Short answer: check you typed the code exactly, and that the photo was taken in the last month. If it still won't work, you don't need the code: GOV.UK lets you take a photo on your own device during the online application instead (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo). For a code that never worked, go back to the booth or shop that printed it.
GOV.UK's photo pages and the passport service checked on 3 November 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the linked GOV.UK page before you pay.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Mistyped code | Codes mix letters and numbers; check look-alikes such as 0 and O, or 1 and I, against the printed slip. |
| The photo is more than a month old | GOV.UK only accepts a photo taken in the last month (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo). Get a new photo, or take one on your device. |
| The booth didn't give a GOV.UK code | Not every booth does: you need the option to get a code with your photos (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo). Use your own photo instead. |
| Code from another application | Each photo is for one person's application. A child's code can't be used for a parent, or the other way round. |
| Still stuck | Ask the booth or shop that issued it, or call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 (+44 300 222 0000 from abroad), 8am to 8pm on weekdays, 9am to 5:30pm at weekends. |
GOV.UK doesn't give an expiry for codes; it gives one for the photo: it must have been taken in the last month, even if you look the same (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo). How long the booth or shop keeps the code working is up to them, so use it within a month of the photo.
During the online application you can take a photo on your own device with someone to help you. Include your head, shoulders and upper body and don't crop it: the service crops it for you (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo). It must be in colour, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 tall, 50 KB to 10 MB, with a plain light background and a plain expression. GOV.UK says photos from a booth or shop are more likely to be approved, so check yours first.
See the guides for Australia, Canada, the USA and Singapore.
Picproved checks your own photo against the GOV.UK rules before you add it, and Upload doctor explains an upload error. HM Passport Office still makes the final decision.
Or make it at home. Picproved costs £5.99 (free while we launch) for one person's photo in every size you need, and it checks the size, background, head size and face rules before you save. The office still makes the final decision. Make your United Kingdom Passport (online) photo
