Why portals check file size in KB at all
Why photo size limit in KB exists on government forms — storage, bandwidth, and legacy systems.
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
This applies across documents and exams — pick yours and we will set the exact size automatically.
Choose your document or examSee also
- How to resize a photo to an exact KB size
Reduce a photo to 20 KB or any exact limit: crop first, resize to pixel dimensions, then compress iteratively.
- Your photo is too small in KB — the minimum nobody reads
Over-compressed photos below the portal minimum KB fail just like oversized files. Here is why and how to fix it.
Related guides
More PhotoFix articles on the same problem or document type.
- TroubleshootingP0Why your white background isn't white (and what to do)Background not white enough for passport or OCI? Shadows, grey walls, and halo edges from cheap removal — and how to fix each.
- TroubleshootingP0Photo went blurry after resizing: the cause is the order of operationsBlurry after resize? You likely compressed before cropping. Crop, then resize to exact pixels, then compress to KB — in that order.
- TroubleshootingP1iPhone photo won't upload? It's probably HEICHEIC photos from iPhone often fail Indian government portals. Convert to JPG and change camera settings to stop it recurring.