head 70–80 %no glasses
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceUnique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended India Aadhaar card photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses not permitted. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | min 20 KB · max 100 KB Compress photo to 100 KB — India Aadhaar card → |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
There is no photo size for Aadhaar because you do not supply the photograph: UIDAI lists the biometric information taken at enrolment as «ten fingerprints, two iris scans and a facial photograph» — the operator at the enrolment centre captures it live. The same goes for changing it: the photograph can be updated, but only in person — UIDAI's FAQ answers «Is there any method of updating Biometrics online or by post?» with «No, for all Biometric updates including photograph you have to personally visit the nearest Aadhaar Permanent Enrolment centre», and the self-service online mode offers only the address update.
At the centre the operator uses the Update Client Lite, where all demographic fields and the photo can be updated after biometric authentication of the resident, and you receive an acknowledgement receipt with an Update Request Number (URN) to track the request. UIDAI's charges document says a biometric update (fingerprint, iris and photo) is free when done for the first time between the ages of 5 and 7, or the first or second time between 15 and 17, and ₹125 otherwise (with a free window for ages 7 to 15 that the document dated «till 30.9.2026»); a demographic update done at the same time is free.
So the practical point is the reverse of other documents: there is no photo to bring. If you need a photo for a related document (passport, PAN, driving licence), those pages have their own specifications.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons India Aadhaar card photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Trying to update the Aadhaar photograph online or by post | Visit a permanent enrolment centre in person — UIDAI accepts photograph updates only there. |
| A photograph update without the biometric authentication of the resident | Attend in person: the update client authenticates the resident biometrically. |
| A mandatory biometric update bundled with another transaction | Do the mandatory biometric update as a stand-alone transaction. |
| Bringing or uploading your own photo, as with a passport or PAN | There is no upload: the centre captures the photograph live. |
How to take it
Background: plain light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Glasses prohibited
Take them off before the shot.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glassesTake your glasses off — this document's rules require it.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
Aadhaar enrolment and photograph updates are done in person at a permanent Aadhaar enrolment centre or Aadhaar Seva Kendra; no photograph is brought, as the operator captures it with the fingerprints and iris scans.
uidai.gov.in — locate an enrolment centre and book an appointment
No photo to bring — captured live at the centre.
Authority page| Authority | Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) |
|---|---|
| Source | Aadhaar enrolment process |
| Verified |
Questions
UIDAI publishes none for the resident: the facial photograph is captured live at the enrolment centre together with ten fingerprints and two iris scans, so you do not bring a photo.
No: UIDAI says that for all biometric updates including the photograph you have to personally visit the nearest permanent Aadhaar enrolment centre; the online self-service mode offers only the address update.
There is no published size, because you do not upload a photograph — the operator captures it. Passport, PAN or driving-licence photos have their own sizes.
According to UIDAI's charges document a biometric update (fingerprint, iris and photo) is free when done for the first time between the ages of 5 and 7 or the first or second time between 15 and 17, and ₹125 otherwise; a demographic update done at the same time is free.
The recommended size for the India Aadhaar card photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height. The photo should look like you do day to day.
Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. A plain, evenly lit wall without shadows or pattern is enough — the tool sets the required background colour.
Most offices accept a photo taken within the last six months. If your hair, beard or face has changed noticeably since then, take a new one.
Glasses not permitted.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the India authority.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.