If you are in the U.S. and you want to get a British passport, the first thing you need to do is to get a qualified passport photo. But how can you get one since you are in the U.S.? In fact, there are many ways for you to acquire a perfect British passport photo, which now has two forms: traditional paper one and digital one. However, each has different photo requirements so you must be careful when preparing the photo.
In this article, we will show you several ways to obtain a British passport photo in America, both printed and digital.
If you need a printed one:
The standard size of a printed passport photo is 45mm high by 55mm wide and you should know cutting from a larger one is not acceptable. There are 2 ways to get a printed passport photo.
STORES:
This includes retail stores and pharmacies that provide passport photo service, but a lot of them offer only US passport photo service. Walgreens and CVS are two options for you, but not all of them across America provide UK passport photo service. So before walking in a store, you can check it on its website to see if the service you need is provided.
PHOTO BOOTH:
For Americans, the most common way to get their passport photos may be going to a post office or a photo booth. However, the American post office offers only the U.S. passport photo size. Most of photo booths in America also provide U.S. passport photo size only. There are, however, certain photo booths that give customers authority to change the size of their photos. So customers need to crop photos into the required size manually.
If you need a digital one:
A digital British passport photo has different requirements. Especially the size. The size should be at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall. You can check more rules given by UK government. There are 2 common ways to obtain a digital UK passport photo.
DO IT YOURSELF:
To get a digital photo by yourself, you will need a photography device such as a smartphone to take a picture of yourself. Please be sure to follow the rules on UK government and pay careful attention to the size.
PHOTO BOOTH:
If you are getting a passport photo from a photo booth, do remember to add a code to your photo. The code is important and necessary for your application. You can select the option on the machine or you can ask someone for help.
Another Option
In fact, the most convenient way to have a British passport photo in America may be getting it by online tools. Once you got the photo, you can use the photo directly or you can print it with no further alterations. There are many online tools that offer passport photo services. If you do need a recommendation, my answer would be AiPassportPhotos.
With AiPassportPhotos, you can have a British passport photo within seconds, without worrying about size or background problems. The whole process takes just three steps:
Step 1: Take a photo
Take out your smartphone and take a picture of yourself with a clear image. Wear something dark and don’t wear any glasses except prescription glasses.
Step 2: Select the document type
If you want a British passport photo, click the country box and select UK. The website will choose UK Digital Passport Photo automatically for you.
But if you are going to print the photo, you need to select manually Photo 35X45 mm, which is exactly the size required by the British passport office.
Step 3: Get your photo
Upload the photo you take and get your passport photo within seconds. (Please check again if you choose the right document type)
TIPS:
So what should you be aware of when taking the photo?
1. The background of your photo must be light-colored and without any other objects.
2. Wear something dark. Because you have to contrast the background.
3. Only prescription glasses that do not cover your eyes are accepted.
4. Don’t smile and show a neutral facial expression.
5. Don’t wear too much makeup and be natural.
If you are disabled:
If you are disabled and cannot meet some requirements, you should offer additional information about the reasons and send a letter explaining your condition. Click here to know more about the rules.
How to Take Your Baby’s Passport Photo
Children and babies too need a passport photo but rules or requirements may differ slightly. According to UK Government, you need to know that a child must be the only person in the photo without an adult or toys. But if your baby is under 6 years old, he/she doesn’t need to look directly at the camera like adults do. And if your baby hasn’t reached 1 year old, he/she need not open his/her eyes. You can hold the head, but be careful not to show your hands in the photo.
FAQ:
Q: Is the UK Digital Passport Photo printable?
A: No you can’t. Printed UK Passport Photo has a different standard.
Q: Can I use the photo of my old passport?
A: You can’t. British government requires a new photo for a new passport.
Q: How many copies do I need if I were to choose a printed version?
A: Two identical will be necessary.
Summary
There are a lot of people living in America now, and it is a little bit tricky for them to get a British Passport Photo since most passport photo services provided by stores, photo booths or pharmacies are exclusively in U.S. standard. Customers need to pay special attention to this, otherwise, they may waste their time and money.
Besides, it is always confusing to decide the size of printed photo or a digital one. So it’s better to have someone else do it for you. AiPassportPhotos is a really convenient online tool, which is accessible both on computers and smartphones. So next time you want to get a British Passport, why not upload your photo and let AiPassportPhotos do the rest of the work and save your time and money?
Erin Lo