The short version
- SelfieToPassport: a 600 x 600 px India e-Visa JPEG from a phone photo, free preview, $6.95.
- Make the image square: the height must equal the width.
- Save it as a JPEG between 10 KB and 1 MB, with no border.
- Show the whole head, centered, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin.
- Take off your glasses, keep your eyes open and face the camera.
- Use a plain white background with no shadows.
- If India emails you to re-upload, use the re-upload tab at the bottom of the e-Visa page.
The file rules for the India e-Visa photo
Start with the file. The e-Visa page asks for a square JPEG between 10 KB and 1 MB and lists no pixel dimensions, so a rectangular phone photo of several megabytes fails on two counts.
The regular visa form on the same portal has a lower size limit, so check which application you are filling in before you resize.
The rules
- The India e-Visa portal takes the applicant’s photo as a JPEG file of at least 10 KB and no more than 1 MB. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- An India e-Visa photo has to be square, because the portal requires the height and the width of the image to be equal. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- The India e-Visa photo is uploaded without borders around the image. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- For a regular India visa, as opposed to the e-Visa, the same government portal caps the uploaded photo at 300 KB. indianvisaonline.gov.in
Framing, glasses and background
Then the photo itself: the whole head centered in the frame, the face straight to the camera and no glasses.
The instructions describe the background in two ways, light-colored or white in one place and white in another. A plain white wall meets both.
The rules
- India’s e-Visa instructions ask applicants to center the head in the frame and to show the full head, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- In an India e-Visa photo the applicant shows the full face from the front, with eyes open and without spectacles. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- The India e-Visa photo needs a plain, light-colored or white background, with no shadows on the face or on the background. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- The general instructions of India’s e-Visa portal call for a recent, front-facing photograph with a white background, uploaded together with the photo page of the passport. indianvisaonline.gov.in
What happens when India does not accept the photo
A photo that is not clear or not as specified can get the application rejected. Every submitted application is reviewed, and if the image is not appropriate India may email you to upload a new one.
Keep an eye on the email address you gave in the application, and send the new file through the re-upload tab at the bottom of the e-Visa page.
The rules
- An India e-Visa application can be rejected when the uploaded photograph or documents are not clear or do not follow the specification. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- India scrutinizes every submitted e-Visa application, and when a document or image is not appropriate it may email the applicant to upload it again. indianvisaonline.gov.in
- India’s e-Visa portal says applicants should normally receive that re-upload email within 24 hours. indianvisaonline.gov.in
How to fix the photo
Do not mix up the two uploads: the passport bio page goes in as a PDF, the photo as a JPEG.
SelfieToPassport crops and resizes the photo in your browser, without retouching the face or replacing the background, and shows the result in a free preview before you pay. The file costs $6.95.
- Retake the photo if needed: someone else holding the phone, several feet away, against a plain white wall, glasses off.
- Crop to a square with the whole head, top of the hair to the chin, in the middle.
- Resize to 600 x 600 pixels and save as a JPEG.
- Check that the file is at least 10 KB and no more than 1 MB.
- Upload it in the application, or through the re-upload tab if India emailed you.
The rule
- Next to the photo, India e-Visa applicants upload a scan of the passport bio page as a PDF of 10 KB to 300 KB. indianvisaonline.gov.in
FAQ
What size should an India e-Visa photo be?
A square JPEG of at least 10 KB and no more than 1 MB. The e-Visa page sets no pixel size; the height and width just have to be equal. Source: official page "e-Visa › Instructions for Applicant", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Can I wear glasses in an India e-Visa photo?
No. The instructions ask for the full face, front view, eyes open and without spectacles. Source: official page "e-Visa › Instructions for Applicant", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Why did India ask me to re-upload my e-Visa photo?
Each submitted application is scrutinized, and if an image is not appropriate India may email you to upload it again, normally within 24 hours. Use the re-upload tab at the bottom of the e-Visa page. Source: official page "e-Visa › Instructions for Applicant", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Is the photo limit the same for a regular India visa?
No. The regular visa form caps the photo at 300 KB, while the e-Visa accepts up to 1 MB. Source: official pages "Instructions for Regular Visa Application › Photo Requirements" and "e-Visa › Instructions for Applicant", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Where this information comes from
Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.
- e-Visa › Instructions for Applicant indianvisaonline.gov.in · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Instructions for Regular Visa Application › Photo Requirements indianvisaonline.gov.in · checked Oct 25, 2026
Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.