630 × 810 px, ICAO-compliant
Make the photo the Global Passport Seva Portal asks for: 630 × 810 pixels in color, a white background, the face filling 80 to 85% of the frame, and a file under 250 KB. Free, no watermark, and your photo never leaves your device.
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From the Global Passport Seva Portal photo guideline, as published by Indian missions, and the file-size notices from the embassies in Kuwait and Bern. Where nothing official exists, the table says so. Last checked on .
| Rule | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 630 × 810 pixels | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
| Color | Color photo, natural skin tones | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
| Background | White, plain and even | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline (Bern says "preferably white") |
| Face size | Face fills 80 to 85% of the photo, head and top of shoulders, full head from hair to chin | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
| File size | Up to 250 KB | Embassies in Kuwait and Bern |
| Minimum file size | Not stated | No official minimum found |
| File format | Not stated; JPEG is the safe choice | Not in the guideline |
| Pose and expression | Looking at the camera, eyes open, mouth closed, natural expression, head straight | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
| Glasses | Take them off to avoid reflections | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only, with the face visible from chin to forehead and both edges | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
| Lighting | Even, with no shadows, flash reflections or red eye; taken from about 1.5 meters | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
| Editing | Unaltered by computer software | Global Passport Seva Portal guideline |
You don't need to bring or upload a photo for an appointment at a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK). Passport Seva's application instructions say the photo is taken there. Paper forms handed in at a DPC, SPC or CSC need a 4.5 × 3.5 cm color print on a white background, which the Standard 35 × 45 mm preset and print sheet produce.
Applications through Indian missions use the Global Passport Seva Portal, where you upload your own photo. Missions moved to the 630 × 810 ICAO photo with version 2.0 of the portal during 2025; the embassy in Doha, for example, made it mandatory from 1 December 2025. Check your mission's notices for local details.
Most of the confusion online comes from mixing up three different documents. Here is which size goes where, and which preset to choose in the maker.
| Size | Used for | Preset |
|---|---|---|
| 630 × 810 pixels | Indian passport applications made abroad through the Global Passport Seva Portal (the ICAO photo) | India: Passport (ICAO, 630 × 810 px) |
| 4.5 × 3.5 cm print (35 × 45 mm) | Paper application forms submitted at a DPC, SPC or CSC in India. The same shape as 630 × 810 | Standard 35 × 45 mm |
| 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm), square | The OCI card, and older mission pages that predate the ICAO photo | India: OCI card (square digital) |
| Square, 10 KB to 1 MB | The Indian e-Visa | India: e-Visa (square digital) |
The OCI card has its own rules, including a plain light background that is not white; see the OCI FAQ. The e-Visa rules are on the e-Visa site.
The maker's photo checks flag most of these before you download.
For applications made abroad through the Global Passport Seva Portal, the photo must be 630 × 810 pixels in color on a white background, with the face filling 80 to 85% of the photo. It is the same shape as a 4.5 × 3.5 cm (35 × 45 mm) print. The maker above is set to this size.
Indian embassies, including Kuwait and Bern, say the photo must not exceed 250 KB. No official minimum is published. The maker compresses the JPEG to the highest quality that stays under 250 KB.
No. Passport Seva's instructions say a photograph is not required for applications submitted at a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra, because it is taken there. You need your own 630 × 810 photo when you apply from abroad through the Global Passport Seva Portal.
For the passport, the ICAO photo is 630 × 810 pixels, which matches a 35 × 45 mm (4.5 × 3.5 cm) print. The 2 × 2 inch square size is for the OCI card, and it also appears on some older embassy pages written before the ICAO photo rules.
No. The guideline asks you to take glasses off to avoid reflections.
A plain white background. The photo checks in the maker warn you if the background looks dark, colored or uneven, so you can retake the photo. Do not edit the background: the guideline requires a photo unaltered by computer software.
Yes, if it meets the rules. Stand in front of a plain white wall in soft daylight and have someone take the photo from about 1.5 meters away at eye level, with no glasses and a neutral expression. Then add it to the maker above.
Indian missions rolled the ICAO photo out with version 2.0 of the Global Passport Seva Portal during 2025. The Indian Embassy in Doha, for example, made it mandatory from 1 December 2025. Check your mission's website for its date.
ImgTweak is not affiliated with the Government of India. The passport office decides whether a photo is accepted, so check your mission's current notices before you apply.
Making a photo for another country? The passport photo maker has presets for the US, UK, Canada, the EU, Pakistan, Nigeria and more. To shrink an existing photo under a size limit, use the passport photo compressor.
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630 × 810 px, under 250 KB, free and private.
