CropPass
UK · 35×45 mm · 413×531 px · Head 64–76%

Blue Badge photo: a 35×45 mm passport-style photo for GOV.UK

When you apply or reapply for a Blue Badge on GOV.UK, you upload a recent digital photo showing your head and shoulders. The Department for Transport’s guidance for councils in England asks for a passport-style photo 45 mm high and 35 mm wide, in colour, against a light grey or cream background, with a neutral expression and nothing altered. CropPass crops your photo to that shape and exports a 700×900 px JPEG without editing your face or the background. Your council decides whether to accept it. Applying on paper? Use the standard UK 35×45 mm photo with background cleanup left off, and have the print sheet printed at a photo lab, as the guidance asks for a professionally printed photo without amendment.

Blue Badge photo (online application): photo requirements
SizeAt least 413×531 px · CropPass exports 700×900 px (GOV.UK gives no pixel size; CropPass’s minimum, 413×531 px, is a 35×45 mm photo at 300 DPI)
Shape7:9 portrait (the guidance asks for 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, the passport size)
File sizeNot stated (GOV.UK doesn’t publish a limit; Northern Ireland’s own service takes up to 5 MB)
FormatJPEG (GOV.UK doesn’t list formats)
Head height64–76% of the photo height, chin to crown (no head size is stated; CropPass uses the usual UK passport range, as the guidance says its rules follow passport photos closely)
BackgroundLight grey or cream, in strong contrast to your face
Digital editingNot allowed · CropPass only crops and resizes

Last verified 26 October 2026 against the source: gov.uk ↗

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Head 64–76% of frame height. 35×45 mm, 413×531 px, off-white background.

Official requirements ↗

How to make your Blue Badge photo

  1. Take or choose a photo. Face the camera in even light, against a wall that fits the background rule: light grey or cream, in strong contrast to your face. Upload it as a JPEG, PNG or HEIC file; it stays on your device.
  2. Line up the frame. CropPass crops to the 7:9 shape of the file and marks where your head goes (64–76% of the height). Drag and zoom until your head sits inside the guides.
  3. Download the file. In the download step, check that "Blue Badge photo (online application)" is selected and click "Download Blue Badge photo (online application)". CropPass encodes a 700×900 px JPEG and shows its final size, ready to upload. The preview is free; downloading needs a pass.

Questions and answers

Can I take my Blue Badge photo at home?

It depends on your council. GOV.UK’s apply page asks for a recent digital photo of your head and shoulders and doesn’t say who has to take it, and some councils say a home photo is fine: Essex says photos don’t need to be taken in a photo booth or by a professional, and that you can upload one from your digital camera, smartphone or tablet. Others treat a booth as the default. The guidance for England, and councils such as Southend, accept a photo taken another way from people who can’t use a photo booth, such as wheelchair users, as long as it meets the same passport-style standards and nobody else is in it.

How recent does the photo need to be?

The guidance for England says it should be taken within the month before you apply, and some councils, such as Southend, repeat that. Others are looser: Essex accepts photos taken in the last 6 months, but not one already used on a previous Blue Badge. Badges usually last up to 3 years, so plan on a new photo each time you reapply.

Can I wear glasses in my Blue Badge photo?

The guidance for England doesn’t ban glasses: it asks for no reflection or glare from the lenses, no tinted lenses and no frames covering your eyes. Sunglasses aren’t allowed. The guidance in Wales is looser: it says Blue Badge photos don’t need to meet every strict passport rule, such as “no smiling” and “no glasses”.

Is it the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Most people in Scotland can apply or reapply on the same GOV.UK service, and the Welsh government links to it too, so the upload is the same. Northern Ireland has its own online service, which asks for a recent colour passport-type photo of your head and shoulders, with a maximum file size of 5 MB. A CropPass export is far smaller than that.

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