UK passport photo in under 3 minutes

For online applications, HM Passport Office (HMPO) and the DVLA accept a digital photo code instead of a printed photo.

When you order with us, you receive a digital photo plus your photo code by email — you simply enter the code in your online passport or driving licence application.

There's no need to visit a shop or booth: everything is done online.

Most rejections come from a few simple mistakes that are easy to avoid.

When taking your photo:

• Stand at least 1.5 metres from the camera
• Ask someone to take it for you rather than a selfie
• Face a natural light source (next to a window, for example)

For the photo itself:

• Plain light grey or cream background (not pure white, and not a busy background)
• Face the camera straight on, neutral expression, mouth closed and eyes open, no glasses (even untinted)
• Keep your face clear: no hair over the eyes or forehead
• No head covering (unless worn for religious or medical reasons)

Following these gives your photo the best chance of being accepted straight away.

It's usually very fast: you receive your compliant photo and your photo code by email within a few minutes of payment, once your photo has been checked. Half of all orders are delivered in under 15 minutes, and the vast majority within 24 hours.

If you also ordered printed photos by post, allow 2 to 5 working days for delivery.

If you can't find our email, please check your spam / junk folder first, then contact us if needed.

Don't worry, retaking your photo is free. If we flagged your photo as not compliant, the email we sent you contains a personal link to send us a new photo: open it and take a new picture with your phone or computer camera.

If you can't find that email or the link has expired, email us at support@photonet.app and we'll send you a fresh one — you can also reply to our email attaching a recent photo and we'll upload it for you.

If HMPO or the DVLA rejected your photo on compliance grounds, contact us too: we'll redo it for free.

Your photo code is a short link (for example pn3t.uk/xxxx) that we send you by email. Enter it exactly as shown in your online passport or driving licence application — make sure you use the photo code, not your order or payment reference.

A UK photo code is valid for around 3 months and is intended for a single application: once it has been used, you'll need a new order for another application.

If it doesn't work, email us at support@photonet.app with your order email and we'll check it for you.

First check your spam / junk folder — our emails sometimes land there. Also make sure the email address entered at checkout is correct (a small typo is enough to block delivery).

If you still can't find it, email us at support@photonet.app with the email address used for your order and we'll resend your photo and code straight away, directly in our reply. You don't need to pay again or place a new order.

If your photo is not compliant, we redo it for free (you send us a new photo) or, failing that, we refund you — our priority is to provide a photo that gets accepted.

A rejection for a reason unrelated to the photo (an error in your application, a code already used on a previous application, etc.) doesn't qualify for a refund, as the service was provided.

For any request, email support@photonet.app and we'll look into it. Approved refunds are processed within 5 to 10 working days.

The fastest way is by email at support@photonet.app or via the contact page on our website — we reply as quickly as we can.

Always include the email address used for your order so we can find your details immediately and help you faster.