India Passport
Last verified 2026-05-31 against Passport Seva, Ministry of External Affairs (Government of India)Standards: ICAO Doc 9303 · ISO/IEC 19794-5Government-spec dimensions, head positioning, and file constraints.
- Pixel size
- 630 × 810 px
- Print size
- 35 × 45 mm · 457 DPI
- Background
- white#FFFFFF
- Face height
- 80–85% · target 82%
- Eye line
- 62%–74% from bottom
- File size limit
- 250 KB
Note: ICAO 9303; plain white background; head 80–85%; glasses not permitted; Passport Seva ≤250 KB / 630×810 px
Dimensions
- Print size: 35 × 45 mm, aspect ratio 7:9 (ICAO 9303 portrait format)
- Pixel size: 630 × 810 px
- DPI: ≈ 450 DPI (high-resolution Passport Seva digital upload)
- File format / max file size: JPEG (.jpg); max 250 KB (Passport Seva online upload ceiling)
- Color mode: sRGB color only
Head position
- Head height (chin to crown): ≈ 36–38 mm (derived; Passport Seva states the face should fill approximately 85% of the frame, not a mm figure)
- Head height as fraction of frame: ≈ 80%–85% (toward the upper end of the ICAO range)
- Head position: Directly facing camera; head upright, no tilt
- Shoulders: Square to camera, centred
Background
- Color: Plain white
- Requirements: No shadows, no texture, no patterns, no objects behind the subject
Expression
- Expression must be neutral, mouth closed
- Both eyes open and clearly visible, looking at the camera
- Hair must not cover the face or eyes
Accessories
- Eyeglasses: NOT permitted. Glasses must be removed.
- Sunglasses / tinted lenses: Prohibited
- Head coverings: Permitted only for religious reasons; the full face from chin to forehead must be visible
- Uniforms: Avoid; plain everyday clothing recommended
Other rules
- Photo must be recent and reflect current appearance
- No digital alterations or filters
- Since 1 September 2025, Passport Seva accepts only ICAO-compliant photos for passport applications (rolled out at overseas Indian missions first; some missions phase the mandatory photo upload from 1 December 2025). This is a photo-standard mandate, not a studio mandate — a professional studio is recommended but not required, and a self-prepared compliant image is allowed. At domestic PSK / POPSK appointments the photo is captured on-site during biometric enrolment
Notes
- India sits at the upper end of the ICAO head-height band (80%–85%), slightly higher than the 70%–80% used by Australia / Schengen — crop accordingly.
- The 250 KB upload ceiling is tight for a 630 × 810 px image; expect aggressive JPEG compression on the digital channel.
Sources
Can I wear glasses in my Indian passport photo?
No — glasses must be removed for the photo. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not permitted.
Can I wear a head covering in the photo?
Head coverings are permitted only for religious reasons, and the full face from chin to forehead must remain clearly visible.
Can I smile in an Indian passport photo?
No — keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
What size and file limit does Passport Seva require?
Print size 35 × 45 mm; pixel target 630 × 810 px; JPEG, sRGB, color only. The Passport Seva online upload caps the file at 250 KB, so the image is compressed heavily.
Do I need a studio photo for an Indian passport?
No — since 1 September 2025 Passport Seva accepts only ICAO- compliant photos, but a studio is recommended, not required: you may self-prepare a compliant image. At a PSK/POPSK appointment the photo is taken on-site. The head should fill about 80–85% of the frame on a plain white background, at most 250 KB.
Live validation
against the actual rulebook.
Every crop is measured against the published tolerance ranges for the selected document. Pass or warn, in real time — no "submit and hope."
The same checks the authority will run — before you submit.
- Face height & eye line measured from the pupil midpoint with sub-pixel accuracy, clamped to the tolerance range your authority publishes.
- Background colour checked across a sampled grid — catches gradients and fringe from poor segmentation (ΔE < 3 against spec).
- File-size ceiling enforced per-spec — recompressed silently for sub-60 KB e-visa portals, lossless for print.
- Sharpness & expression guards warn on blur, closed eyes, or non-neutral expressions before you export.
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