Quick answer
What is passport size photo in India?
Most Indian forms that ask for a passport-size photo, such as PAN Form 93, voter ID Form 6 and Passport Seva for children under 4, mean 4.5 × 3.5 cm in colour on a white background. Online uploads differ: 630 × 810 pixels for passports abroad, and set KB limits for exam forms.
Most Indian forms that print a photo size ask for 4.5 × 3.5 cm in colour on a white background. Online uploads are different: 630 × 810 pixels up to 250 KB for passports through missions abroad, square photos for OCI and Indian visas, 420 × 525 pixels of 10–20 KB for driving licences, and KB ranges for exam forms. Your passport photo in India, and your Aadhaar photo, are taken live.
Indian documents and exams
| Document | Size | File | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport in India (adults, children 4+) | Photo taken at the PSK or POPSK | — | — |
| Passport, child under 4 | 4.5 × 3.5 cm colour print | — | White |
| Passport through a mission abroad | 630 × 810 px | JPG up to 250 KB; signature up to 100 KB | White |
| Diplomatic or official passport, passport camp | 2 × 4.5 × 3.5 cm colour prints | — | White |
| PCC and consular forms abroad | Varies: 3.5 × 3.5 cm (Pretoria), 2 × 2 in (VFS Australia), 35 × 45 mm (emergency certificate) | GPSP 2.0 PCC: as passport | White is safest |
| OCI card | Square, at least 51 × 51 mm; 200–900 px | JPEG up to 200 KB (photo and signature) | Plain light, not white |
| India e-Visa | Square | JPEG 10 KB–1 MB; passport page PDF 10–300 KB | Plain light or white |
| India regular visa | Square, head 25–35 mm | JPEG 10–300 KB | Plain light or white |
| e-FRRO (foreigners in India) | 3.5 × 3.5 or 3.5 × 4.5 cm | JPG up to 1 MB | Plain light or white |
| PAN card (Form 93 / 95) | 2 × 4.5 × 3.5 cm colour prints | Protean DSC scan: 3.5 × 2.5 cm, up to 20 KB | White |
| Aadhaar | Photo taken at the Aadhaar centre | — | — |
| Voter ID (Form 6 / Form 8) | 4.5 × 3.5 cm colour photo | Online limits not published | White |
| Driving licence (Sarathi) | 35 × 45 mm; 420 × 525 px preferred | JPG 10–20 KB; signature 256 × 64 px, 10–20 KB | Light, preferably white |
| UPSC exams | No print size; live photo as well | JPG 20–300 KB in recent notices | See portal instructions |
| SSC exams | Live photo only (no upload) | Signature JPEG 10–20 KB | — |
| NEET (UG) 2026 | Passport size, 80% face with ears; 4" × 6" postcard photo on exam day | JPG 10–200 KB; signature 10–100 KB | White |
| JEE (Main) 2027 | Passport size, 80% face with ears; live photo as well | JPG 10–200 kB; signature 10–100 kB | White |
Exam limits change with each notice: check the latest notice or information bulletin for your exam.
Foreign visa photos for Indian passport holders
| Country | Digital | File | Background | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 45 × 35 mm (if requested) | 1200 × 1600 px preferred | JPEG, 70 KB–3.5 MB | Neutral or light grey |
| Canada | 2 × at least 35 × 45 mm (if asked) | Photo taken at the VAC | — | Plain white or light |
| China | 33 × 48 mm (2 photos) | 354 × 472 to 420 × 560 px | JPEG, 40–120 KB | White |
| Japan | 45 × 35 mm (1 photo, VFS) | — | — | Plain white |
| Malaysia | Not needed | 35 × 50 mm proportions | Up to 2 MB | Plain white |
| Schengen | 35 × 45 mm (at least 1) | — | — | White |
| Singapore | 35 × 45 mm (2 photos) | 400 × 514 px | JPG, PNG or HEIC, ≤ 8 MB | Plain white |
| Thailand | Not needed | e-Visa upload | JPG/JPEG, ≤ 3 MB | Plain, light-coloured |
| United Arab Emirates | Not needed (uploaded online) | Not published | Not published | White |
| United Kingdom | Not needed | Photo taken at the VAC | — | — |
| United States | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm), only if the DS-160 upload fails | 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px | JPEG, ≤ 240 KB | Plain white or off-white |
Compare visa photo rules for Indians
Common sizes explained
| 4.5 × 3.5 cm (35 × 45 mm) | Indian "passport size": PAN, voter ID, children under 4 at the PSK, diplomatic passports. Also the Schengen and Singapore visa size, and the Sarathi driving licence shape |
|---|---|
| 630 × 810 px | The same 7:9 shape as a digital upload, for Indian passports through Global Passport Seva 2.0 abroad |
| 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in) | OCI photos, the US visa, and some missions' consular forms |
| 3.5 × 3.5 cm | e-FRRO (one of two sizes) and some missions' consular forms, such as Pretoria's |
| 3.5 × 2.5 cm | The old PAN size, still used for Protean's scanned-image (DSC) upload |
Presets without an official source
Photo tools offer some Indian presets we could not match to a current official rule: a "190 × 190 px for VFS" visa square, a 35 × 35 mm OCI photo, a 2 × 2 inch "ID card" photo and a PIO card photo (PIO cards were replaced by OCI). Use the sizes in the tables above instead.
How to use this chart
- Find your document. Look up the document or exam in the tables above and open its guide for the full rules and official sources.
- Check print or upload. Note whether you need a printed photo in cm or a digital upload with a pixel size and KB range.
- Make one good photo. Take one photo on a plain white wall with even light, then crop and save a copy for each size you need.
- Confirm before you apply. Check the official website, notice or form once more, as sizes and limits can change.
Resize a photo for free
To resize a photo to a size in the chart, use the free 123PhotoTool photo resizer: choose By Size, set the unit to Pixels, or centimetres for a print, and enter the width and height, for example 630 × 810. Crop the photo to the right shape first so your face is not stretched, then check the file is within the KB limit.
Photo size FAQ
On most Indian forms that print a size, such as PAN Form 93, voter ID Form 6 and Passport Seva's rule for children under 4, a passport-size photo is 4.5 × 3.5 cm (45 mm high, 35 mm wide), in colour, on a white background.
Yes. Indian forms usually give the height first (4.5 cm) and then the width (3.5 cm). Some sources write width first, as 3.5 × 4.5 cm or 35 × 45 mm.
UPSC, SSC and NTA use online uploads, so their notices set the file type, KB range and face coverage rather than a print size. Always follow the notice for your own exam and year.
The 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) square is used for OCI photos and on some missions' consular forms, such as VFS Global's Australian PCC form for foreign nationals. Indian passports use 4.5 × 3.5 cm prints or 630 × 810 pixel uploads instead.
Official sources
- Passport Seva: Guides (minor applicants)
- Global Passport Seva Portal 2.0
- Ministry of Home Affairs: OCI FAQs
- Indian Visa Online: e-Visa photo requirements
- Indian Visa Online: Regular visa instructions
- Bureau of Immigration: e-FRRO
- UTIITSL: Guidelines for filling Form No. 93 (PDF)
- Protean: Do's and don'ts for PAN forms
Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.