Updated
Checked on against the visa instructions on indianvisaonline.gov.in, the Online Visa Photo Upload Process guide and the e-Visa page.
1. White wall, glasses offFace a window so there's no shadow on you or behind you.
2. Square cropFull head from hair to chin, in the middle of the frame.
3. Upload the JPG600 × 600 px, under 300 KB, at the form's Photo Upload step.
India visa photo requirements
| Item | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Format | JPEG only | Visa instructions |
| File size | 10 KB to 300 KB for the regular visa form; the e-Visa page says 10 KB to 1 MB | Visa instructions |
| Shape | Height and width equal (a square) | Visa instructions |
| Pixels | 350 × 350 at the smallest, 1000 × 1000 at the largest | Photo upload guide (PDF) |
| Head | 1 inch to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm), top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, centered in the frame | Visa instructions |
| Pose | Full face, front view, eyes open | Visa instructions |
| Background | Plain light-colored or white, with no shadows on the face or the background | Visa instructions |
| Border | None | Visa instructions |
| Glasses | e-Visa: “without spectacles”. The regular visa page doesn't mention glasses | e-Visa page |
| How it's taken | With a digital camera or webcam, or by scanning a printed photo | Photo upload guide (PDF) |
The regular visa page also starts an eye-height rule, “between 1-1/8 inches to 1-3”, and the sentence breaks off there. Since the full rule isn't published, the tool doesn't check eye height for this document. It centers the head and keeps it in the 25–35 mm range.
Regular visa or e-Visa: what changes
Both forms run on indianvisaonline.gov.in, and their photo lists are almost the same. These are the differences we found on October 18, 2026:
| Regular visa | e-Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Largest file | 300 KB | 1 MB |
| Background | Plain light-colored or white | The same in the photo list; the general instructions ask for a “white background” |
| Glasses | Not mentioned | Without spectacles |
| Other uploads | None in the photo instructions | The passport's bio page as a PDF of 10–300 KB, plus one more document that depends on the e-Visa type |
| After the form | Schedule an appointment with the Indian Mission and hand in the printed form with your documents | Carry a copy of the ETA when you travel; biometric details are captured at immigration on arrival |
A file that works for both: square, 600 × 600 px, under 300 KB, white background and no glasses. That's what the tool saves.
What the upload page checks
The official photo upload guide lists the format, size and pixel limits as “mandatory” and says the form shows an error message when one isn't met. The photo goes in on the third page of the registration form.
JPEG onlyAny other file type gets a pop-up: “Only JPEG files can be uploaded”.
10 KB to 300 KBA phone photo of several MB is refused, and so is an over-compressed file under 10 KB.
Square, 350 to 1000 pxA 4:3 phone photo or a 2000 px camera file has to be cropped and resized first.
Preview and confirmAfter the upload you see the photo, with Upload Photo Again and Confirm.
The guide shows how to crop and resize in Microsoft Paint. The tool here does the square crop, the head size and the file size in one step, and checks the light and background as well.
How it differs from an Indian passport or OCI photo
| India visa | Indian passport (from the US) | OCI card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Square, 350–1000 px | Portrait, 630 × 810 px | Square, 200–900 px |
| File size | 10–300 KB (e-Visa up to 1 MB) | No size set | 200 KB or less |
| Head | 25–35 mm, hair to chin | Face 80–85% of the photo | 25–35 mm, hair to chin |
| Background | Light or white; white suits both forms | White | Light, not white (OCI FAQ) |
| Glasses | None on the e-Visa | Taken off | Allowed without tint or glare |
An OCI photo made here is square and under 200 KB, so it meets the regular visa's file rules, but its light gray background doesn't match the e-Visa's white. For an e-Visa, make a new one on a white wall.
Make the photo with this tool
- Check that the document above the buttons says India visa or e-Visa. It's already selected on this page.
- Stand about 2 ft in front of a plain white wall, facing a window, with your glasses off. A helper with the back camera gets a sharper photo than a selfie.
- The tool crops a square with your whole head in the middle and sizes it for the 25–35 mm range. Adjust with the head-size slider and the arrows if you need to.
- Fix anything the checks flag. A shadow on the wall is the usual problem, and a step away from the wall usually solves it.
- Save the JPG with the main button: 600 × 600 px, between 10 KB and 300 KB. Upload it at the Photo Upload step and press Confirm.
Fix it for me can whiten a gray wall, but only when you tap it, and the result then says the photo was edited. The visa pages don't mention edits; a retake against a white wall is still the safer photo.
Why India visa photos get refused
- The file. Not a JPEG, over 300 KB (or 1 MB on the e-Visa), under 10 KB, or not square. The form stops these at the upload.
- A small head. A face far from the camera, with lots of wall around it, misses 25–35 mm.
- Shadows. Both forms ask for no shadows on the face or the background.
- A border. Scans of a print often keep a white or colored edge. Crop it off.
- Glasses on an e-Visa photo. The e-Visa list says without spectacles.
- An unclear photo. The e-Visa page says an application “is liable to be rejected” if the photograph is not clear or not as per specification.
Checklist before you upload
- Square JPEG, 350 to 1000 px on each side.
- 10 KB to 300 KB (fits the e-Visa's 1 MB too).
- Full head, hair to chin, centered; head 25–35 mm.
- Plain white wall, no shadows, no border.
- Eyes open, facing the camera, glasses off.
- A recent photo.
Questions
What size is an Indian visa photo?
A square JPEG from 350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 pixels, between 10 KB and 300 KB, with the head 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. The e-Visa page allows files up to 1 MB.
Is the e-Visa photo different from the regular visa photo?
Only a little. The e-Visa page allows up to 1 MB instead of 300 KB, asks for the photo without spectacles, and its general instructions ask for a white background. A 600 × 600 px file under 300 KB on a white background fits both.
Can I wear glasses in an India visa photo?
Not for an e-Visa: its photo list says without spectacles. The regular visa page doesn't mention glasses, so taking them off is the safe choice for both.
Can I use my OCI or Indian passport photo for the visa?
Not the passport photo: it's a 630 × 810 px portrait, and the visa form needs a square. An OCI photo is square and small enough for the regular visa, but its light gray background doesn't match the e-Visa's white one.
What happens if my photo doesn't meet the rules?
The form checks the format, size and pixels as you upload and shows an error message. A file that isn't a JPEG gets the message “Only JPEG files can be uploaded”. For an e-Visa, a photo that isn't clear or doesn't match the specification can get the application rejected.
Can I scan a printed photo instead?
Yes. The upload guide lists two ways to get the photo: a digital camera or webcam, or a scan of a physical photograph. Crop off any border and keep the file inside the size limits.
Is this the official Indian visa website?
No. Applications are made on indianvisaonline.gov.in. This site only prepares the photo file, on your device.