British Diplomatic Passport Photo

Your British Diplomatic Portrait and Supporting Application

A British diplomatic passport photograph should be prepared for the way the application is submitted. HM Passport Office permits diplomatic and official staff to use either the online service or a paper form. Establishing that route determines whether you need a digital portrait or printed photographs; the diplomatic authorisation itself does not supply the image.

For a paper passport application, the published photo guidance calls for two identical colour prints on photographic paper, without a border. Keep the pair free from creases, tears and marks, and follow any countersigning instructions that apply. Two different photographs taken moments apart are not an identical pair, even if the pose looks almost the same.

HM Passport Office’s specialist team in Durham handles Diplomatic and Official passport types. Applicants provide the authorisation from the FCDO or relevant government department alongside the required passport evidence. The authority distinguishes a diplomatic passport from a standard passport carrying a diplomatic observation; confirm which is being requested so the portrait accompanies the intended application.

Retain the original file until the photographs have been accepted. If you are preparing both a standard passport and a diplomatic passport, keep the image output associated with the correct application instructions. Confirm any submission detail with the office coordinating the documents, and preserve an accurate likeness instead of retouching the portrait to make it appear more official.

Officials travelling for the United Kingdom can find overseas representations in the embassy and consulate directory. Use the visa finder as an initial destination reference and direct diplomatic-passport or accreditation questions to the office coordinating the official assignment.