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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Hello everyone! again! lol so i am just going through everything getting ready to send off my visa application in the morning and i had finally came across the passport photos part. because i wasnt able to find a specifics on it before. im sure it was because i just over looked it. here is my issue.

i got the two passport photos from CVS and i have noticed two things. one i have a slight smile, because well i was excited. and two, the passport photos here in the states are 2 inches by 2 inches (i only know this cause i asked when i got my new passport done) and on the UKBA site it says that it has to be 45mm x 35mm. what can i do. i am going to go get new ones done in the morning before i send my application off but what can i do about the sizes? should i tell CVS just not to cut them? or should i get them done at the post office instead?

I just really cant believe i have not come across this before. i dont want them to reject my application just because the photos are the wrong size :( which just would not be good at all. please help i would really appreciate this and hopefully this is my last time asking for help and soon i will be able to help out people too. please please guys! thanks in advance. thank you all so so much with whatever you may know about this.
 
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#2 ·
MRSREILLY said:
Hello everyone! again! lol so i am just going through everything getting ready to send off my visa application in the morning and i had finally came across the passport photos part. because i wasnt able to find a specifics on it before. im sure it was because i just over looked it. here is my issue.

i got the two passport photos from CVS and i have noticed two things. one i have a slight smile, because well i was excited. and two, the passport photos here in the states are 2 inches by 2 inches (i only know this cause i asked when i got my new passport done) and on the UKBA site it says that it has to be 45mm x 35mm. what can i do. i am going to go get new ones done in the morning before i send my application off but what can i do about the sizes? should i tell CVS just not to cut them? or should i get them done at the post office instead?

I just really cant believe i have not come across this before. i dont want them to reject my application just because the photos are the wrong size :( which just would not be good at all. please help i would really appreciate this and hopefully this is my last time asking for help and soon i will be able to help out people too. please please guys! thanks in advance. thank you all so so much with whatever you may know about this.
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There are a number of websites which offer passport photo sizing, which is what my husband and I did for my photos for the visa application. I can't remember which one we used, but a google search will give a number of options! (On second thought, I think it was ePassportPhoto.com)

He took photos of me in my apartment (against my cream wall) and then went to one of those websites, specifying the UK size. This created a file which had multiple UK passport-size copies of that image he took of me.

Then we saved this on a memory card reader and took it to a Target photo center where we printed it off as a 4"x6" and got it right away. It cost I think 29 cents! Then we just cut two of them off and included them with my application packet. These were accepted without any trouble, and that image is reproduced on my visa.

Make sure that the photo follows the guidelines which are offered at the UKBA site -- ie, no eyeglasses obscuring eyes and so forth.

It's not going to work to just cut the CVS one down to a smaller size, because it will not be the correct dimensions/proportions -- or, as far as I know, they only make photos in standard US passport size, which won't work for this. I guess you could ask them if they can do a different size, though! I've never done photos there so I'm not sure what their limitations are.

I hope this helps, sorry if the explanation is not clear!

Best wishes with your application! :)
 
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#3 ·
MRSREILLY said:
Hello everyone! again! lol so i am just going through everything getting ready to send off my visa application in the morning and i had finally came across the passport photos part. because i wasnt able to find a specifics on it before. im sure it was because i just over looked it. here is my issue.

i got the two passport photos from CVS and i have noticed two things. one i have a slight smile, because well i was excited. and two, the passport photos here in the states are 2 inches by 2 inches (i only know this cause i asked when i got my new passport done) and on the UKBA site it says that it has to be 45mm x 35mm. what can i do. i am going to go get new ones done in the morning before i send my application off but what can i do about the sizes? should i tell CVS just not to cut them? or should i get them done at the post office instead?

