Indian passport photo maker

Indian passport photo (applying from abroad) requirements

Indian passport photo (applying from abroad) requirements

Head height (chin to top of head)	80–85% of the photo height
Background	Plain, uniform white, with no shadows on your face or behind you
Expression	Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open
Glasses	Not allowed
Head covering	Only for religious reasons
How recent	Recent: the guidelines set no age limit, so use a photo that looks like you today
Digital photo	Uploaded in the passport portal: 630 x 810 pixels, in color, up to 250 KB (JPEG)

• ICAO-compliant photo, mandatory at Indian missions since late 2025 (from September 1, 2025, in many countries, December 1, 2025, at some missions)
• Close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders, full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, centered and not tilted
• Photo unaltered by software, apart from what the missions allow: making the background uniform white and cropping so the face fills about 85% of the photo
• Natural skin tones, even lighting, no flash reflections, no red eye, not blurred; taken from about 1.5 meters, not too close
• Take glasses off to avoid reflections; no hair across the eyes
• Head covering only for religious reasons, with the face shown from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead and both edges of the face; a turban must not cover the forehead
• The photo, your signature and your documents are uploaded before you submit the application to the mission or its service provider (for example VFS Global in the USA)

Official source: Passport Seva (Ministry of External Affairs) — Guidelines for ICAO compliant photographs for passport applications

The new Indian passport photo: 630 x 810 pixels, white background

Indian embassies and consulates now accept only ICAO-compliant photographs for passport applications: from September 1, 2025, at many missions and from December 1, 2025, at others. The photo is uploaded with your application, so what counts is the digital file:

• 630 x 810 pixels, in color, JPEG, no larger than 250 KB;
• a close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders, with your face filling about 80–85% of the photo and the full head visible from the top of the hair to the chin;
• a plain, uniform white background with no shadows;
• your eyes open, mouth closed, a natural expression, looking straight at the camera with your head straight;
• no glasses (to avoid reflections), no hair across the eyes, no red eye, no blur;
• a head covering only for religious reasons, with the whole face visible.

The tool makes exactly this file: 630 x 810 pixels, head sized to about 82% of the height, saved under 250 KB.

How to take an Indian passport photo at home

1. Stand in front of a plain, light wall with even light on your face, for example facing a window. Avoid flash, which causes reflections and red eye.
2. Take off your glasses and move your hair away from your eyes.
3. Ask someone to take the photo from about 1.5 meters away, as the guidelines say, at your eye level. Do not take it from closer: the face looks distorted.
4. Face the camera squarely with your shoulders level, a neutral face and your mouth closed.
5. Upload the photo above. The tool crops it to 630 x 810, sizes your head, replaces the wall with a uniform white background and checks every rule it can measure.
6. Download the JPEG and upload it in your passport application.

What the tool checks for an Indian passport

The tool measures your head from chin to crown against 80–85% of the photo height, the “face takes up 80–85%” rule, and checks that you are centered and straight, that your eyes are open and your mouth is closed, and that the photo is sharp, evenly lit and well exposed. It replaces the background with plain white, which the Embassy of India in Berne explicitly allows when you have no studio photo. It keeps the file at 630 x 810 pixels and under 250 KB, and asks you to confirm that you are not wearing glasses and that any head covering is religious and leaves your face visible.

Common reasons Indian passport photos are rejected

• Wrong size: a 2 x 2 in (600 x 600 px) photo instead of 630 x 810, or a file over 250 KB.
• Face too small: a head-and-body photo instead of a close-up of the head and shoulders.
• Background that is not uniform white, or shadows behind the head.
• Glasses reflections, sunglasses or tinted lenses.
• Expression: smiling (even with the mouth closed), open mouth, eyes not fully open.
• Lighting: side, top or bottom light, over- or under-exposure, strong color casts.
• Pose: head tilted, shoulders turned away from the camera.
• Children: toys, supporting hands or another person in the photo.

Printed photos

The ICAO guidelines only describe the uploaded photo. Some missions and service providers also ask for printed photos with the application; check your mission’s checklist for the number and size. If you need prints, use the same photo, not a different one, so that both match.

Photos of babies and children

Children need their own ICAO-compliant photo. It must meet the same rules: eyes open, a neutral background, and nobody and nothing else in the photo, so no toys, no supporting hands and no other person. Lay a baby on a plain white sheet and take the photo from above, with the whole head and the top of the shoulders in the frame. Our baby passport photo guide has more tips.

Frequently asked questions

What size is an Indian passport photo in 2026?

For applications made abroad, the photo is a digital file of 630 x 810 pixels, in color, no larger than 250 KB. It is a close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders, with your face filling about 80 to 85 percent of the photo, on a white background. The old 2 x 2 inch photo is no longer the standard.

What is an ICAO-compliant photo?

ICAO is the International Civil Aviation Organization, which sets the photo standard for chip passports worldwide. Indian missions made ICAO-compliant photos mandatory for passport applications from late 2025, because the new passports carry a chip. The photo must be sharp, evenly lit, on a white background, with your eyes open and mouth closed.

Can I take the photo at home?

Yes. Indian embassies say a professional studio can take it, and the Embassy of India in Berne adds that if you cannot visit a studio, you may use a photo editor to make the background a uniform white and crop the photo so your face fills about 85 percent. This tool does both for you.

Can I wear glasses in my Indian passport photo?

Take them off. The passport photo guidelines say glasses should be taken off to avoid reflections, and reflections on lenses are a common reason photos fail the ICAO check. The Berlin embassy's examples also show frames crossing the eyes and sunglasses as non-compliant, so the tool asks you to confirm that you took your glasses off.

Can I wear a turban or head covering?

Only for religious reasons, and your face must be clearly visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face showing. Embassies remind applicants that a turban must not cover the forehead.

Where do I upload the photo?

In the online passport application for Indian missions abroad, together with your signature and supporting documents, before you submit the application to the embassy or its service provider. In the USA, for example, you apply through VFS Global and upload the photo on the Passport Seva portal first.

Can I smile in the photo?

No. The Indian ICAO guidelines show a smile, even with the mouth closed, as non-compliant. Keep a natural, neutral expression with your mouth closed and your eyes open, and look straight at the camera. Wide-open eyes and half-closed eyes are also shown as non-compliant. The tool checks your mouth and eyes and tells you if you should take the photo again.

Sources

1. Passport Seva (Ministry of External Affairs) — Guidelines for ICAO compliant photographs for passport applications (opened September 30, 2026)
2. Embassy of India, Kuwait — Advisory on ICAO compliant photograph for Indian passport applicants (opened September 30, 2026)
3. Embassy of India, Berne — Notice regarding ICAO photo requirements (opened September 30, 2026)
4. Embassy of India, Washington D.C. — Migration to Passport Seva Portal 2.0 (GPSP 2.0) (opened September 30, 2026)
5. Embassy of India, Berlin — Guidelines for ICAO compliant photographs (with compliant and non-compliant examples) (opened September 30, 2026)

Last checked: September 30, 2026

passportvisapic.com is not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority makes the final decision on every photo.