The fastest way to get a UK passport photo near you is to use an online photo tool. It lets you upload a selfie, get it checked by experts, and download a compliant digital photo and code in just 2 minutes — no queues or appointments.
Feature | Benefit |
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Digital passport photo & code | Instant download plus photo code for HMPO applications. Comes with a printable 6×4 template for in-store printing. |
Expert verification | Every photo is checked for UK passport standards — size, background, head position, lighting, and expression. 100% acceptance guaranteed. |
Same-hour prints | Print your photo locally at any store for less than a pound — far cheaper than booths. |
8 ready-made prints | Receive eight perfectly sized, ready-to-use passport photos delivered by Royal Mail within two days — ideal for paper applications or spares. |
Cheaper than a photo booth or studio | Typical photo booths charge £10–£13; studios up to £22. Our online service costs £2.95 and includes digital photo, code and 8 prints. |
Baby & child photos | Take compliant photos for infants at home — easier and calmer than visiting a booth or store. |
Compliance updates | Our app follows the latest UK passport photo regulations to keep all pictures fully compliant. |
Use any camera-equipped phone or computer — your “nearest photo booth” is already in your pocket. Upload your photo, review the preview, and get your verified image instantly — faster than Boots passport photos or any other in-store service!
We always value feedback. After creating your UK passport photo, you can share your experience at hello@photobooth.online.
You can get a passport photo taken near you at supermarkets, post offices or photo studios across the UK — or make one online in minutes. Most cities and towns, from Birmingham and Bristol to Coventry and Leeds, have several options for taking and printing passport photos.
Location Type | Details & Considerations |
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Passport photo booths | Found in supermarkets and shopping centres such as Tesco and Asda. Photos are printed instantly, but quality and lighting control are limited — retakes cost extra. |
Post Offices | Many branches offer staff-assisted photo capture and the Check & Send service. Employees verify your photo and can submit your application to HM Passport Office. However, opening hours are limited and queues are common. |
Professional photo studios | Studios such as Snappy Snaps or independent photographers provide the best quality, lighting and retouching. But prices usually range from £13 to £22 per set, and availability depends on location. |
None of these options are perfect. Booths are quick but inflexible, Post Offices may involve queues, and studios can be costly (especially the one like Timpsons passport photos, whose prices vary from store to store).
Fortunately, there’s now an easier alternative:
From London and Manchester to Newcastle and Bradford, you can create your passport photo at home — faster, cheaper and fully HMPO-compliant.
Having your passport photos taken out of home can be convenient, but the experience varies depending on where you go. The most common options in the UK are self-service photo booths and professional photo studios — each with distinct pros and cons.
Option | Experience & Notes |
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Photo booths (Tesco, Asda, etc.) |
Quick and easy to use — you sit, follow on-screen instructions, and get printed photos instantly. Prices range from £8 to £14 depending on location. However, quality and maintenance vary, retakes cost extra, and they’re not ideal for baby passport photos. |
Photo studios (e.g., Snappy Snaps) |
Professional lighting, guidance and retouching. Prices start around £10 and can exceed £20 per set. Great for achieving perfect quality, though sessions take longer and can feel less comfortable for children. |
In both cases, the process can feel impersonal — you may be photographed by a stranger or an automated machine. That’s why many people now prefer taking passport photos at home using an online tool to take and download or print passport photos – with instant verification and delivery options.
Tip: If you’re taking photos for a baby or prefer full control over the process, an online photo service is usually faster, cheaper and less stressful.
Of course, there is! If you want to save time and get it done more quickly, use the benefits of our digital age. As opposed to a close-at-hand photo booth or a shop found via a store locator, making your passport photo online may well be the fastest option. After all, you only need a device with a camera and a few seconds to do that. And you don’t even have to look for a wall to make the background colour in your passport photos light grey (as per the UK government’s rules).
Our online service doesn’t have any regional limitations—whether you’re in Bristol, Coventry or Edinburgh, you’ll be able to use it to get a perfectly compliant passport photo fast (and print it in any of the stores in your area).
On this very page, you can upload your photo taken with practically any background, and our tool will remove it automatically. Also, your picture doesn’t have to be shoulder-length, as our tool can also crop it to the extent required for a British passport photo.
All you have to do is to make sure you look straight at the camera and keep your head and shoulders level, mouth closed, and eyes open. A couple of other things to bear in mind when taking a passport photo: make sure that your face isn’t obscured by anything and that there are no shadows (and if you wear glasses, you want to take them off; no tinted glasses either). As for hair and head covering, it’s allowed for religious reasons only. Finally, apply some cosmetics if that’s your thing (just make sure you know all you need about makeup in passport photos).
That’s all there is to the appearance criteria! Simply follow these rules to get your perfect biometric photo without any significant effort.
We understand that all these guidelines may seem overwhelming for an unprepared and inexperienced user. That’s why our tool has an integrated checker that helps you verify your passport photo against the current UK regulations (with the last update taken into account). We guarantee that HMPO will be satisfied!
First of all, you’re already on the right webpage! Once you’ve accessed our professional service, it will only take you a couple of simple steps to get a British passport photo taken nearly instantly. Here’s what you need to do:
That’s pretty much it! Our processing algorithms verify your shot per the latest passport photo regulations—this means there’s no need for any further modifications. Apply online or in a UK passport office: we give you an acceptance guarantee in any case!
Once you’ve completed the photo-upload-and-processing stage and got yourself a perfect picture for your new document, you have two options. Many go the old way and have their digital photos printed at the nearest store that provides picture printing services. In that case, the printout price will likely be under £1. Then you can cut each passport photo out and use them to submit a new application.
While seemingly the safest, this tried-and-true method is not too efficient time-wise. For one, you’ll have to spend at least an hour finding a place where you can get a correct printout of your passport photo (not all stores can do that properly). Once this stage is done, you’ll also need to go to a passport office in person to submit your application with the printed pictures.
In case you want to avoid that and don’t feel like going someplace only to get a small printed passport photo (even if the place is close by), you should really consider online submission. This option is available in many different countries, the United Kingdom included. The good news here is that you submit an online passport application with a digital photo attached. In case you decide to apply for a passport online, you’ll save both time and money (it’ll be about 16 pounds cheaper). After all, British passport renewal is expensive enough, which makes online submission a preferable option. In fact, HMPO itself already calls this method of submitting your passport photo and application ‘the standard service’.