🇮🇳 Official India guidelines

Every India ID photo,
done in three minutes.

8 document types — passport, visa, and ID photo specs for India, with the dimensions and background rules each one expects.

Government-compliant specs
Your face is yours.

Select your document

Specs and tools for every document we support.

Application

Indian Passport Renewal in USA: Complete VFS Guide (2026)

Step-by-step guide to renewing your Indian passport from USA through VFS Global. Documents, fees, photo requirements, and processing times.

By the India guide team
Read full story

Guides for every situation

Practical writeups from the team that handles compliance review.

Cross-border

Canada Visa Photo (India)

Applying for a Canada visa in India means two different photos: the ones you supply with your application, and the biometric photo taken at the collection centre. Only one is your job to get right.

Read article
Cross-border

OCI Photo for a Newborn (USA)

Your US-born baby needs an OCI photo, but the drugstore counter refused. OCI's own spec relaxes the rules for under-ones. Here is how to take a compliant infant photo at home and what documents come first.

Read article
Cross-border

OCI Card Photo (USA)

OCI from the USA needs 2 printed 51x51mm photos plus one digital JPEG under 200KB for the ociservices.gov.in portal. The exact specs, how many to bring to VFS, and how to make them for $1.

Read article
Cross-border

Australia Visa Photo (IN)

Australian visa photo for Indian applicants: 35×45mm — same size as the new ICAO Indian passport, but check the Australia-specific rules. No glasses, no smiling. VFS Global locations, ImmiAccount specs.

Read article
Cross-border

UK Visa Photo (India)

UK visa photo for Indian applicants must be 35×45mm — same size as the new ICAO Indian passport (mandatory since September 2025). Different from US 2×2 inches. Complete specs & VFS guide.

Read article
Guide

Aadhaar Photo 50KB

Compress your Aadhaar photo to under 50KB for UIDAI portal upload. No server uploads. Also create new compliant photos for $1.

Read article
Cross-border

OCI Card Photo (UK)

OCI card photo must be 51x51mm (2x2 inches) for UK applications. Boots charges £12.99 — get the same compliant photo for £1. VFS Global accepted.

Read article
Cross-border

Schengen Visa Photo (India)

Schengen visa photo must be 35x45mm for Indian applicants. Same for all 27 countries (France, Germany, Italy, etc.). Complete specs & VFS guide.

Read article
Cross-border

US Visa Photo (India)

US visa photo for Indian applicants must be 2x2 inches (51x51mm). DS-160 requires 600x600px JPEG under 240KB. Complete requirements guide.

Read article
Common rejection reasons

Pro tips from our review team

Most India photo rejections come down to the same five mistakes. Get these right and the rest is easy.

Even lighting

Face a window for soft, natural light. Avoid shadows on your face or behind you — overhead lighting alone usually casts shadows under the eyes.

Neutral expression

Look straight at the camera with both eyes open and mouth closed. A small natural smile is fine; an exaggerated one is not.

Clear face

Hair should not cover your eyes or cast shadows on your face. Remove sunglasses, hats, and most head coverings unless worn daily for religious reasons.

Everyday clothing

Wear what you normally would. Uniforms, camouflage, and white clothing against a white background are common reasons for rejection.

Plain background

Stand against a plain, light-colored wall with no shadows or patterns. We can also remove the background automatically if you can't find a clean wall.

Need a photo for another country?

We support passport and ID photos for 180+ countries.