head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceIncome Tax Department of India — PAN application forms and Protean eGov Technologies (PAN services)
Verified
Quick answer: A India PAN card photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain 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 | Plain white background. Make photo background white — India PAN card → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| 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 |
The PAN (Permanent Account Number) photo depends on how you apply. On the paper route the Income Tax Department's Form No. 93 (citizens of India; Form 95 for foreigners) asks you to «affix two recent colour photographs with white backgrounds (size 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm)» in the boxes on the form — not stapled or clipped — and warns that «the clarity of image on the PAN card will depend on the quality and clarity of the photograph affixed on the form».
You sign or put your left thumb impression across the photo on the left side, part on the photo and part on the form, and the photo on the right side must be clear and without any mark: Protean says that a mark which hinders the clear visibility of the face may mean the application is not processed. On the online route with scanned images (e-Sign or DSC) Protean's guidelines give a colour JPEG of 3.5 × 2.5 cm at 200 DPI, with a maximum of 20 KB on its guidelines page and 50 KB in its photo-change article, and the signature 2 × 4.5 cm up to 10 KB; the photo should be recent, in colour, with a clear light-coloured background and a neutral expression.
With the Aadhaar e-KYC route you are not asked to upload any photograph — the Aadhaar photograph is used if you agree. For a change of the photo, the correction application ticks the «Photo Mismatch» box and uploads a new photograph in the same format.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons India PAN card photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Income Tax Department of India — PAN application forms and Protean eGov Technologies (PAN services) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A mark on the photograph that hinders the clear visibility of the face (for example the signature or thumb impression on the right-hand photo) | Keep the right-hand photo clean; sign across the left-hand photo only. |
| Photographs that are not recent colour prints with a white background, or that are stapled or clipped to the form | Affix two recent colour 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm prints on a white background with glue, never a staple or clip. |
| A scanned photo that is not a JPEG, not 200 DPI, over the size limit, or not 3.5 × 2.5 cm | Save a colour JPEG of 3.5 × 2.5 cm at 200 DPI, under 20 KB to satisfy both Protean limits. |
| A blurred, dark or shadowed photo — the quality of the card image depends on it | Use a sharp, evenly lit photo with the face clearly visible and a neutral expression. |
| An old photo that no longer looks like you (for a change-of-photo application) | Apply for a correction with the «Photo Mismatch» box ticked and a new recent photograph. |
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 new PAN is applied for on the Protean portal: with Aadhaar e-KYC no photograph is uploaded, with e-Sign or DSC scanned images are uploaded, and in the physical mode the signed acknowledgement with two photographs is posted to Protean.
tinpan.proteantech.in — PAN services; Income Tax PAN Services Unit, Pune, for the physical mode
Paper: two recent colour 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm photos on white; scanned: JPEG 3.5 × 2.5 cm, 200 DPI.
Authority page| Authority | Income Tax Department of India — PAN application forms and Protean eGov Technologies (PAN services) |
|---|---|
| Source | PAN Form No. 93 (rule 158, Income-tax Rules, 2026) — guidelines for filling |
| Verified |
Questions
On the paper Form 93 two recent colour photographs with white backgrounds of 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm, glued not stapled or clipped, with the right-hand photo clear and unmarked; online with scanned images a colour JPEG of 3.5 × 2.5 cm at 200 DPI under the Protean size limit; with Aadhaar e-KYC no photograph is uploaded.
Paper: 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm. Upload: 3.5 × 2.5 cm at 200 DPI, JPEG, with a maximum of 20 KB on Protean's guidelines page and 50 KB in its photo-change article. Protean gives the size in centimetres and DPI, not in pixels.
Yes: apply for «Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data», tick «Photo Mismatch» (and «Signature Mismatch» if you want a new signature) and upload a new recent colour photograph in the same format.
Form 93 asks for white backgrounds on the paper photographs; Protean's upload guidance says a clear light-coloured background. A plain white background satisfies both.
The India PAN card photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height. The photo should look like you do day to day.
Yes. Stand against a plain light wall facing a window, and take the photo with a timer or ask someone to help. The tool crops it to size, fixes the background and checks the framing.
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.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. If you keep them on, tilt them slightly downwards by lifting the arms a little above your ears: this usually moves reflections of a window or lamp off the lenses.
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.
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.