India passport (Seva) photo size — 35×45 mm

India passport (Seva) photo requirements at a glance

Photo size

35 × 45 mm

In inches

1.4 × 1.8 in

Pixels at 300 DPI

630 × 810 px

Pixels at 600 DPI

827×1063 px

Shape

Portrait, about 1.3:1

Head height

31.5 – 36 mm (crown to chin)

Background

White

File size limit

250 KB

Copies per 4×6 in print

8

These figures were checked against an official or widely-cited source. Portals occasionally change their rules, so confirm on the page where you submit.

What India passport (Seva) asks for specifically

Indian passports are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs through Passport Seva. How — and whether — you supply a photograph depends entirely on where you apply.

The one people get wrong

At a Passport Seva Kendra or a Post Office PSK you do not bring a photograph at all: they photograph you at the counter. Printed photos are only for the routes that still ask for them, and there you need two identical colour copies at 3.5 × 4.5 cm on a white background. People routinely pay for photos they never hand over.

Background

Plain white, with the face clearly identifiable.

Expression

Front-facing with a neutral expression, the full face visible.

Children

The same photo specification applies; there is no separate size for children.

How recent

Passport Seva does not publish a maximum age for the photograph the way the UK or Canada do. The operative test is the one applied at the counter: the photograph has to look like the person standing there. Anything old enough to be argued about is worth retaking.

Exceptions

The clearest published photo specification on the Passport Seva FAQ is the one for the Diplomatic and Official application form, and it is worth reading as the template for any route that still asks for prints: two coloured photographs, 4.5 × 3.5 cm, white background. The first is affixed to page one of the printed form with no signature or stamp on it. The second goes on page three and is then stamped across, over the photograph, with the office stamp and the signature of the Head of Office — so it must be pasted before it is stamped, not after.

Source: Passport Seva, Ministry of External Affairs — application form FAQ. Checked 2026-08-29. Rules change — confirm on the authority’s own page before you submit.

Getting the head size right

Head height is the measurement most photos fail on, and it is not the same as “how much of the frame your face fills”. It runs from the top of the head — the crown, not the top of your hair if it stands up — down to the bottom of the chin. For India passport (Seva) that is 31.5 to 36 mm on a 45 mm tall photo, leaving the rest as space above the head and below the chin. The maker draws that band on screen while you position the photo, so you can see whether you are inside it before you export, and keeps the exported file under 250 KB.

One photo, several countries

35×45 mm with a white background and the same head range is also what 8 other destinations we cover publish — so the photo you make for India passport (Seva) is normally usable for them too:

• Chile
• Colombia
• Spain
• Poland
• South Korea
• Philippines
• Indonesia
• Thailand

Sizes match, but each authority still sets its own rules on things like glasses, head coverings and how recent the photograph must be. Check the portal you are submitting to.

Printing a India passport (Seva) photo at home

At 35×45 mm you get 8 copies on a single 4×6 in (10×15 cm) print, which is the cheapest size at almost every print counter and photo kiosk. Export at 300 DPI (630×810 px) for printing; some portals accept or prefer 600 DPI (827×1063 px) for digital submission. Cut along the guides with a straight edge rather than scissors — a crooked border is a surprisingly common reason for a photo to be handed back.