India Passport Photo Requirements & Guidelines

India passport photo requirements changed in a big way recently, and a photo that was fine a year ago can now get your application rejected. The most common delays at a Passport Seva Kendra come down to small, avoidable mistakes in size, background, or head position — and the rules are now stricter than ever.

This guide breaks down every current India passport photo rule for 2026 — the new 35 x 45 mm ICAO size, the plain white background, head-height and face-coverage requirements, and the exact digital file spec for uploading on the Passport Seva portal.

India Passport Photo Requirements at a Glance

Here are the core specifications set by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Passport Seva programme:

Get any one of these wrong and the photo can be rejected, so it is worth checking each before you submit.

Photo Size and Head Position Rules

Exact photo dimensions

The finished photo must be 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm) in a portrait (taller-than-wide) format. This is the international ICAO Doc 9303 standard, which India adopted in place of the older 2 x 2 inch square format — so make sure you are working to the current size and not an outdated template.

Head size and placement

Your head must be centered and sized so that the distance from the chin to the top of your head measures 36–38 mm, with your face filling roughly 80–85% of the frame. That is a tighter, closer crop than most other countries use, so a photo framed for a US or European passport will usually be rejected here.

Getting these millimeters right by hand is where most people slip up. The simplest fix is to create your India passport photo with a tool that crops and resizes to the exact official spec automatically.

Background Requirements

Acceptable backgrounds

The background must be plain white — and only white. Off-white, cream, and light grey are no longer accepted, so stand a few feet in front of a clean white wall and light it evenly so it casts no shadow.

Common background mistakes

• Off-white, cream, or light-grey walls that used to pass but no longer do
• Shadows falling behind your head or shoulders
• Other people, furniture, or objects in the frame
• Doorframes, switches, or wall fixtures creeping into the shot

Pose, Expression, and Lighting Rules

Expression and eyes

Keep a natural, neutral expression with both eyes open and your mouth closed. Look straight at the camera with your face and shoulders squared to it — no tilting, turning, or smiling.

Lighting

Use even, front-facing light to avoid shadows on your face or under your chin. Keep your hair off your face so the full outline of your head is visible, and remove earphones or any wireless devices.

New for 2025–26: India's Switch to the ICAO 35×45 mm Standard

What changed

India moved its passport photo standard to ICAO Doc 9303, making the 35 x 45 mm size mandatory from 1 September 2025. This replaced the older 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) square photo that many people and studios were still using.

What it means for you

If you reuse an old square photo or a studio template that has not been updated, your application can be rejected for wrong dimensions. Always confirm the photo is the new 35 x 45 mm portrait size with the tighter 80–85% face coverage before you submit.

Glasses, Head Coverings, and Other Restrictions

Glasses

Glasses are no longer permitted in India passport photos. The only exception is a genuine medical need, which requires you to carry a doctor's certificate; even then, the eyes must be fully visible with no glare or tinted lenses.

Head coverings

Head coverings are not allowed except when worn daily for religious reasons. Even then, your full face must be clearly visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face unobscured.

Digital Upload vs. Printed Photo Specs

Printed photo

For documents affixed at a Passport Seva Kendra or on paper forms, use a recent 35 x 45 mm colour photo printed on good-quality photo paper with a plain white background.

Digital photo

For uploads on the Passport Seva and mPassport portals, the file must be a JPEG sized exactly 630 x 810 pixels and under 250 KB, with the same plain white background and framing as the printed version. Only the delivery format changes — the composition rules are identical.

Top Reasons India Passport Photos Get Rejected

• Wrong size — using the old 2 x 2 inch square instead of the new 35 x 45 mm format
• Head too small — face not filling the required 80–85% of the frame
• Non-white background — off-white, cream, or grey walls
• Shadows on the face or behind the head from uneven lighting
• Glasses left on, or lens glare
• Smiling or a non-neutral expression
• Oversized digital file — over 250 KB or not 630 x 810 pixels
• Old photos taken more than six months ago

How to Take a Compliant Photo at Home

1. Stand 2–3 feet from a plain white wall in even light, with no shadows behind you.
2. Have someone photograph you at eye level from about 4 feet away, or use a tripod and timer.
3. Face the camera directly with a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed, and no glasses.
4. Shoot in colour at the highest resolution your phone or camera allows.
5. Upload it to a tool that removes the background, sets it to plain white, and crops to the exact 35 x 45 mm, 36–38 mm head-height spec.
6. Download both the print-ready file and a 630 x 810 px, sub-250 KB digital version for the portal.

Beyond India: Other Countries' Requirements

Specifications differ widely between countries — Canada uses a 50 x 70 mm photo, the US uses a 2 x 2 inch square, and head-ratio and background rules vary too. If you travel or apply internationally, you can check the rules and generate a compliant photo using our passport photo tool for 150+ countries.

Conclusion

A compliant India passport photo now comes down to three things: the new 35 x 45 mm ICAO size with a 36–38 mm head height and 80–85% face coverage, a plain white background with no shadows, and a recent, unedited photo that meets the 630 x 810 px, sub-250 KB digital spec for the Passport Seva portal. Nail those and you avoid the most common rejection reasons.