UK ETA: Do You Need a New Passport Photo? (2026 Guide)

The short version

• UK ETA does NOT require a separate passport photo.
• The application uses your existing biometric passport plus a live selfie taken in the GOV.UK ETA app.
• The selfie does not follow passport photo rules - smiles are fine, backgrounds are flexible.
• Your underlying UK passport still needs a standard 35x45 mm HMPO-compliant photo (no change).
• UK ETA is GBP 20 since 8 April 2026 (raised from GBP 16; originally GBP 10 at launch).
• Approval usually within minutes; allow 3 working days for review cases.
• Valid for 2 years or until passport expires (whichever sooner).

What is the UK ETA?

The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation is a digital pre-travel approval introduced by the Home Office in 2024 and rolled out to most visa-exempt nationals through 2025. It is broadly similar in purpose to the US ESTA: a security pre-screening for travellers who would not normally need a visa.

Rollout schedule:

• 15 November 2023: Qatar nationals (first phase)
• 22 February 2024: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE
• 8 January 2025: non-EU visa-exempt nationals (US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, etc)
• 2 April 2025: EU and EFTA nationals

Irish citizens are exempt and do not need an ETA. UK and dual-UK citizens travel on their UK passport. Holders of any UK visa do not need an ETA in addition.

How the application works

The application happens entirely through the GOV.UK ETA app (iOS, Android) or the GOV.UK website. Steps:

1. Scan your passport. The app reads the biometric chip via NFC. This pulls your name, date of birth, passport number, and the digital photo stored in the chip.
2. Take a live selfie. The app guides you through a face capture. This is matched against the chip photo to confirm you are the passport holder.
3. Answer security questions. Standard pre-travel screening: criminal history, immigration history, etc.
4. Pay GBP 20. Card payment in the app (raised from GBP 16 on 8 April 2026).
5. Submit. Approval within minutes for most travellers. Up to 3 working days for cases requiring review.

The result is an ETA digitally linked to your passport. There is no document to print. At UK borders, your passport is scanned and the ETA shows up automatically.

The selfie: not a passport photo

The face capture in the GOV.UK ETA app is a different category from a passport photo. It does not need to follow ICAO 9303 specifications. Practical differences:

• Backgrounds are flexible. The app accepts indoor lighting, plain walls, even neutral home backgrounds.
• Smiles are fine. The capture is for identity verification, not document storage.
• The selfie is captured live - you cannot upload an existing photo. The app uses the front camera with a guided overlay.
• Glasses can be worn during capture (passport rules differ).
• Quality bar is "clear face visible from front" - not "biometric compliant".

If the app rejects the selfie (poor lighting, blurry, multiple faces in frame), retake it. There is no submission penalty for retries during the application.

Where the photo confusion comes from

Three things get mashed together when travellers research the UK ETA:

1. The UK passport photo - 35x45 mm with HMPO biometric specifications. Required when you renew or apply for a UK passport. Not required for ETA.
2. The UK ETA selfie - live face capture in the app. Required for ETA. Not held to passport rules.
3. Visa application photo - if you actually need a UK visa (work, study, family), the standard UK Visas and Immigration photo rules apply (35x45 mm, white background). Use our UK visa photo tool for the consulate-compliant version. ETA holders do not need a visa photo because ETA is not a visa.

Many travel agents and embassies still mention "passport photo" when they mean "UK ETA application" - this is loose language, not a real requirement.

UK ETA vs ETIAS vs EES (the three EU/UK systems)

All three are recent border-control digitisations and they get confused. The clean breakdown:

All three systems share the same design philosophy: no upload, no document, biometric data captured live (either by the app or at the border). For passport photos in the strict sense, none of them require a new one. For more on EES specifically, see our EES explainer.

If you DO need a passport photo (renewal, visa, ID)

ETA is for travel authorisation, not passport renewal. If your underlying passport is expiring, or if you need a UK visa instead of an ETA, the UK passport photo rules still apply:

• Size: 35x45 mm (3.5x4.5 cm)
• Background: plain light grey or cream (UK is one of the few countries to allow non-white backgrounds)
• Face coverage: 50-75% of frame, chin to crown 29-34 mm
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed
• Glasses: not allowed (HMPO 2018 rule)
• Format: JPG (online), 600x750 px minimum, under 10 MB
• Age: taken within the last month for the online check

For UK passport renewal you can take the photo at home and upload directly through the GOV.UK passport service. The Post Office Check & Send service costs GBP 16. Most photo studios charge GBP 6-10 for a digital file.

Free option: use the UK passport photo tool which auto-crops to 35x45 mm, validates the background and face proportions, and outputs at the correct file size for HMPO upload.

Practical advice for travellers

1. Apply for ETA at least 3 days before travel. Most approvals are minutes, but allow time for review cases.
2. Use the GOV.UK ETA app, not third-party "agents". Several scam services charge GBP 50-100 for an application that is GBP 20 directly. The GOV.UK app is the official source.
3. NFC-enabled phone helps a lot. The chip scan is much smoother than manual data entry. Most smartphones from the last 5 years support NFC.
4. Keep the same passport. ETA is linked to your specific passport number. If you renew or replace your passport, you need a new ETA.
5. Travelling with kids? Each traveller needs their own ETA, including infants. The application can be done from one parent's phone for the whole family.

FAQ