I just really cant believe i have not come across this before. i dont want them to reject my application just because the photos are the wrong size :( which just would not be good at all. please help i would really appreciate this and hopefully this is my last time asking for help and soon i will be able to help out people too. please please guys! thanks in advance. thank you all so so much with whatever you may know about this.
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Suggested solutions can be found in previous threads, here: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/britain-expat-forum-expats-living-uk/103835-uk-sized-passport-photos.html and here: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/britain-expat-forum-expats-living-uk/104370-passport-photos-us.html

teuchter
 
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Discussion Starter · #4 ·
teuchter said:
Suggested solutions can be found in previous threads, here: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/britain-expat-forum-expats-living-uk/103835-uk-sized-passport-photos.html and here: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/britain-expat-forum-expats-living-uk/104370-passport-photos-us.html

teuchter
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i have been reading peoples link provided in these threads and thank you for them. but i noticed one of the links says not to trim the photo at all, and it is linked to the UKBA website. but then another one says it has to be exact. so i think i am going to try and do the epassport photo site because i have seen peoples reviews from another forum and they say it works fine. so i guess the question now is to trim or not to trim? i dont want to mess it up. so if i print them out should i just leave it on the photo paper with all the white? will it make a huge difference?

im sorry for continuing on like this but i am a worrier by nature, and i just like to make sure all my bases are covered :)
 
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#5 · (Edited)
I used CVS passport photos right off their printer and had no problems, however, that may be because I sent my application in April 2011-the size requirement may have changed.

I downloaded the photo guidance notes that were current at the time i sent my app; I still have that so I'll compare it to the most current one at the UKBA site, and will update this post.

ETA: The guide I followed in 2011 is version 4/2009, and from what I could find at the UKBA site, this is still the version in use. Which means your CVS photos, as long as they were done as passport photos, should be fine.

The pdf I have from 2011 shows several examples of acceptable and non-acceptable photos. In the acceptable column, two of the applicants do have a very slight smile.

I can't find a link to the photo guidance pdf on the UKBA site, if you would like a copy of the pdf I have in my files PM me and I'll figure out a way to get it in there for you.
 
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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
AnAmericanInScotland said:
I used CVS passport photos right off their printer and had no problems, however, that may be because I sent my application in April 2011-the size requirement may have changed.

I downloaded the photo guidance notes that were current at the time i sent my app; I still have that so I'll compare it to the most current one at the UKBA site, and will update this post.
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thank you AnAmericanInScotland!!! im so glad you save things. :) lol :clap2:
 
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#12 ·
I also used CVS passport sized photos for my application. I remember needing to trim them a little bit, but my head/shoulders etc were the correct dimensions, it was just trimming the background to fit everything in properly. I noticed when I changed my name on my passport that the only real difference between the American size and the UK size is the amount of background in the photo, and the American size has larger dimensions. That being said, if you take down the form with the appropriate photo sizing guidelines, I'm sure the staff wherever you have the photos done will be very helpful.
 
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#14 ·
deebz said:
Lol yeah lots of help and advice but tons of eeep moments when i realise something else i need to worry about xD
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I don't know that this is something to worry about, in the passport guidelines (I just went through them alot getting my daughter's passport) it says not to use the online resizing or to have the pictures cropped. They will use the slightly larger size in the US as long as the other dimensions are correct.

I think as long as you follow the content pretty closely (background, making sure nobody else is in it, the size of you in the picture, making sure you aren't obscuring your face, ect), they are less concerned about the photo size especially if it is close.

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Discussion Starter · #15 ·
hey so i ended up going to target getting photos done and they measure up right and i cut one to the size requested. and added a note saying that i was too nervous to cut down the other one in fear that they were too small or something. but the other one is exact so i hope thats ok. heading out to mail the application now. just wanted to update you guys and personally thank you all for the advice you have given!!!!
 
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Ah, I was just dealing with all of this for my son's uk passport and then for my visa application. I felt that if the guidelines state 45mm x 35mm, then that is what they require. I read on some other boards that people sent in the standard US 2x2" photos with no problems, but then others had theirs rejected.... I just didn't want to take any chances. I had a friend take the photo and then using the template in the guidelines, made sure my eyes, head, etc. were all in the correct spot and uploaded to epassportphoto.com. I had them printed at Walgreens and then took them to Kinkos to have them trimmed (I was too nervous to do it myself!). I think the thing about not cutting down the photo is in regards taking a standard 4x6 photo of yourself and then trying to cut it down to 45mm x 35mm, not simply trimming out an appropriately sized passport photo.
 
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