Can you use AI for a passport photo?

The reason is right there in the GOV.UK rules: your passport photo must be unaltered by computer software. A lot of people assume “a little AI tidy-up” counts as fine. It doesn’t.

Think about what AI photo tools actually do. They remove backgrounds, smooth skin, relight your face, fix red eye and sharpen things up. Every one of those is an alteration by computer software. Then there is the other thing people try: feeding an old selfie to a generator and asking for a passport-style version. That breaks the rules twice, because the photo must also have been taken in the last month, and an AI-generated image is a picture of something that looks like you, never a photo taken of you at all.

Both digital and printed photos have to be unaltered, so there is no loophole in which route you pick. Digital photos also need to be clear and in focus, in colour, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 tall, and between 50KB and 10MB. Printed applications need two identical photos, 45mm high by 35mm wide, printed to a professional standard on plain white photographic paper, and they cannot be a cut-down version of a larger picture. Your head, crown to chin, has to measure 29mm to 34mm.

The background matters too. For digital photos you need a plain light-coloured background, no other objects or people, clear contrast and no red eye. For printed photos it is plain cream or light grey. This is exactly where the AI temptation kicks in: a messy wall behind you, a quick background swap, done. That swap is the very thing the rules rule out.

Then there is you, in the frame. Face forwards with a plain expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible. No hair over your eyes, nothing covering your face, no shadows, and no head covering unless it is for religious or medical reasons. Glasses only if you must wear them, never sunglasses or tinted lenses, and no glare or frames over your eyes. That is a lot of small details, and the urge to “just fix it in software” is understandable. Fixing it in software is the problem.

How to do it well

The simplest route is a photo booth or a shop. GOV.UK says photos from a booth or shop are more likely to be approved than one taken on your own device, and you can choose the option to get a code to enter in the online application.

If you would rather do it yourself, you can take the photo on your own device during the online application. You need someone to help you take it, so this is not a solo selfie job. Include your head, shoulders and upper body, and do not crop it yourself, because the cropping is done for you.

For the setting:

• stand against a plain light-coloured wall
• get even light from the front so there are no shadows on your face or behind you
• take your glasses off unless you have to wear them
• face the camera straight on with a plain expression

If something is wrong, retake it. Too much shadow, a bit of glare, hair across an eye: take the photo again rather than reaching for an editing app.

Children have their own rules, which are a bit more forgiving. They must be on their own in the photo, and babies must not be holding toys or using dummies. Children under 6 do not have to look at the camera or have a plain expression. Children under one do not need their eyes open; lay them on a plain light-coloured sheet and take the photo from above, and if you support their head, your hand must not be visible. If you are disabled, help with passport photos is available.

One sensible use of AI here: an AI chat assistant can explain the rules in plain language or draft you a checklist, because that does not touch the photo. Compare whatever it gives you against the GOV.UK page itself, because the page is the source and a chatbot summary can drift.

Rules and risks

The unaltered rule. Your photo, digital or printed, must be unaltered by computer software. AI background removal, skin smoothing, relighting and software red-eye fixes are all out. Even a small tweak counts.

The last-month rule. Your photo must have been taken in the last month, and you need a new photo for a new passport even if your appearance has not changed. That is why generating a picture from an old selfie fails so completely.

Delay. If your photos do not meet the rules, your application will be delayed. That is the practical cost people underestimate when they think a quick AI polish is harmless.

The safe approach is boring, in a good way: take a fresh photo, keep it unedited, check it against the rules, and retake it if it is off.

This is general information based on the GOV.UK guidance, not legal advice.