head 49–69 %no glasses
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceGovernment of India / Bureau of Immigration
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended India visa photo size is 51 × 51 mm. White or off-white background. Head occupies 49–69% of photo height (25–35 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 51 × 51 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 49–69% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 25–35 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | White or off-white background. Make photo background white — India visa → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Digital resolution | 350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 px |
| File format | JPEG |
| File size | min 10 KB · max 300 KB Compress photo to 300 KB — India visa → |
| Millimetres | 51 × 51 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 5.1 × 5.1 cm |
| Inches | 2 × 2″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 602 × 602 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 1205 × 1205 px |
India visa photos are administered by the Bureau of Immigration / Government of India through indianvisaonline.gov.in. The format is 51×51mm (2×2 inch square) — one of few square passport-photo specs worldwide.
Digital upload: 350×350 to 1000×1000 px JPEG. The file-size cap depends on the route: the regular (consular) visa portal caps the photo at 10-300KB, while the e-Visa portal accepts a larger JPEG — so a file inside 10-300KB is safe on either route.
Head height 25-35mm (1 inch to 1⅜ inches). Background must be plain white or very light. Critical update: Since September 2025, glasses are not permitted in Indian visa photos — no exceptions even for prescription glasses.
Neutral expression, no smiling, taken within 6 months.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons India visa photos get rejected.
Common reasons a document photo is rejected, checked against the requirements Government of India / Bureau of Immigration publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Photo not square (51×51mm or pixel 350-1000²) | Re-crop to square aspect ratio |
| Glasses worn (since Sep 2025) | Re-shoot without glasses — no medical exception |
| JPEG outside the 10-300KB range the regular consular visa portal accepts | Re-encode to 10-300KB — that range is accepted on either route |
| Head height outside 25-35mm range | Re-crop with correct framing |
| Background not white or very light | Re-shoot against white backdrop |
| Photo older than 6 months | Re-shoot |
How to take it
Background: white or off-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: 49–69 % of the photo height (25–35 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 51 × 51 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″ | 4 (2 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 20 (4 × 5) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
India visa applications are administered by the Bureau of Immigration through the indianvisaonline.gov.in portal. The e-visa route is available to 170+ nationalities.
indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
Photo: 51×51mm square (2×2 inch), white/very light background. This portal accepts a JPEG of 10 KB to 1 MB; its separate 10-300 KB limit is for the scanned passport bio-page in PDF, not for the photo. Critical since September 2025: no glasses allowed — no medical exception.
Authority pagemea.gov.in mission directory
Used for visa categories not eligible for e-visa (employment, student, journalist). VFS Global handles operations in many countries.
Authority page| Authority | Government of India / Bureau of Immigration |
|---|---|
| Source | Indian visa photo requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
Since September 2025 the Indian Bureau of Immigration enforces a no-glasses rule for e-visa photo uploads with no medical exception. Before September 2025, prescription glasses with clear lenses were tolerated. Now all eyewear must be removed for the photo. This is a tightened regulatory enforcement, not a new rule per se.
It depends on the route, and this is the most common misunderstanding about Indian visa photos. The e-Visa portal accepts a JPEG of 10 KB to 1 MB, so a normal phone photo often needs no compression at all; the 10-300 KB figure people quote for the e-Visa is the limit for the scanned passport bio-page, which is uploaded as a PDF. The regular (consular) visa portal is the one that caps the photo itself at 10-300 KB. If you are not sure which route you are applying through, keep the photo inside 10-300 KB — that size is accepted on both, and over-compressing a photo down from 1 MB is what usually ruins the sharpness.
Indian visa adopted the US-style 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) square format historically, predating ICAO 9303 standardisation in the region. Pakistan and Bangladesh use the 35×45 mm rectangular standard. Bringing a 35×45 mm photo to an Indian e-visa application means automatic rejection.
The recommended size for the India visa photo is 51 × 51 mm. The head occupies 49–69% of the photo height. For digital upload, use 350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 px.
White or off-white background. The wall should be evenly lit, with no shadow around the head and no pattern. You don’t need a studio backdrop: the tool sets the right background colour.
Consulates usually ask for a photo taken within the last six months, sometimes within three. Take a new one that looks like you today.
Often yes, but not always: tourist, student, work and transit visas can have different size or background rules. Compare the requirements of each India visa — if they match, one photo will do.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the consulate’s rejection notice.
51 × 51 mm = 5.1 × 5.1 cm = 2 × 2 inches. At 300 dpi that is 602 × 602 pixels; at 600 dpi, 1205 × 1205 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.