Passport size photo — the official Indian passport numbers
Passport Seva has just one pixel number — 630 x 810 — and no KB limit; if you're going to a PSK or POPSK, the photo is captured there anyway.
Indian passport photo specification
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Digital dimensions | 630 x 810 px, colour (the only pixel figure Passport Seva publishes) |
| Printed photo size | 4.5 cm (length) x 3.5 cm (width) |
| Face coverage | Head and top of the shoulders, face filling 80-85% of the frame |
| File size | No KB limit is published anywhere on passportindia.gov.in |
| File format | Not stated in the official guidance |
| Background | Plain white |
| PSK / POPSK applicants | A photograph is not required — it is captured at the centre |
| DPC / SPC / CSC applicants | Paste one colour photograph on the printed form; do not sign it |
| ICAO capture rules | Taken about 1.5 m from the camera, mouth closed, head centred, no digital alteration, glasses removed to avoid reflection |
| Head coverings | Permitted for religious reasons only, with the full face visible |
Source: Guidelines for ICAO Compliant Photographs for Passport Applications (Passport Seva) (undated guidance sheet, live September 2026). checked on 2026-09-06. 630 x 810 px is the only pixel figure Passport Seva publishes, and no KB limit or file format appears anywhere in the fetched pages.
The most searched photo in India has no KB rule
"Passport size photo" is shorthand for every form in the country, so it is worth being precise about what Passport Seva actually publishes. The ICAO compliant photograph guidelines give one pixel figure — 630 x 810 — and a face-coverage rule of 80-85%. The instruction booklet gives the print size of 4.5 x 3.5 cm. Neither gives a file size, and neither names a format.
Most applicants never upload a photo
The booklet is explicit: a photograph is not required for applications submitted at a Passport Seva Kendra or POPSK, because your photo is captured at the counter. The pasted photo applies to District Passport Cell, Speed Post Centre and Citizen Service Centre submissions. So before you resize anything, check which route you are using.
Where the ICAO rules bite
Taken roughly 1.5 metres from the camera, mouth closed, head centred, both edges of the face visible, no shadow, no digital alteration, and glasses off if they reflect. Head coverings are allowed for religious reasons as long as the full face contour is visible. The one rule people break most often is signing across the pasted photo — Passport Seva says the photograph is not to be signed at all.
How it works
- Stand about 1.5 m from the camera against a plain white wall in even light.
- Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both ears visible.
- Crop to 630 x 810 px with head and shoulders filling 80-85% of the frame.
- For a pasted photo, print at 4.5 x 3.5 cm on photo paper in colour.
- Do not sign or stamp across the photograph.
- If you are applying through a PSK or POPSK, skip the photo entirely — it is taken at the centre.