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The requirements
| Print size | 51 x 51 mm (2 x 2 in) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 200-900 px |
| File size | 200 KB |
| File formats | JPEG |
| Head height, chin to crown | 25-35 mm The Bureau of Immigration photo specification gives the head height as 1 inch to 1-3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm) on the 51 mm photo. The OCI FAQ separately says the uploaded photo should show 80% coverage of the face, which is a looser and more generous framing; crop to the 25-35 mm rule and keep the head centred. |
| Background | Plain light coloured background without a border; the OCI portal explicitly says the background must not be white |
| Glasses | Allowed, as long as the eyes are fully visible with no glare and no tint. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons, and the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. |
| Ears | No |
| Also required |
|
Two OCI points catch people out. First, the background must be plain light coloured but NOT white: the portal FAQ says so explicitly, which is the opposite of most Indian photo rules. Second, the pixel ceiling is low (900 x 900 px) and the file must stay under 200 KB, so a full resolution camera photo has to be downscaled. The two official sources differ on framing: the photo specification PDF says the head should be 25 mm to 35 mm on a 51 mm photo (roughly 49-69% of the height) while the FAQ says 80% coverage of the face. Both are recorded here; the millimetre rule is the safer target.
Applying in India
India runs three photo regimes and choosing the wrong one wastes a trip. For an ordinary passport applied for inside India there is no photograph and no upload at all. The instruction booklet says it plainly: a photograph is not required for applications submitted at a Passport Seva Kendra or a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, because it is captured there along with your biometrics. Every applicant attends in person for that, infants included, so nothing you prepare at home reaches the book.
The exception is children below four, who carry a printed photograph of 51 by 51 for `in-passport` on a white background, shot as a close-up so the face fills 80 to 85 percent of the frame. From age four the centre takes the picture instead. District and speed post counters, common service centres, passport camps and diplomatic or official applications also still need printed photographs of the same size, so the print has not disappeared, it has just stopped being the default.
Abroad the rule inverts completely. Since 1 December 2025 the Global Passport Seva portal requires a digital upload: at least 630 by 810 pixels in roughly a seven by nine portrait, JPG or JPEG, below 250 KB, on a white background, with the face at 80 to 85 percent and the shoulders visible, unaltered by software. Supporting documents go up as PDFs, at most five files including the photo and the signature, and the portal allows twelve upload attempts.
Why photos get rejected here
A dark background, a uniform, or eyes behind tinted glasses
The instruction booklet groups these in one sentence: a photograph with a dark background or in uniform, or with the eyes hidden under coloured or dark glasses, will not be accepted. All three are absolute rather than conditional.
A photograph printed on plain computer paper
The booklet excludes computer prints by name and asks for good quality photo paper with continuous tone. This catches people who print at home on ordinary stock, and it is judged on the paper rather than on the image.
A signed photograph
Do not sign the photograph. Some Indian forms ask for a signature across an attached document and applicants generalise the habit, which turns a good photo into a refused one.
A photo smaller than the box printed on the form
The photograph must not be smaller than the box printed on the application form. A print trimmed to a different country's size will usually undershoot it.
Black and white, or cut from a group photograph
Only one colour photograph may be pasted, black and white is excluded, and a photo cut out of a group picture is refused. The crop from a larger image also fails on resolution.
Glare on spectacles
Eyes must be open, not covered by hair, and free of glare. The booklet suggests tilting the head slightly to avoid reflection, though removing the glasses is the more reliable answer.
What helps
Establish which of the three regimes you are in
Domestic centre, domestic exception, or a mission abroad. They want nothing, a print, and a digital file respectively. Starting from the wrong one is the most expensive mistake on this page.
White background and dark clothing, both at once
India asks for both in the same breath, which is unusual. The white background is the requirement and the dark clothing is what keeps your shoulders visible against it.
Do not sign the photograph
This is stated as its own instruction. It is also the sort of thing a photographer will not warn you about, because signing is normal on other Indian documents.
At a mission, build the file rather than the print
Since December 2025 the upload is mandatory at missions. Bringing prints to a consulate that now wants a file is a wasted appointment, and the file has a hard 250 KB ceiling that a phone photo will exceed.
There is no official six month rule
The figure is repeated everywhere. The official wording is recent, or the most recent photograph showing your latest appearance. We could not find a six month limit published anywhere, so we do not state one.
A turban to clean-shaven change needs a notarised statement
Where a Sikh applicant's appearance has changed between the turban and clean-shaven states, a notarised statement is required. This is a documentation step, not a photographic one, and it is easy to discover too late.
Babies and young children
Infants are not exempt from attending. The booklet states that every applicant, including infants, must be physically present at the Passport Seva Kendra or the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, where the photograph is captured. The only group who bring a photograph are children below four years of age: one colour print on a white background, shot close in so the face occupies 80 to 85 percent of the frame, with the child looking at the camera and the eyes open and clearly visible. From age four the centre photographs the child on site like anyone else.
Glasses
For a passport photograph glasses are allowed, with the condition that the eyes must be open, not covered by hair, and free from glare; the booklet suggests tilting the head slightly to kill the reflection. Coloured or dark glasses that hide the eyes are refused outright. The e-Visa route is stricter and simply excludes spectacles, so a file built for one will not necessarily serve the other. In both cases removing them is what we would do, because glare is a lighting effect rather than a property of the eyewear.
Head covering
Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons. Where one is worn, the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face must be clear. No routine written declaration is described for the covering itself. There is a related documentation rule worth knowing: where a Sikh applicant's appearance has changed between wearing a turban and being clean-shaven, a notarised statement is required with the application.
Applying online
The domestic passport process has no upload and no photograph, because the image is captured at the centre. The digital routes are elsewhere. Missions abroad have required an upload since 1 December 2025 under Global Passport Seva 2.0, at a minimum of 630 by 810 pixels, JPG or JPEG, below 250 KB, on a white background, unaltered by software, with at most five PDF documents of 1 MB each and twelve upload attempts. The e-Visa portal is a separate specification again.
Questions about India photos
Which Indian applicants still need a printed photograph?
Children below four years old, and anyone applying through a district or speed post counter, a common service centre, a passport camp, or for a diplomatic or official passport. Everyone else applying inside India is photographed at the centre.
What changed for applications at Indian missions in December 2025?
A digital photo upload became mandatory under Global Passport Seva 2.0, from 1 December 2025. The file needs at least 630 by 810 pixels, JPG or JPEG, under 250 KB, on a white background and unaltered by software.
Is there a six month rule for Indian passport photos?
Not one we could find published. The official wording asks for a recent photograph showing your latest appearance. The six month figure is repeated on commercial sites without a source, so we do not state it as a rule.
Is the e-Visa photo really 350 by 350 to 1000 by 1000 pixels?
That range is not on the official instructions. The portal gives a format, a file size range and a rule that the height and width must be equal. It publishes no pixel dimensions at all, so any stated range is a commercial summary.
Why does India want a white background and dark clothing together?
Because the two do different jobs. The white background is the published requirement; dark clothing is what keeps the line of your shoulders visible against it. A white shirt on a white background leaves the head looking detached.
Should I sign the back of the photograph?
No. The instruction booklet says not to sign the photograph. Signing is normal on other Indian documents, which is exactly why this one catches people out.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
- Online OCI Services FAQ, question 9: specifications of the photographchecked September 2, 2026
- Requirement of photograph for OCI Registrationchecked September 2, 2026
Reviewed by Editorial teamHow we check our numbers