The pre-submission photo checklist (print this)

Passport and exam photo checklist before you submit — printable, screenshot-friendly, covers size, background, and KB.

Pre-submission checklist

• JPG format (not HEIC or PNG unless allowed)
• Pixel dimensions match notification — see Indian passport photo size — 35×45 mm (2026 rules)
• File size within KB min and max
• White or required background with no shadows
• Face size within chin-to-crown rule — Photo size too large — how to get it under 20 KB or 50 KB
• No filters, caps, or heavy editing
• Recent photo matching current appearance
• Filename simple (photo.jpg)

Fix yours

When applicants retry without changing the underlying issue, the same rejection appears again — at the counter, in the upload validator, or during background verification. The fastest fix is to match your symptom to the spec before you retake or re-export. Indian passport and exam portals enforce pixel dimensions, background colour, face proportion, and file size together; fixing only one field often leaves the others failing.

If you are preparing for Passport Seva, start from the India passport photo spec and use the embedded tool to preview the compliance checklist before you submit. For exam forms, pick the preset that matches your notification year — specs change when a new advertisement is published, and older forum advice is frequently wrong.

Common mistakes we see in support tickets: exporting PNG when the portal accepts JPG only; shrinking file size so aggressively that the face becomes soft and fails manual review; using a square crop when the notification requires a portrait ratio; and relying on a studio print from before the 2026 ICAO migration. Each of these is fixable in one pass if you process on a desktop browser with a clear source photo.

Before you travel to the PSK or pay the application fee again, zoom to 100% on your export and check the background at the hairline and shoulders, confirm the chin-to-crown height fills the frame, and verify the KB readout sits inside the published window. Those four checks catch the majority of first-time rejections.