UPSC photo and signature size (including the three-signature rule)

UPSC asks for a square photograph — commonly between 350 × 350 and 1000 × 1000 pixels, around 20–300 KB — and a signature image containing your signature three times, stacked vertically, in black ink.

UNVERIFIED. Confirm every figure against the current UPSC notification before publishing.

Exact requirements

Item	Dimensions	File size	Format	Notes
Photograph	350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 px (square)	20–300 KB	JPG	Recent, plain background
Signature	approx. 350 × 150 px	per notification	JPG	Three signatures, stacked

Last verified: UNVERIFIED · Source: UPSC official notification

The three-signature rule

This is the requirement candidates most often get wrong, and it's specific to UPSC.

UPSC has required a single image containing your signature written three times, one above the other, rather than one signature. It must be in black ink, and the file is typically expected to be named signature.

Uploading a single signature — a perfectly good image at the correct dimensions — fails, because the content is wrong rather than the file.

How to do it: sign three times, one under the other, on plain white paper in black ink, leaving even spacing. Photograph the whole block in one shot. The tool above crops and stacks it to the required proportions.

Common rejection reasons for UPSC

1. Only one signature. See above. The most common UPSC-specific failure.

2. Blue ink. UPSC has specified black ink. Blue is rejected even when legible.

3. Non-square photograph. UPSC uses a square photo, unlike most other exams and unlike a passport photo. A 35 × 45 mm portrait crop is the wrong shape.

4. Wrong file name. The portal has expected specific file names. Check the notification — this is a trivial fix that causes real rejections.

5. Photo compressed under the minimum. There is a floor as well as a ceiling. Landing under it fails.

Fix yours in 30 seconds

1. Upload your photo above — cropped square and compressed into range.
2. Sign three times on white paper in black ink, photograph it, upload it.
3. Download both with the correct file names, and upload to the UPSC portal.

FAQ

Why does UPSC want three signatures? It's a verification measure — consistency across three samples is harder to forge than one. Whatever the reason, the requirement is literal: one image, three signatures.

Can I use my passport photo for UPSC? No. Passport photos are 7:9 portrait; UPSC uses a square photograph.

What if I sign slightly differently each time? Natural variation is expected. What matters is that all three are clearly your normal signature, in black ink, and legible.

Does the same spec apply to UPSC OTR and CSE? The One Time Registration profile and the exam application both use UPSC's photo and signature specification, but verify against the specific notification — details have varied between cycles.

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Related: UPSC triple signature tool · UPSC three-signature how-to · Signature rejected fixes · Signature rejected · All exam photo sizes

PhotoFix is an independent private utility, not affiliated with the Union Public Service Commission or any government body. Confirm the current requirements on the official notification before you submit.