The official requirements
Since September 2025, Indian passport photos must follow the ICAO standard. The older 51×51 mm square photo is no longer accepted. The current spec:
- Size: 35×45 mm (width × height), portrait
- Background: plain white — no patterns, shadows, or off-white tones
- Head size: the face must fill 80–85% of the photo, chin to crown
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open
- Glasses: not allowed unless you have a documented medical condition
- Recency: taken within the last 6 months
- Color: color photo only
For a Passport Seva online upload, the digital file must be a JPEG, 630×810 pixels, and no larger than 250 KB.
How to take a compliant photo
The September 2025 change tightened the head-size rule the most: 80–85% fill is higher than the old format demanded, so a photo cropped to the old proportions will now read as a face that’s too small. Set up like this:
- Stand 4–6 feet from a plain white wall, with enough gap behind you that no shadow falls on it.
- Light yourself from the front — face a window. Overhead light leaves shadows under the eyes and nose.
- Have someone else take it from chest height, straight on. Selfies distort the face and frame the head wrong.
- Look directly at the camera, neutral expression, hair clear of your eyebrows and ears.
- Crop to 35×45 mm with the head filling 80–85% of the height — or upload the shot to a tool that crops and checks the ICAO ratio for you.
Why photos get rejected
Passport Seva and acceptance counters bounce the same problems repeatedly. Each one, and the fix:
- Old 51×51 mm photo — the most common rejection since the rule changed. Re-shoot or re-crop to 35×45 mm.
- Face too small in the frame — the ICAO spec wants 80–85% fill. Re-crop tighter, or shoot from closer.
- Glasses left on — no longer permitted without medical documentation. Take them off.
- Off-white or shadowed background — a cream wall or a cast shadow reads as non-white. Use a true white wall.
- Expression not neutral — close the mouth; no smiling with teeth.
- Filters or beauty mode — AI smoothing and beauty modes are grounds for rejection. Turn them off.
- Photo older than 6 months — it must reflect your current appearance.
What to wear (and not wear)
There is no formal dress code, but some choices reliably cause trouble:
Avoid: glasses of any kind, hats or caps, anything that casts a shadow on the face. A white or very pale top blends into the white background — wear a darker, solid color.
Fine: ordinary everyday clothing, light makeup that keeps your everyday look, religious head coverings worn daily (the face must stay fully visible from forehead to chin).
Glasses are the trap here: many applicants don’t know the no-glasses rule arrived with the ICAO change. Unless you have medical documentation, glasses are an automatic rejection.
Where to get your photo
The photo is taken at a private photo studio, not at the Passport Seva Kendra. Common options and trade-offs:
| Where | Price (INR) | Appointment | Speed | Digital file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo studio near a PSK | ~150 (100–300) | No | Same day | Usually |
| Metro-city studio (Delhi/Mumbai/Bengaluru) | ~400 (300–500) | No | Same day | Usually |
| Online print lab | ~120 per order | No | 1–3 days delivery | Yes |
| Online tool (this site) | ~$1 | No | ~2 minutes | Yes |
A studio near a PSK is convenient and knows the format. Online is cheaper and gives you the JPEG you need for a Passport Seva upload plus a print-ready sheet. Whichever you choose, the photo only counts if it meets every rule above.
Submitting your photo
How you submit depends on the application route:
Online upload (Passport Seva) — Some applicant categories upload a JPEG (630×810 px, under 250 KB) directly through the Passport Seva portal during the application.
At the Passport Seva Kendra — For most applicants the photo is captured or verified at the PSK appointment. Bring a compliant printed photo so the counter has a correct reference; the ICAO format must be met either way.
Babies, kids & special situations
Infants and toddlers follow the same ICAO rules — plain white background, no pacifiers, no hands or arms in the frame, both eyes open. Lay the baby on a white sheet and shoot from directly above.
Religious head coverings are allowed when worn daily for religious reasons; the face must be fully visible from forehead to chin.
Glasses are not permitted without a documented medical condition. If you wear them daily, take them off for the photo.
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Sources & References
This guide is fact-checked against official government publications and updated regularly to reflect the latest requirements.
- [1] Passport Seva — Guidelines for ICAO-Compliant Photographspassportindia.gov.in