"Face height 36–38mm" — what that actually means
Chin to crown measurement for passport photo — what 36–38 mm means and how normal framing fails it.
Why it exists
Portals and passport authorities align to international standards so automated checks can reject non-compliant files before manual review.
What it means for you, practically
You need the exact pixel size, KB range, background colour, and face proportion — not approximate social-media crops. See Indian passport photo size — 35×45 mm (2026 rules).
Where it applies
| Document | Typical size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indian passport | 35×45 mm | White background |
| OCI | See notification | Light background |
| Exam forms | ~200×230 px | JPG, KB range |
Related
Processed on your device. Your photo is never uploaded.
Upload a photo to see the compliance checklist.
India Passport (ICAO 2026) specs are sourced from official notifications and may change. Always confirm against your portal before submitting. PhotoFix does not guarantee acceptance — we build to published requirements.
Document photo rules look similar across portals but differ in pixels, KB, and background. Always read the current notification instead of copying last year's file. When a form rejects an upload, note the exact error text — "invalid dimensions" and "file too large" need different fixes. PhotoFix presets encode the published spec so you do not have to memorize each exam.
Before final submit, compare your export against the checklist: correct JPG, dimensions within range, KB inside the window, plain background, and face proportion where applicable. Keeping the original photo lets you re-export if a portal updates limits mid-cycle.
See also
Related guides
More PhotoFix articles on the same problem or document type.
- ExplainerWhat is ICAO Doc 9303, and why India's photo size changedICAO passport photo standard explained — context for India's 35×45 mm size and the old 51×51 mm studio prints.
- ExplainerConvert Photo to Passport Size: The Complete Process ExplainedConverting to passport size is four steps — crop, background, compress, verify. Skip the order and DIY exports still get rejected.
- Explainer35x45mm Indian Passport Photo: The Face Height Rule Explained35×45mm is only half the spec. The face-height rule — how much of that frame your face should fill — is what actually causes most manual rejections.