply there online, or on the official UK ETA app. gov.uk warns: "Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services."
How much does the UK ETA cost?
£20, as stated on gov.uk, checked on 9 November 2026. No other website or app gets you a faster decision.