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

Railcard photo: face about 70% of the frame, up to 5 MB

Most Railcards bought online ask for a photo of each holder, and Railcard says a selfie is fine. Your head and shoulders should be in close-up with your face filling about 70% of the frame, on a plain, light background, in a file of 5 MB or less. CropPass crops your photo to a passport shape and exports a 700×900 px JPEG with 300 DPI in the file, without editing your face or the background. CropPass isn’t connected to the Railcard scheme, and Railcard decides whether to accept your photo.

Railcard photo (online purchase): photo requirements
SizeAt least 413×531 px · CropPass exports 700×900 px (no pixel size is stated; 413×531 px is 35×45 mm at the 300 DPI Railcard asks for)
Shape7:9 portrait (Railcard only says portrait; CropPass uses the shape of a 35×45 mm passport photo)
File sizeUp to 5 MB
FormatJPEG (JPG is on every Railcard format list; some also take PNG, BMP or GIF)
Head height64–76% of the photo height, chin to crown (Railcard asks for your face to fill about 70% of the frame, so CropPass frames the UK passport range around it)
BackgroundA plain, light background
Digital editingNot allowed · CropPass only crops and resizes

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

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Country

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

Official requirements ↗

How to make your Railcard photo

  1. Take or choose a photo. Face the camera in even light, against a wall that fits the background rule: a plain, light background. 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 "Railcard photo (online purchase)" is selected and click "Download Railcard photo (online purchase)". CropPass encodes a 700×900 px JPEG (up to 5 MB) and shows its final size, ready to upload. The preview is free; downloading needs a pass.

Questions and answers

Can I take my Railcard photo as a selfie?

Yes. Railcard says you can take a selfie or have someone take a photo for you, and that it follows the same rules as the DVLA and Passport Agency. Keep it close-up and in full colour, with your head and shoulders visible, nobody else in the shot, and no sunglasses or clothing that hides your face. Railcard may reject a photo that does not meet its guidelines.

What size does a Railcard photo have to be?

Railcard gives no pixel size. Its FAQs ask for a file of no more than 5 MB with a resolution of at least 300 DPI, and your face should fill about 70% of the frame. CropPass crops to the shape of a 35×45 mm passport photo and exports a 700×900 px JPEG with 300 DPI written into the file, far smaller than 5 MB.

Which Railcards need a photo?

Buying online, the 16-25, 26-30, Two Together, Disabled Persons and Veterans Railcards and the 16-17 Saver ask for a passport-style photo, and Two Together needs one of each of the two named holders. The Network Railcard needs one only for a digital card. The Senior and Family & Friends pages mostly tie the photo to a digital card but list it without that condition in places, so have one ready (one for each named holder on Family & Friends). The 26-30 Railcard is sold as a digital card only.

My Railcard photo won’t upload. What should I check?

Railcard’s troubleshooting starts with the file size and format: JPG is on every format list Railcard gives, and the file must be 5 MB or less. If a file that fits still fails, it suggests signing out and back in, restarting or updating your browser, clearing the cache and turning on JavaScript. A CropPass export is a JPEG well under 5 MB, so size and format shouldn’t be the cause.

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