Indian passport photo rules in 2026 — what changed
Spec pending verification against the official source — confirm on the official portal before you submit.
India adopted the ICAO 35 × 45 mm photo standard and retired the older 51 × 51 mm square format. If your photo is square, it is using the old specification.
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What changed
| Old format | Current format | |
|---|---|---|
| Print size | 51 × 51 mm (square) | 35 × 45 mm (portrait) |
| Ratio | 1:1 | 7:9 |
| Standard | India-specific | ICAO Doc 9303 |
The move aligns Indian passport photos with the international ICAO standard that most countries already use — which is why the same 35 × 45 mm photo now also works for UK, Schengen and Australian visa applications.
Last verified: UNVERIFIED — confirm the current specification on the official portal before submitting.
Why this catches people out
Two reasons, both outside your control:
Studios that haven't updated. Many local photo studios still cut 51 × 51 mm prints because that's what they've always done. A recent print is not necessarily a current-spec print.
Online tools that haven't updated. A lot of free passport photo sites still list the square size in their India preset. The tool completes successfully, the file looks fine, and it fails at submission.
How to check your photo in ten seconds
Look at the shape. A current Indian passport photo is taller than it is wide — a 7:9 portrait rectangle. If yours is square, it's the old format.
If you have the file, check the pixel dimensions: a 7:9 ratio (for example 630 × 810) is correct. Equal width and height is not.
What did NOT change
The rest of the requirements are unchanged:
- Plain white background
- Neutral expression, mouth closed
- No glasses (unchanged since 2020)
- Taken within the last six months
- Face roughly 36–38 mm chin to crown
So if your photo was rejected and it's already the right shape, the cause is one of those — most often the background or the face size.
Fixing an old square photo
You can usually re-crop a square photo to 35 × 45 mm if there's enough image around the head. Upload it above and it'll be re-cropped to the correct ratio and face height.
If the original was tightly cropped, there may not be enough headroom, and you'll need to retake it.
FAQ
Is my existing passport affected? No. This is about photographs submitted with new applications. An already issued passport is unaffected.
Are the old square prints from my studio useless? For a new passport application, yes — they're the previous specification. Ask for 35 × 45 mm, or make the file yourself and print it.
Does the same photo work for visas? Often. 35 × 45 mm is the common size for UK, Schengen and Australian visa applications, though each has its own background and face-size rules. Always check the specific requirement.
Related: Indian passport photo size · Passport photo rejected · OCI photo size
PhotoFix is an independent private utility, not affiliated with the Government of India, MEA or any passport authority. Requirements change — confirm on the official portal before you submit.