Quick answer
What are the UPSC photo and signature requirements?
UPSC's Civil Services 2026 notice requires you to upload a photograph and also capture a live photograph in the online form, and to sign three times, one below the other, in black ink on plain white paper. Recent UPSC notices accept JPG files of 20 KB to 300 KB.
For UPSC exams you upload a recent photograph and capture a live photograph in the Common Application Form on upsconline.nic.in, and upload a signature written three times, one below the other, in black ink on plain white paper. UPSC's newest notice, for the Engineering Services Examination 2027, accepts .jpg files of 20 KB to 300 KB, while its portal instructions give 20–200 KB for the photo, a plain white background and a face covering three-quarters of the photo.
Which notice these rules come from
The current Civil Services notice is Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, dated 4 February 2026, for the Civil Services Examination 2026. UPSC had not published the Civil Services 2027 notice when we checked in October 2026. The newest UPSC notice we read, for the Engineering Services Examination 2027 (No. 02/2027-ENGG., 16 September 2026), repeats the same photo and signature notes.
Check the notice for your exam
UPSC publishes a separate notice for every examination and can change the photo rules from one cycle to the next. Before you apply, read the notes on photographs and signatures in the latest notice for your exam on upsc.gov.in, and the "Instructions and FAQs" on upsconline.nic.in.
Uploaded photograph
The Civil Services 2026 notice tells you to follow the photo instructions under "Instructions and FAQs > Instruction for filling the form > Photos and Signature" on the application portal. Those instructions, together with the notices, give these rules:
| Format | .jpg, saved with the file name "photo" |
|---|---|
| File size | 20 KB to 200 KB in the portal instructions; at least 20 KB and no more than 300 KB in recent notices |
| Face | Covers at least three-quarters (75%) of the photo, looking straight at the camera, with both ears visible |
| Background | Plain white, with no shadows |
| Eyes | Open, not covered by hair, with no glare on glasses |
| Not allowed | Dark or coloured glasses, a dark background, uniform, or a signature on the photo |
| Appearance | Must match you at every stage, including beard, moustache and spectacles (earlier notices) |
File sizes differ between UPSC documents
The Engineering Services 2027 notice says each file should be between 20 KB and 300 KB, while UPSC's portal instructions say 20–200 KB for the photo and 20–100 KB for the signature. We could not open the current copy of those instructions on UPSC's website, so check them on the portal. A photo of 20–200 KB and a signature of 20–100 KB meet every version.
Earlier notices were stricter about age. The Engineering Services 2026 notice (26 September 2025) said the photo should be not more than 10 days old from the start of the online application, with the face filling three-quarters of the photo.
Live photograph
The Civil Services 2026 and Engineering Services 2027 notices both have a note on live photo capture: you upload your photograph and also capture a live photograph while filling in the Common Application Form, and both must be clear. UPSC's portal instructions say the live photo can be taken with your device's webcam or on a mobile phone by scanning a QR code, in good light with your face clearly visible. It is matched with your uploaded photo, and if they do not match you cannot continue with the application.
Triple signature
The notices ask you to sign three times, one below the other, on plain white paper in black ink, and upload the scan in the Common Application Form. UPSC's portal instructions add:
- leave a clear gap between the three signatures and scan all three as one image;
- use plain white paper with no lines, keep the scan sharp and upright;
- save it as a .jpg named "signature", 20 KB to 100 KB, with image dimensions of 350–500 pixels.
Signature files that do not meet these rules can be rejected, the instructions warn.
Face authentication at the venue
The Civil Services 2026 notice says all candidates must undergo face authentication at the examination venue, so reach the venue early. Carry the photo ID card whose details you entered in your Universal Registration Number (URN) profile, such as Aadhaar, voter ID, PAN, passport or driving licence.
Sample photos
How to get your UPSC photo and signature right
- Read the latest notice. Open the current notice for your exam on upsc.gov.in and the photo and signature instructions on upsconline.nic.in.
- Take a fresh photo on white. Use a plain white background and even light, look straight at the camera with both ears visible, and frame it so your face covers about three-quarters of the photo.
- Save the photo as a .jpg. Name the file "photo" and keep it between 20 KB and 200 KB. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
- Scan your triple signature. Sign three times, one below the other, in black ink on plain white paper, and save one scan as "signature" of 20–100 KB.
- Capture the live photo. Use your webcam or the QR code for your phone, in good light, looking as you do in your uploaded photo.
UPSC photo FAQ
UPSC sets file rules rather than a print size. Recent notices, such as the Engineering Services Examination 2027 notice of 16 September 2026, ask for the photo and signature as .jpg files of at least 20 KB and no more than 300 KB each. UPSC's upload instructions on the portal give a tighter 20 KB to 200 KB for the photo, so a file in that range meets both.
The Engineering Services 2026 notice of 26 September 2025 said the uploaded photo should be not more than 10 days old from the start of the online application. The Civil Services 2026 notice points you to the portal instructions instead, so take a fresh photo for each application to be safe.
UPSC's current notices say you must upload a photograph and also capture a live photograph while filling in the Common Application Form on upsconline.nic.in. UPSC's portal instructions say you can use the webcam of your device or scan a QR code to capture it on a mobile phone, and that the live photo is matched with your uploaded photo.
Sign three times, one below the other, on plain white paper in black ink, leaving space between the signatures, and upload one scan of all three. UPSC's portal instructions ask for a .jpg file named "signature".
UPSC's portal instructions say photos with eyes hidden behind dark or coloured glasses are not accepted, and glare on glasses should be avoided. Earlier UPSC notices add that your appearance must match your photo at every stage, including spectacles, beard and moustache, so if you wear glasses in the photo, wear them at the exam and interview too.
The Civil Services 2026 notice says all candidates must undergo face authentication at the examination venue. Arrive early, carry the photo ID card you entered in your URN profile, and make sure you look like your uploaded photo.
Official sources
- UPSC: Civil Services Examination 2026, Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, 4 February 2026 (PDF)
- UPSC: Engineering Services Examination 2027, Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG., 16 September 2026 (PDF)
- UPSC: Engineering Services Examination 2026, Notice No. 02/2026 ENGG., 26 September 2025 (PDF)
- UPSC online application portal
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