Quick answer
What photo do I need to renew my Indian passport abroad?
Indian missions now use Global Passport Seva Portal 2.0, where you upload an ICAO-compliant photo yourself: colour, 630 × 810 pixels, JPG or JPEG up to 250 KB, white background, face filling 80–85% of the frame, taken from 1.5 metres. The Embassy of India in Washington says applications without it are not accepted.
If you apply for an Indian passport through an embassy, high commission or consulate, you now upload your own photo on Global Passport Seva Portal 2.0 (GPSP 2.0). It must be an ICAO-compliant colour photo of 630 × 810 pixels, a JPG or JPEG of up to 250 KB, with a white background and the face filling 80–85% of the photo. The scanned signature is a separate upload of up to 100 KB.
Missions moved to GPSP 2.0 at different times from late 2025, and the portal's login page says ICAO-compliant photographs are required from 1 September 2025. The details below come from the portal itself and from mission notices in the US, Switzerland, Italy, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, France and Kazakhstan.
GPSP 2.0 photo and signature specs
| Photo dimensions | 630 × 810 pixels |
|---|---|
| Photo file | JPG or JPEG, up to 250 KB |
| Colour | Colour, with natural skin tones |
| Background | White and uniform |
| Face size | About 80–85% of the photo, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin |
| Distance | Taken from about 1.5 metres |
| Glasses | Take them off to avoid reflections |
| Signature | Scanned JPG or JPEG, up to 100 KB |
Upload before you visit the centre
The Embassy of India in Washington says you must upload the ICAO-compliant photo, your scanned signature and all documents on the portal before you mail or submit your application at VFS Global, and that applications without them are not accepted.
ICAO photo rules for Indian passports
The guidelines on the portal, and the PDF the Embassy of India in Washington publishes, list the same points:
- The face covers about 80–85% of the photo, with the full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, centred.
- White background, with no distracting shadows on the face or background.
- Look straight at the camera with your eyes open, no hair across them and a natural expression.
- Uniform lighting, with no shadows, flash reflections or red eye, and appropriate brightness and contrast.
- Head coverings only for religious reasons, with the face visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face showing.
- The photo should be unaltered by computer software (but see where the rules differ).
The portal offers an exception for applicants with a facial deformity or a neurological disorder who have a certificate from a registered medical practitioner.
The portal's automatic photo check
GPSP 2.0 checks every upload and names the problem when a photo fails. The checks include mouth open, glasses reflection, red eyes, non-uniform background, unnatural colour, low dynamic range, face length ratio, blur and a tilted face. Its error messages suggest fixes such as standing 1.5 metres from the camera, taking your glasses off and switching off the flash and filters. See photo rejected? errors and fixes for each message.
What Indian missions say
| Mission | What the notice says |
|---|---|
| Washington DC (USA) | Passport, surrender certificate, PCC and GEP services moved to GPSP 2.0, applied for via VFS Global. ICAO photo, signature and documents must be uploaded first. |
| Bern (Switzerland) | ICAO photo upload mandatory from 1 December 2025 for passport and visa applications. Studio photos are fine; otherwise make the background uniform, preferably white, and crop to about 85% face. 630 × 810 px, up to 250 KB. |
| Milan (Italy) | Same guidance as Bern, in a notice of 5 December 2025. |
| Kuwait | Advisory of 18 November 2025: ICAO-compliant photos are mandatory for the new chip-enabled passport booklets. Uniform, preferably white background, about 85% face, 630 × 810 px, up to 250 KB. |
| Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) | GPSP 2.0 from 24 October 2025. Upload the ICAO photo yourself or share a soft copy with the outsourced service provider. |
| Paris (France) | Practical guide of 29 April 2026: have someone take the photo from 1.5 m, replace the background with plain white if needed, resize to 630 × 810, and expect up to 200 KB for the photo and 100 KB for the signature. |
| Astana (Kazakhstan) | GPSP 2.0 from 1 July 2026, with the same 630 × 810 px ICAO guidelines. Incomplete applications without a photo or documents are not accepted. |
Each mission publishes its own notices. Check your embassy, high commission or consulate's website and its VFS Global or BLS International page before you apply.
