India passport photo: the ICAO rules, and the ones people miss
The official guidance for an Indian passport photograph is one page long, and three of its instructions are unusual enough that most people break at least one.
The face has to fill 80–85% of the photograph. The photo has to be 630 × 810 pixels. And it has to be taken from 1.5 metres away — the document says so directly, and it rules out the arm’s-length selfie that most people reach for first.
Glasses come off. Editing is out. The background is white.
What the guidelines actually say
The document opens by stating its scope: “Here are the photograph guidelines as per ICAO standards to be adhered to photograph capturing or uploading for passport services.” Then the headline rules:
- “Close up of the head and top of the shoulders such that the face takes up 80-85% of the photograph.”
- “The photograph should be in color and dimensions should be 630*810 Pixels.”
- “Photos should be unaltered by computer software.”
- “Background of the photograph should be White.”
Note what is not there: the guidelines set no maximum file size. Different Indian missions and portals publish their own upload limits, so check the limit shown by the service you are actually applying through rather than assuming a number you read elsewhere.
Our India passport photo size page lists the millimetre and pixel values side by side, and the size converter will do the arithmetic.
The 1.5 metre rule
Among the requirements for the photograph itself, the guidelines list that it must “Be taken from distance of 1.5 meters from a camera (not too close)”.
This is not a stylistic preference. A phone held at arm’s length distorts the face — the nose enlarges relative to the ears and the proportions stop matching the person. That is exactly what a document photograph is supposed to avoid.
The practical version: put the phone on something at face height, step back about a metre and a half, and use the timer or ask someone to press the button. The same distance also flattens the light and reduces the shadow on the wall behind you.
What the photograph must show
The guidelines list these directly:
- Show the applicant looking directly at the camera.
- Show the skin tones naturally, with appropriate brightness and contrast.
- Show the eyes open and clearly visible, with no hair across the eyes.
- Be taken with uniform lighting, with no shadows, no flash reflections on the face, and no red eye.
- Mouth should not be open.
- Not be blurred.
- Show the full head from top of hair to bottom of chin, centred in the frame and not tilted.
The expression instruction is short: “The expression on the face should look natural.”
Glasses come off
The guidelines are more direct than most authorities are. On shadows and reflections they say there should not be any distracting shadows on the face or in the background, and then, in the same breath: “should not have reflection of the glasses; glasses to be taken off to avoid reflections”.
Head coverings are treated separately: “Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, but the facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown.”
No editing — and what that leaves you
“Photos should be unaltered by computer software” is one of the four headline rules, and it sits awkwardly with how most people fix a bad photo.
You cannot brighten a dark photo into a compliant one, and you cannot replace a patterned wall with a white one. What you can do is fix the conditions before you press the button: a white or near-white wall, daylight from the front, and enough distance.
PhotoSpec shows the India passport requirement before you shoot, guides the framing by voice, and checks the result before you save. It crops to the published dimensions rather than editing the picture, and it does not replace the background — so the wall has to be right when you take the photo. Photos are processed on the phone and are not uploaded to us.
India passport, visa and OCI photos are three different photos
They are commonly confused, and the differences matter at upload time.
| Passport | Indian visa | OCI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Portrait | Square | Square |
| Background | White | White or light | Plain light colour, not white |
| Glasses | Take them off | See the spec page | Allowed without glare |
If you are preparing more than one, start from the right spec page: passport, visa, or OCI. The OCI application has its own upload rules, covered on our OCI application photo page.
Before you upload — the short version
- White background, evenly lit, no shadow behind you.
- Camera about 1.5 metres away, at face height.
- Glasses off.
- Full head from hair to chin, centred, not tilted, face filling 80–85%.
- Mouth closed, natural expression, eyes open and unobstructed.
- 630 × 810 pixels, in colour, no software editing.
- Check the file-size limit shown by the portal you are using — the guidelines do not set one.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an Indian passport photo for upload?
The guidelines state 630 × 810 pixels, in colour. They do not state a maximum file size, so use the limit shown by the portal you are applying through.
Can I wear glasses?
The guidelines say glasses are to be taken off to avoid reflections.
Can I take it with my phone?
Nothing in the guidelines rules out a phone. What they do rule out is taking it too close: the photograph must be taken from a distance of 1.5 metres. Prop the phone up and step back rather than holding it at arm’s length.
Can I edit the photo to correct the background or lighting?
No. The guidelines say photos should be unaltered by computer software. Set up the wall and the light before you shoot.
How much of the frame should my face fill?
The guidelines say the face should take up 80–85% of the photograph, as a close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders.
Is the OCI photo the same as the passport photo?
No. The OCI photograph is square and calls for a plain light background that is not white, while the passport photograph is portrait on a white background.
Sources
Everything here comes from the issuing authority’s own pages. Where the official wording is ambiguous or differs between documents we have said so rather than picked a number. Our sourcing policy is described in sources and verification.
- Ministry of External Affairs — Guidelines for ICAO Compliant Photographs for Passport Applications (PDF): mportal.passportindia.gov.in — ICAO photograph guidelines (PDF)
Last checked 10 September 2026. Rules change — check the authority before you submit.