# Model height requirements: what agencies actually say

> Is there a minimum height to be a model? We read the application pages of IMG, Elite, Storm, Next, Premier and five more London agencies. None states one.

- Canonical: https://thecastindex.com/guide/model-height-requirements
- Author: Kaiser Khan (Founder & Editor)
- Updated: 2026-10-01
- Category: Careers

Search for “model height requirements” and you will find confident numbers with no source. We went to the source instead: the application pages of 10 London agencies, read on 1 October 2026, and the UK trade body’s own guidance. This is exactly what they say — and what they do not.

## The short answer

No industry-wide minimum height is published. On 1 October 2026 none of 10 London agency application pages — IMG, Elite, Storm, Next and Premier among them — stated one, though most ask for your height. Agencies still decide case by case. The only published figure we found is the BFMA’s 172 cm guide for curve modelling.

## At a glance

- **Industry-wide minimum:** None published
- **Agency pages read:** 10 London offices
- **Pages stating a minimum:** 0 of 10
- **Checked:** 1 October 2026

## Is there a minimum height to be a model?

No industry-wide minimum is published. Of the 10 London agency application pages we read on 1 October 2026 — including IMG, Elite, Storm, Next, Premier and Select — none states a minimum height, though most ask for yours. The British Fashion Model Agents Association says its member agencies rarely restrict talent by height.

Asking for a measurement is not the same as setting a threshold. The forms want your height alongside natural photos; none of the pages explains how it is weighed, and we will not guess.

Advice online often attributes fixed height ranges to big agencies. We could not find those figures on any of the agency pages we read, so we do not repeat them.

## What do IMG, Elite, Storm and other agencies say about height?

Each agency below was read on its own website on 1 October 2026. Where a form asks for your height, we say so; where a page states a minimum, we would quote it — none did. Agencies change their pages, so read the live one before you apply.

The same pages are clear about money: Storm says there is no fee to apply or sign, and IMG and Next say they never require payment. Our London agencies page has each office’s address, walk-in hours and published safety warnings.

| Agency (London office) | What its application page says about height | Apply at |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Elite Model Management London | The form asks for your height. The page states no minimum. | elitemodelmanagement.com/london/get-scouted.web |
| IMG Models London | The Get Scouted page states no height requirement. | getscouted.imgmodels.com |
| Storm Management | Height is a required field on the application. The page states no minimum. | stormmanagement.com/apply-to-become-a-model |
| Premier Model Management | The form asks for your height. The page states no minimum. | premiermodelmanagement.com/become |
| Select Model Management London | The apply and advice pages state no height requirement. | apply.selectmodel.com |
| Next Management London | Height is a required field on the recruitment form. The page states no minimum. | nextmanagement.com/recruitment |
| Models 1 | The apply page asks for three phone photos and states no height requirement. | models1.co.uk/apply |
| MiLK Model Management | The form asks for your height. The page states no minimum. | milkmanagement.co.uk/apply |
| The Squad | The form asks for your height. The page states no minimum and says professional photos are not needed. | thesquadmanagement.com/join-the-squad |
| VIVA London | Height is a required field on the form. The page states no minimum. | viva-paris.com/become |

## How tall are the models on the Global 50?

Wikidata records a height for 36 of the 50 models on the current Global 50 (snapshot 5 October 2026). Those recorded heights run from 162 cm (5 ft 4 in) to 185 cm (6 ft 1 in), with a median of 177 cm. That describes one ranked list of established names, not a rule for who gets signed.

Wikidata is an open, editable database, and a recorded height is not an independent measurement. We show the figures exactly as recorded and never estimate a missing one; each model profile shows its own source.

Height is not part of the Index Rating. The score is built from runway, campaign, editorial and cultural evidence, as the methodology explains.

## Does the height you need depend on the kind of modelling?

Sometimes, by the trade body’s own account. The BFMA’s category guide gives a minimum of 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) for curve modelling — the only published figure we found. For commercial print and e-commerce it says brands choose models to suit their customers. None of the agency pages we read publishes a separate runway minimum.

So this guide gives no runway figure. If you see one quoted without a source, treat it as unsourced.

## What should you do if you think you are too short?

Apply anyway, through the agency’s own form: every page we checked accepts online applications without a stated minimum, and applying costs nothing. Storm’s FAQ says there is no fee to apply or sign. If one agency passes, the BFMA says walk-in applicants are often pointed to agencies that suit their look better.

Do not pay anyone who promises to make you “agency height” or to place you regardless. In the UK, agencies cannot charge models upfront fees for finding work.

We do not publish height-and-weight charts or body targets. Our wellbeing desk covers body image and the pressure of chasing numbers.

## Common questions

### Is there a height requirement to be a model?

There is no published industry-wide minimum. None of the 10 London agency application pages we read on 1 October 2026 states one, though most ask for your height. The BFMA says its members rarely restrict talent by height.

### What is the IMG Models height requirement?

IMG’s Get Scouted application page, read on 1 October 2026, states no height requirement. IMG says it never requires payment and never asks for nude or lingerie photos.

### What is the Elite Model Management height requirement?

Elite London’s Get Scouted form asks for your height but, when we read it on 1 October 2026, stated no minimum.

### Can you be a model at 5'7" or shorter?

No agency page we checked rules it out: none of the 10 London application pages states a minimum height, and agencies decide case by case. The only published figure we found is the BFMA’s 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) guide for curve modelling.

### Do curve models have a height requirement?

The BFMA’s category guide gives a minimum of 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) for curve modelling. None of the London agency pages we read states its own figure.

### Why is there no height and weight chart here?

Because none of the agency pages we checked publishes one, and we do not invent figures. The Cast Index does not publish weight or body-measurement targets.

## Sources

- [Elite Model Management London — application page](https://elitemodelmanagement.com/london/get-scouted.web) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [IMG Models London — application page](https://getscouted.imgmodels.com/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [Storm Management — application page](https://www.stormmanagement.com/apply-to-become-a-model/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [Premier Model Management — application page](https://www.premiermodelmanagement.com/become/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [Select Model Management London — application page](https://apply.selectmodel.com/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [Next Management London — application page](https://nextmanagement.com/recruitment) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [Models 1 — application page](https://www.models1.co.uk/apply) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [MiLK Model Management — application page](https://www.milkmanagement.co.uk/apply) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [The Squad — application page](https://www.thesquadmanagement.com/join-the-squad) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [VIVA London — application page](https://www.viva-paris.com/become/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [Storm — walk-ins and FAQ](https://www.stormmanagement.com/info/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [IMG Models — recruitment warning](https://imgmodels.com/recruitmentwarning/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [BFMA — do I have what it takes?](https://bfma.fashion/what-it-takes/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [BFMA — what kind of modelling can I do?](https://bfma.fashion/what-kind-of-modelling-can-i-do/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [BFMA — starting out as a model](https://bfma.fashion/starting-out-as-a-model/) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [GOV.UK — fees for fashion and photographic models](https://www.gov.uk/entertainment-and-modelling-agencies/fees-for-fashion-and-photographic-models) (checked 1 Oct 2026)
- [Wikidata (model heights as recorded)](https://www.wikidata.org/) (checked 5 October 2026)
- [The Cast Index — methodology](https://thecastindex.com/methodology) (checked 1 Oct 2026)

## Related

- [How to become a model in the UK](https://thecastindex.com/guide/how-to-become-a-model)
- [Modelling agencies in London](https://thecastindex.com/agencies/london)
- [Body image and social media](https://thecastindex.com/wellbeing/body-image-and-social-media)
- [Live Global 50](https://thecastindex.com/rankings)