Indian Passport Size Photo

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
What is the required passport photo size in India?
If you apply for a passport while in India, you will need a 35x45 mm photo, with a head occupying about 75% of the image.
In some other countries (e.g. USA), you may be asked for a photo sized 5.1 cm x 5.1 cm (2 inches x 2 inches) when applying for an Indian passport and other documents. The head height in the picture should be about 1.29 inches, and the distance from the bottom edge of the photo to the eyes should be 1.18 inches.
If you are applying for an Indian passport online, you will need a digital image of 600x600 pixels.

What is the required OCI photo size?
If you are applying for Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), you will need a 2x2 inch (51x51mm) passport size photo.
The exact size photo is required for the Police Clearance Certificate. If you are applying online, the digital OCI photo must be a minimum of 200x200 and a maximum of 1500x1500 pixels.

What is the required PAN card photo size?
For an offline PAN card application, you must bring a printed photo of 25x35mm (2.5x3.5cm) in size.
When applying for a PAN card online, you must provide a high-quality digital image sized 213x213pixelss.

What is the required India passport photo background?
If you submit a photo for a Seva Passport application, the background must be strictly white. If you are applying through consulates, in some cases any light colour background is acceptable (e.g. grey or beige). In any case, it must be uniform, with no prominent shadows or extraneous objects.

What are other essential passport photo requirements in India?
  • The photo must be in colour;
  • The photo must be taken in full-face and include the shoulders;
  • The photo must be new: taken no more than 6 months before submission;
  • The picture must be of good quality: in focus, with good exposure, without blurred or broken pixels;
  • The person in the photo must be looking directly into the camera with a neutral expression.

What to wear for an India passport photo?
It is advisable to wear dark clothes to contrast the background better. Headwear is permitted if you wear it daily for religious reasons. The hijab or turban should not cast a shadow over your face.

Can I wear glasses in the India passport photo?
Yes, if these are ordinary non-tinted eyeglasses. The lenses and frames must not cover the eyes.

How do I make a passport-size photo by myself?
Let's list three basic ways to do this:
  • Crop the picture to the size of the Indian passport photo in photoshop. When resizing the image, make sure your face is correctly centred. Changing the background yourself in photoshop is only recommended if you have the right skills to make the silhouette look natural. See a tutorial on how to create a 35x45 picture in photoshop.
  • Edit your Indian passport photo online for free in some photo editors. Keep in mind that you will probably have to centre the image and edit the background yourself.
  • Make the photo online via specialised software (for a small fee). You will then be able to make a compliant India passport photo out of any portrait taken in full-face: you will edit not only the size but also the background, format, and quality of the image.
How to print a passport size photo?
You can use any nearest printing service if you already have a ready-to-print passport photo template. Choose between the most popular ones to order a print online:


What are the baby passport photo requirements in India?
The requirements for a child passport photo in India are about the same as those for an adult one. There is only one exception: infants under the age of 1 can leave their eyes closed, and their face need not be in the exact centre.

Detailed guideline on how to take a baby passport photo.