head 70–80 %
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SourceMinistry of Road Transport and Highways of India — Parivahan Sewa (Sarathi)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended India driver's license photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Strictly white background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Strictly white background. Make photo background white — India driver's license → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; for paper submission, dark clothing is recommended. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| 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 |
India has no national millimetre or pixel size for the driving-licence photo: the application form of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Form 2 (learner's licence, new driving licence, added class of vehicle, renewal, duplicate, change of address or name), has a «space for passport size photograph» and says «Upload the photo for online application of the size not more than 50 KB». That is all the form gives: a passport-size photograph and a maximum file size of 50 KB.
The Parivahan Sewa help pages add the route and the format: on sarathi.parivahan.gov.in you select your state, click «Upload Document» and choose «Upload Photograph and Signature» — a service «available as per states customization» — and the images must be in «jpeg» format; if the upload fails you are told to read the error message and check the document name and size. A photograph is on the list of documents of Form 2, and the International Driving Permit (Form 4A) asks for three copies of a recent passport-size photograph.
No background colour is published for the driving licence; the 35 × 45 mm white-background size used for this document on this site is borrowed from the Indian passport standard, and the upload screen of your state shows the limits that are enforced.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for India driver's license applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India — Parivahan Sewa (Sarathi) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph over 50 KB for the online application | Save the photo as a JPEG of not more than 50 KB. |
| An image that is not in «jpeg» format, or a wrongly named or sized document | Use a JPEG file and check the name and size the portal asks for. |
| Printed photographs that are not recent passport-size copies (International Driving Permit: three) | Bring three recent passport-size photographs for an International Driving Permit. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
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.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
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 glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.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.
A learner's or driving licence is applied for on the Sarathi portal of your state (sarathi.parivahan.gov.in) with the photograph and signature uploaded, or at the licensing authority with Form 2 and a passport-size photograph.
sarathi.parivahan.gov.in — select your state, then «Upload Document»
JPEG, passport size, not more than 50 KB for the online application.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India — Parivahan Sewa (Sarathi) |
|---|---|
| Source | Passport Seva ICAO compliant photograph guidelines |
| Verified |
Questions
Form 2 asks for a passport-size photograph and, for the online application, a file of not more than 50 KB in «jpeg» format; the Sarathi portal of your state shows the enforced limits. No background colour or millimetre size is published.
Not more than 50 KB for the online application (Form 2), as a JPEG; pixel dimensions are not given on the pages read.
Go to sarathi.parivahan.gov.in, select your state, click «Upload Document» and choose «Upload Photograph and Signature»; the service is available as per the state's customization.
Form 4A says «I enclose three copies of my recent passport size photograph».
The recommended size for the India driver's license photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height. The photo is printed on the licence card and must remain recognisable for the full validity period.
Strictly white background. Even, frontal light without shadow gradients. Driving licence printers tend to compress contrast — starting with even lighting prevents underexposed areas from disappearing in the final print.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. Many authorities specifically allow eyewear when it is required for driving, but the eyes must remain fully visible and there must be no lens glare. Tinted lenses or transition lenses that have darkened are not accepted.
Most authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. The licence is typically valid for 5–10 years, so use a recent photo that reflects your everyday appearance — not a one-off styled portrait.
No. Driving licence photos use the same neutral expression standard as biometric passports — closed mouth, eyes open and looking directly at the camera, no raised eyebrows. Smiles distort facial geometry used in modern biometric checks.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the India licence authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
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.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.