Quick answer
What is the photo size for NEET (UG)?
NTA's NEET (UG) 2026 bulletin asks for a recent passport-size photo as a JPG/JPEG of 10 kb to 200 kb, with 80% of the image showing your face, including ears, against a white background. You also capture a live photo and paste a 4" × 6" postcard photo on exam day.
For NEET (UG) you upload a recent passport-size photo as a JPG/JPEG of 10 kb to 200 kb, in colour or black and white, with your face filling 80% of the image, ears visible and no mask, on a white background. You also capture a live photo, which NTA matches with your Aadhaar photo. The signature is 10 kb to 100 kb, and on exam day you need a 4" × 6" postcard-size colour photo on white.
Which bulletin these rules come from
These rules are from the National Testing Agency's Information Bulletin NEET (UG)-2026, released for the online application from 8 February to 8 March 2026, with the exam on 3 May 2026. NTA had not published the NEET (UG) 2027 bulletin when we checked in October 2026.
Check the bulletin for your year
NTA publishes a new information bulletin for every NEET (UG) exam, and the photo rules and date cut-off can change from one year to the next. Before you apply, read the photo, signature and thumb impression rules in the latest bulletin on neet.nta.nic.in.
Passport-size photo upload
| Taken | Recently: after 1 January 2026 for the 2026 exam |
|---|---|
| Colour | Colour or black and white |
| Face | 80% of the image, including ears, without a mask |
| Background | White |
| File | JPG/JPEG, 10 kb to 200 kb, clearly legible |
| Spectacles | Allowed only if you use them regularly |
| Not accepted | Polaroid and computer-generated photos |
| Attestation | Not needed |
Use the same passport-size photo for the application, the attendance sheet at the exam centre, and counselling and admission. Applications with unclear photos can be rejected, and those without photos are rejected.
Only your own, real photo
NTA says photos that look fabricated, de-shaped, hand-made or computer-made lead to rejection and are treated as Unfair Means. Uploading someone else's photo cancels your candidature and can lead to criminal action.
Live photo and Aadhaar matching
While filling in the form you also capture a live photo. Switch on your camera or connect a webcam, or, if your device has no webcam, scan the QR code on the right of the application form with a phone or tablet. NTA asks for a light-coloured background with proper lighting and 80% of your face visible, including ears, without a mask.
The live photo is matched with your photo in the Aadhaar database. If it does not match, or if you verify your identity with something other than Aadhaar, you must upload a signed and attested certificate in the Annexure-VI format, with a recent photo certified by your School or College Principal or Headmaster, or by a Class-I Gazetted Officer such as a Tehsildar, Revenue Officer, SDM or DM. NRI candidates can use a Class-I Gazetted Officer of the Indian Embassy. The officer signs partly on the certificate and partly on the photo.
Is your Aadhaar photo old?
If your Aadhaar photo was taken years ago, it may not match your live photo well. A photo update needs a biometric update at an Aadhaar centre, so plan it well before the application opens. See Aadhaar card photo.
Signature and thumb impressions
| Signature | JPG/JPEG, 10 kb to 100 kb |
|---|---|
| Fingers and thumb impressions | Left and right hands, JPG/JPEG, 10 kb to 200 kb |
| Class X and category certificates | PDF, 50 kb to 300 kb |
Two limits for the impressions
The 2026 bulletin lists the left and right hand fingers and thumb impressions as 10 kb to 200 kb in its upload specifications, but says 50 kb to 300 kb further down the same section. A clear JPG between 50 kb and 200 kb meets both. Unclear impressions are rejected.
Postcard photo and exam day
The 2026 bulletin does not ask you to upload a postcard-size photo, but you need prints. Take to the exam centre:
- a printed admit card with your passport-size photo pasted on it, the same as the one uploaded;
- one passport-size photo, the same as uploaded, to paste on the attendance sheet;
- one postcard-size (4" × 6") colour photo with a white background, pasted on the Proforma downloaded with the admit card;
- an original, valid photo ID, such as a PAN card, driving licence, voter ID, passport or Aadhaar card.
NTA advises keeping 6 to 8 passport-size and 4 to 6 postcard-size colour photos with a white background for the exam, counselling and admission. The photo maker linked on this page makes the passport-size photo; it has no 4" × 6" postcard preset, so print the postcard photo separately.
Sample photos
How to prepare your NEET (UG) photos
- Read the latest bulletin. Open the current NEET (UG) information bulletin on neet.nta.nic.in and note the photo date cut-off and file sizes.
- Take a recent photo on white. Use a white background and even light, with no mask, ears visible and your face filling about 80% of the photo. Wear glasses only if you use them regularly.
- Save the upload files. Save the photo as a JPG/JPEG of 10–200 kb and the signature as a JPG/JPEG of 10–100 kb, and scan clear finger and thumb impressions. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
- Capture the live photo. Use your webcam, or scan the QR code on the form with a phone, against a light background in good light.
- Print photos for exam day. Print copies of the same passport-size photo and at least one 4" × 6" colour photo on white for the admit card, attendance sheet and Proforma.
NEET photo FAQ
NTA's Information Bulletin NEET (UG)-2026 asks for a recent passport-size photo as a JPG/JPEG of 10 kb to 200 kb, in colour or black and white, with 80% of the image showing your face, including ears and without a mask, against a white background. NTA gives no size in centimetres, only "passport size".
The 2026 bulletin asked for a passport-size photo taken after 1 January 2026. Expect a similar cut-off for the next exam, and check the date in the new bulletin before you take your photo.
A 4" × 6" (postcard size) colour photo with a white background. In the 2026 bulletin you do not upload it: you paste one on the Proforma downloaded with your admit card and take it to the exam centre. NTA advises keeping 4 to 6 postcard-size and 6 to 8 passport-size photos.
The bulletin says spectacles are allowed only if you use them regularly. Polaroid and computer-generated photos are not accepted.
NTA matches the live photo with your photo in the Aadhaar database. If it does not match, or you use an ID other than Aadhaar, you upload a certificate in the format of Annexure-VI, with a recent photo attested by your School or College Principal, Headmaster or a Class-I Gazetted Officer. NRI candidates can use a Class-I Gazetted Officer of the Indian Embassy.
Do not count on it. The 2026 bulletin says to upload the correct photo, signature and finger and thumb impressions "as the facility for correction will not be given". Check everything before you submit.
Official sources
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.