Can you access your passport photo online?
Quick read - for people in a hurry
- Can you access your passport photo online? Yes – if you were given a digital photo code (IDPC) by a studio, photo booth, or by Smartphone iD.
- Enter this code when applying for a UK passport online to retrieve your photo directly.
- Saves time, money, and effort (no need to upload the photo yourself).
- For a UK passport, you can apply:
- By paper → requires printed photos (slower, more expensive).
- Online → faster, cheaper, but needs a digital photo (via upload or IDPC code).
Having taken your ideal passport photo, you may want to use it for an official procedure, for instance, applying for a UK passport. If you have it printed, there is no problem. However, what should you do if you don’t physically possess the photo? Can you access your passport photo online? How can you do that? We will cover the topic in this article.
Last update : 30/09/2025
Table of Contents
1 Can you access your passport photo online?
2 How to get and access passport photo online?
3 How to apply for a UK passport?
Can you access your passport photo online?
Yes, you can retrieve your passport photo if you were given a digital photo code; you may use it when applying for a UK passport to upload the digital photo. To access it, you only have to provide its number in the proper space of the application form. It will help you save:
- time
- money
- effort
because it won’t be you who has to upload the photo to the system.
How to get and access a passport photo online?
To receive a digital version of your photo, visit a photographer's studio. After taking the photo, ask for the digital version. You should receive it on a memory stick, CD, or via email.
However, that’s not the only way. According to the newly introduced regulations, during the passport application process, you may refer to the unique identification number of your photo. You will be given it:
- at a photographer’s studio that is IDPC compliant
- in a photo booth that is IDPC compliant
IDPC
The acronym IDPC stands for the ID Photo Code. This is a combination of letters and digits that enables you and the authorities to find and check the photo.
How to apply for a UK passport?
There are two ways of applying for a UK passport. You can do it:
- Traditionally, with a paper form
- online.
The former option requires you to provide a passport photo printed on the approved paper; it is also more expensive. So, if you want to save your time and money, choose the latter.
An online application is most often faster and more convenient. However, you are obliged to upload a digital version of your photo. How to get it?
Use Smartphone iD, our Online ID photo service, available on Apple or Google Play Store. You will get 100% guaranteed photos in a matter of minutes.
Sources
https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport
https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports
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