Who sets the India visa photo rules
The India Visa Online portal is the main authority for photo rules on an India visa application, whether you apply for a regular Indian visa or the India e-Visa. Indian visa centres, embassies and their service providers follow the same baseline and sometimes add a stricter detail. The same India visa photo rules apply to tourist, business, student and medical visas, so one compliant photo works for every visa type on the portal. A photo that does not comply is returned without processing, which delays your Indian visa application. Getting the visa photo right the first time saves you a second Indian visa upload.
India visa photo size explained
The India visa photo is a square of 2×2 inches, about 51×51 mm. The portal checks that the height and width of the image are exactly equal, so a normal rectangular phone crop fails before anyone at the Indian visa office looks at it. The face height inside the frame must be between 1 inch and 1-3/8 inches (25–35 mm), measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. In our template the head is about 1.29 inches tall, with the eyes about 1.18 inches above the bottom edge, which sits inside that range. The Embassy of India in Kathmandu and the Embassy of India in Vienna confirm the same 51×51 mm format.
Digital India visa photo for the online upload
When you apply for an Indian visa online, the photo is a file, not a print. The portal instructions ask for a JPEG file between 10 KB and 300 KB; PNG, HEIC and other formats are not accepted. The VSS image specification sets a minimum of 350×350 pixels, so the face stays sharp enough for identity checks. A file under 10 KB is too compressed to use, and one over 300 KB will not submit. For the Indian visa you may take the photo with a digital camera or webcam, or scan a printed photo you already have. Our maker exports a square JPEG that stays inside these limits, so your India visa photo uploads on the first try.
Printed photos for embassy applications
Some Indian missions still accept paper visa applications. The Vienna embassy asks for a photo in sharp focus, printed on normal photographic paper, and taken within the last 6 months; the national portal page does not state a recency limit. Print your India visa photo at 300 DPI and cut it to the 2×2 inch square. Check with your embassy whether it wants a print, an upload or both before you prepare your Indian visa photo. The printed visa photo and the uploaded visa photo use the same 2×2 inch size, so one photo session covers both.
Background colour: white is the safe choice
The national portal allows a plain white or light-coloured background with no shadows. The Kathmandu embassy requires white specifically, and does not accept a photo that is not 2×2 inches with a white background. A white background meets both rules, which is why our tool always sets one for an India visa photo.
Differences between Indian visa channels
An Indian visa application goes through the national India visa portal, embassies and consulates, and contracted service providers in some countries. Most rules match, but a few details differ:
- National portal: JPEG, square, 10–300 KB, at least 350×350 pixels, white or light background, full head centred.
- Embassy of India, Kathmandu: 2×2 inches with a white background is mandatory.
- Embassy of India, Vienna: sharp focus, recent photo, mouth closed, looking straight ahead.
- BLS International China: the BLS photo specification sets a face of 35–40 mm and eyes 25–35 mm from the bottom on a 50×50 mm photo, and asks for photos that are not retouched. If you apply through this channel, follow its rules.
Glasses, head coverings and children
The Vienna embassy does not allow sunglasses or tinted spectacles unless you wear them for medical reasons, and the BLS China rules add that frames must not cover the eyes. The easiest choice is to take your glasses off for the India visa photo. The same embassy asks for a recent photo taken within the last 6 months, so do not reuse an old photo from a previous trip. Head coverings worn for religious or medical reasons are allowed, as long as all facial features stay clearly visible. Children follow the same rules for head position, background, format and expression; no child-specific exceptions are listed for India visa photos.
How to take the photo yourself with a phone
India accepts self-taken photos for the online visa upload, as long as each photo meets the rules. These steps help you get it right at home:
- Soft, even light. Face a window so daylight falls on your face from the front. A light behind you turns your face into a silhouette in the photo.
- Plain background. A white or off-white wall works best; a plain sheet hung flat behind you also works. Check that no objects or shadows appear in the photo.
- Camera at eye level. Ask someone to hold the phone in front of your face at the height of your eyes. A phone held higher or lower distorts the face in the photo.
- Face squarely forward. Look into the lens with your head upright and both eyes fully open.
- Neutral expression. Close your mouth and relax your face; no smile, frown or raised eyebrows.
- Review before you upload. Check that the full head is centred, there is no shadow, and the photo is saved as a JPEG file.
Where else can you get a visa photo?
Besides an online photo tool, people get a visa photo at a pharmacy, a photo studio or a photo booth. These options need travel, and the result depends on whether the staff or machine knows the Indian rules, especially the square format. A studio that knows India visa requirements usually gets it right, but costs more. With our free online maker you take the photo at home at any time, and the AI checks it before you download it, so you know the photo meets the India rules before you submit your application.
Other photos for India
Planning other paperwork for India? Our India passport photo page covers the passport, and we also make photos for the India PAN card online, the India police clearance certificate and the India voter ID card. Each document in India has its own photo size, so pick the right one before you make your photo.
Visa photo checklist
- Square photo: 2×2 inches, or at least 350×350 pixels for the online upload.
- JPEG file between 10 KB and 300 KB.
- Plain white background, no shadows on the face or behind you.
- Full head visible and centred, from the top of the hair to the chin.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking at the camera.
- No sunglasses or tinted lenses; sharp colour photo without retouching.
- Taken recently, so it still looks like you.
