Indian passport photo specifications
Passport Seva, run by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, publishes ICAO-compliant photo guidelines for passport applications. We checked them on 28 October 2026.
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 630 × 810 pixels, in colour |
| Print size | 35 × 45 mm (the same 7 : 9 shape); some missions abroad ask for 2 × 2 in |
| Face | Close-up of head and top of shoulders; face fills 80–85% of the photo, top of hair to chin |
| Background | White |
| Glasses | Take them off to avoid reflections |
| Editing | Unaltered by computer software |
| Pose | Looking directly at the camera, head centred and not tilted, eyes open, mouth closed |
| Lighting | Even, no shadows on the face or background, no red eye |
| Distance | Taken from about 1.5 metres away |
| Head coverings | Only for religious reasons, with the face visible from chin to forehead and both edges of the face |
Source: Passport Seva guidelines for ICAO-compliant photographs. For applications made outside India, the photo size is set by each embassy or consulate; for example, the Embassy of India in The Hague asks for 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) on a white or off-white background.
Digital photo and print from the same crop
630 × 810 pixels has the same shape as a 35 × 45 mm print (7 : 9), so one crop gives you both:
- Download digital photo renders your crop at exactly 630 × 810 pixels as a JPG.
- Download print photo gives 413 × 531 pixels tagged at 300 DPI, which prints at 35 × 45 mm.
- Print sheets (4 × 6 in or A4) hold several copies with cut lines; print at 100% or “actual size”.
The shaded band places your chin so the face (top of hair to chin) is 36–38 mm of the 45 mm height, which is 80–85%. That is noticeably closer than a UK or US photo, so zoom in more than you might expect.
Where you need this photo
- In India: when you visit a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, your photo is normally taken there, so you do not need to bring one for the passport itself. Printed photos are still asked for on some paper forms and annexures.
- Abroad: Indian missions process passports through their own systems or service providers. Many ask for printed photos, and the size varies (2 × 2 in in the Netherlands, for example). Read the mission’s photo page, then choose the matching tool. For 2 × 2 in, our US Visa Photo tool has exactly that size.
- Other online forms with a file size limit: if a portal also sets a KB limit, compress the downloaded photo with Compress Image to KB.
Taking a photo that passes
- Stand in front of a plain white wall, about half a metre from it so no shadow falls behind you.
- Light your face evenly from the front (facing a window in daylight works well).
- Have someone take the photo from about 1.5 metres at eye level. Remove glasses.
- Keep your head straight and centred, eyes open, mouth closed, natural expression, hair away from your eyes.
- Do not use beauty filters or edit the photo. The tool’s optional background whitening uses AI on your device, but a real white wall is safer because the guidelines ask for unaltered photos.
Worked example
An applicant renewing through an Indian consulate abroad needs a digital photo and two prints.
- They drop in a phone photo taken against a white wall and zoom until the top of the hair touches the line and the chin sits in the band.
- Download digital photo gives
indian-passport-photo-630x810.jpg. - They check the consulate’s page: it wants 35 × 45 mm prints, so they download the 4 × 6 in sheet and print it at a photo shop.
More tools for Indian applicants
Preparing an exam application as well? The UPSC Photo Resizer handles the photograph and triple signature rules, and the SSC Photo Resizer prepares the 10–20 KB signature. For other documents, Passport Photo Maker has more presets. Your photo is processed in your browser and never uploaded.