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Indian passport photo requirements

Indian passport photo: size and rules

As of October 25, 2026, an India passport photo for applicants in the U.S. is a 630 x 810 pixel color image on a white background, with the face filling 80% to 85% of it (per indianembassyusa.gov.in, checked on Oct 25, 2026).

Computer software must not be used to alter a photo for an India passport application, the Embassy of India’s guidelines say.

The Embassy of India in Washington requires passport applicants to upload an ICAO-compliant photo, a scanned signature and every supporting document on the GPSP 2.0 portal before sending the file to VFS Global; without those uploads the application is not accepted.

Updated Rules checked against indianembassyusa.gov.inHow we check

Indian passport photo at a glance

Digital size
630 x 810 pxindianembassyusa.gov.in
Background
Whiteindianembassyusa.gov.in
Glasses
Take glasses offindianembassyusa.gov.in

Questions people ask

What size is an Indian passport photo for applicants in the U.S.?

It is a digital file of 630 x 810 pixels, taller than it is wide, in color. The frame is a close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders, and the face takes up 80% to 85% of it.

Keep the whole head inside the frame, from the top of the hair down to the chin, centered and level. The guidelines suggest shooting from about 1.5 meters (5 feet) so the camera is not too close.

Source: indianembassyusa.gov.in

How is the photo submitted for an Indian passport in the U.S.?

It is uploaded. On the GPSP 2.0 portal, the Embassy of India requires an ICAO-compliant photo, a scanned signature and all supporting documents before the application goes to VFS Global; applications without them are not accepted. The portal has required ICAO-compliant photos since September 1, 2025, and the consulates in Chicago and San Francisco post the same rule.

VFS Global checks the file, emails the applicant if something is missing and allows 21 business days to fix it. The Embassy then verifies and approves the application and prepares the passport.

Sources: indianembassyusa.gov.in (pages 1, 2) · mportal.passportindia.gov.in · cgichicago.gov.in · cgisf.gov.in

Common reasons a photo is turned down

  1. The India passport photo guidelines ask for the picture to be taken from 1.5 meters away, so the camera is not too close. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  2. Uneven light, shadows or flash glare on the face and red eye all go against the ICAO rules India applies to passport photos. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  3. A blurred picture does not meet India’s passport photo guidelines. indianembassyusa.gov.in

Every rule, with its source

Size and head position

  • India’s ICAO photo guidelines for passport applications call for a close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders, with the face taking up 80% to 85% of the photograph. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • The whole head, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, has to appear in an India passport photo. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • In an India passport photo, the head sits in the center of the frame without a tilt. indianembassyusa.gov.in

Background

Glasses, head coverings and clothing

  • Glasses should be taken off for an India passport photo, so that no lens reflection or distracting shadow shows on the face or background. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • Only religious head coverings are permitted, and the chin, forehead and both sides of the face must still be clearly visible in the India passport photo. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • India’s ICAO photo guidelines ask for a full-face, front view with the eyes open and no hair falling across them. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • The applicant has to look directly at the camera in an India passport photo. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • India’s passport photo guidelines rule out an open mouth. indianembassyusa.gov.in

Editing and filters

  • Computer software must not be used to alter a photo for an India passport application, the Embassy of India’s guidelines say. indianembassyusa.gov.in

Digital file

  • The ICAO guidelines linked by the Embassy of India in Washington set the passport photo at 630 x 810 pixels, in color. indianembassyusa.gov.in

Where photos come from

  • The Embassy of India in Washington requires passport applicants to upload an ICAO-compliant photo, a scanned signature and every supporting document on the GPSP 2.0 portal before sending the file to VFS Global; without those uploads the application is not accepted. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • The Consulate General of India in San Francisco posted the same GPSP 2.0 notice on November 21, 2025, including the upload of an ICAO-compliant photo before the application is mailed or submitted to VFS. cgisf.gov.in
  • On its passport services page, the Consulate General of India in Chicago states that only ICAO-compliant photographs have been accepted with passport applications since September 1, 2025. cgichicago.gov.in
  • Passport Seva at Indian Embassies and Consulates has required ICAO-compliant photographs for passport applications since September 1, 2025. mportal.passportindia.gov.in
  • When a document is missing, VFS Global emails the applicant, who has 21 business days to send it before the passport application is rejected. indianembassyusa.gov.in

Who reviews the photo

  • The Embassy of India verifies a passport application, approves it, prepares the passport and returns it to VFS Global. indianembassyusa.gov.in
  • The Embassy of India in Washington handles passport applicants from Bermuda, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. indianembassyusa.gov.in

FAQ

Is the Indian passport photo square?

No. The ICAO guidelines published by the Embassy of India set it at 630 x 810 pixels, a portrait rectangle, with the face filling 80% to 85% of the image. Source: official page "Guidelines for ICAO Compliant Photographs for Passport Applications", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Since when are ICAO-compliant photos required for Indian passports abroad?

Since September 1, 2025, according to the notice on the Passport Seva portal for Indian embassies and consulates. Source: official page "Passport Seva at Indian Embassies and Consulates › Important Notice (page header)", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Which office handles my Indian passport application in the U.S.?

It depends on where you live. The Embassy of India in Washington covers Bermuda, DC, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, and applications go in through VFS Global. No photo service, including SelfieToPassport, can promise the Embassy will accept a photo. Source: official page "Passport Services — Embassy of India, Washington D.C.", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Is SelfieToPassport the Embassy of India, Washington D.C.?

No. SelfieToPassport is not affiliated with the Embassy of India, Washington D.C. or any other government agency. The Embassy of India, Washington D.C. publishes the photo rules for free at indianembassyusa.gov.in; this page links to each one.

Does SelfieToPassport replace the background of an Indian passport photo?

We crop and resize your original photo and never replace or repaint the background. If the wall does not pass the check, the tool asks for a new photo and tells you how to fix the light or the wall.

Ready? Free preview with the measurements drawn on your photo; $6.95 for the digital file and both print sheets.

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Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the Embassy of India, Washington D.C., 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.

Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.