Where the rules differ
Editing the background
The GPSP 2.0 guidelines, and the copies published by Washington and Jeddah, say photos should be unaltered by computer software. Bern and Milan, however, let applicants use a paintbrush-type tool to make the background uniform and white and to crop the photo, and Paris suggests removing the background and replacing it with white. The safest choice is a photo taken against a plain white wall, so that nothing needs editing.
250 KB or 200 KB
The portal, Bern, Milan and Kuwait all give 250 KB as the photo limit. The Paris practical guide says you should generally be able to upload up to 200 KB. A JPG under 200 KB meets both.
The portal also says that if you cannot meet the photo requirements you can skip the upload and have your photo taken at the passport office, while Washington and Astana say applications without the uploads are not accepted. Ask your mission or its visa centre before relying on skipping the upload.
Sample photos
See all correct and incorrect sample photos
How to prepare your GPSP 2.0 photo upload
- Take the photo against a white wall. Ask someone to photograph you from about 1.5 metres in even daylight, with your glasses off, eyes open, mouth closed and hair away from your eyes. Tips for taking it at home.
- Crop to 630 × 810 pixels. Crop so your face, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, fills about 80–85% of the frame, then resize to 630 × 810 pixels without stretching.
- Save a small JPG. Save it as a colour JPG or JPEG under 250 KB (under 200 KB if your mission follows the Paris guide). Scan your signature separately, under 100 KB. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
- Upload and fix any errors. Upload both files on Global Passport Seva Portal 2.0. If the automatic check flags a problem, retake the photo rather than editing it, then book your VFS Global or BLS International appointment.
Indian passport photo abroad FAQ
A colour digital photo of 630 × 810 pixels, saved as a JPG or JPEG of up to 250 KB, with a white background and the face filling about 80–85% of the frame. You upload it yourself on Global Passport Seva Portal 2.0.
Not for the passport application itself. The Embassy of India in Washington says passport applications now go through GPSP 2.0 via VFS Global, and the ICAO photo, signature and documents must be uploaded before you mail or submit them, or the application is not accepted.
Missions disagree. The GPSP 2.0 guidelines say photos should be unaltered by computer software, but the Embassy of India in Bern and the Consulate General in Milan allow a paintbrush-type tool to make the background uniform and white, and the Embassy in Paris suggests replacing the background with plain white. Follow your own mission's notice, and change nothing else in the photo.
The portal and most mission notices say up to 250 KB for the photo and 100 KB for the signature. The Embassy of India in Paris' practical guide says you should generally be able to upload up to 200 KB. Staying under 200 KB works for both.
The GPSP 2.0 portal says you can skip the upload step and have your photo taken at the passport office, and it has an exception for facial deformities or neurological disorders with a certificate from a registered medical practitioner. Some missions, such as Washington, say applications without an uploaded photo are not accepted, so check with your mission or its VFS or BLS centre first.
Yes. Each applicant needs their own recent photo meeting the same ICAO rules. See baby and child passport photos for tips.
Official sources
- Global Passport Seva Portal 2.0
- Embassy of India, Washington DC: Guidelines for ICAO compliant photographs (PDF)
- VFS Global: Indian passport and consular services in the USA
- Embassy of India, Bern: Notice on ICAO photo requirements
- Consulate General of India, Milan: Mandatory uploading of ICAO photograph, signature and documents
- Embassy of India, Kuwait: Guidelines of photograph
- Consulate General of India, Jeddah: Global Passport Seva Version 2.0 (PDF)
- Embassy of India, Paris: Practical guidelines for uploading photo and signature (PDF, 29 April 2026)
- Embassy of India, Astana: Passport renewal from 1 July 2026 (PDF)
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.