UPSC Photo Resize
The UPSC online form rejects a photo that is under 20 KB, over 300 KB or smaller than 350 × 350 px, and it does so without telling you which rule you broke. This page makes a JPG that sits inside every limit at once, with your face centered on a white background.
Passport Photo
or drop JPG, JPEG, JFIF … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Quality is lowered until the photo is at or just under this size; tiny files are padded up to the spec's minimum.
300 DPI is the print standard for passport photos; a 35×45 mm photo is then 413×531 px.
Place several copies on a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo print or an A4 page, ready for a photo kiosk or home printer.
How many photos on the sheet. A 4×6 in print fits 6 photos of 2×2 in or 6 of 35×45 mm; an A4 sheet fits more.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload a recent photo
Use a picture taken for this application, not an old studio print. Recent UPSC notices ask for a photo no more than ten days old on the day applications open.
- 2
Check the UPSC spec
Country & document is set to UPSC exam 350 × 350 px, Background to White and Limit file size to 250 KB, comfortably inside the 20–300 KB window.
- 3
Download and upload
Press Make, save the JPG and upload it on the photo step of the application. Keep the file and a few prints for the rest of the exam cycle.
What photo does the UPSC online application accept?
JPG, 20–300 KB, at least 350 × 350 px (up to 1000 × 1000 px), white or plain light background, face covering about 75% of the frame, taken shortly before you apply.
UPSC photo size in KB: where your file should land
- < 20 KB
Rejected as too small, often blocky
- 20 KB
Lowest size the form takes
- 150 KB
Plenty of detail for 350 × 350 px
- 250 KB
Default target on this page
- 300 KB
Upper limit; anything above fails
Applications for the Union Public Service Commission exams, including the Civil Services, Engineering Services and CDS exams, run on UPSC's online portal, where candidates first complete a One Time Registration and then the exam-specific form. The photo and signature requirements are printed in the notice for each exam, and they have changed between cycles, so open the notice for your exam on upsc.gov.in before you upload.
The pixel rule is the one people miss. A phone photo is several thousand pixels wide, so it passes the minimum easily but breaks the 1000 × 1000 px ceiling in recent notices. A compressed WhatsApp copy can fall below 350 px. The preset outputs a square 350 × 350 px JPG and then adjusts quality to land near 250 KB. If your scan is tiny and the file ends under 20 KB, it is padded up to the minimum. Why compression and pixel size are separate settings is explained in how to reduce image size in KB.
UPSC photo guidelines in recent notices
- Recent photo
- Not older than about ten days from the start of the application window in recent Civil Services notices.
- Face fills the frame
- Roughly three quarters of the photo, the full face visible, looking straight at the camera.
- Plain background
- White or very light, no shadows, no patterns, no other people.
- Signature uploaded separately
- Black ink on white paper, cropped close, inside the same 20–300 KB window.
Before you press upload on the UPSC form
Last checks
- File is JPG, not PNG or HEIC
- Size shows between 20 KB and 300 KB
- Dimensions are 350 × 350 px or larger
- No cap, no dark glasses, no filter
- Name and date strip added if your notice asks
- Original file saved for later stages
UPSC photo upload questions
What is the UPSC photo size in KB and pixels?
In recent notices, a JPG between 20 KB and 300 KB, with dimensions of at least 350 × 350 px and at most 1000 × 1000 px. The signature has the same file and pixel limits but is uploaded as a separate image.
Does the UPSC photo need my name and date on it?
Recent Civil Services notices have asked for the candidate's name and the date the photo was taken to appear on the photograph. This tool does not add text, so have a studio print the strip, or check whether the notice for your exam still requires it.
Can I resize my UPSC signature with this page?
No, this page frames faces. Sign in black ink on white paper, photograph or scan it, then crop and shrink it with the image resizer in pixels and KB to 350 × 350 px or more and 20–300 KB.
Why does the UPSC portal say my photo is unclear?
Usually the face is too small, the light is uneven or the file was squeezed below 20 KB so that it looks blocky. Recent notices want the face to cover about three quarters of the photo, which is what Auto-centre face aims for.
Do I need the same photo for the prelims, mains and interview?
UPSC compares your face with the uploaded photo at every stage and has asked candidates to carry matching prints. Keep the original file and print several copies now instead of taking a new photo later.
Is the UPSC photo the same as the SSC one?
No. SSC uses a smaller window and its own capture method. Use the SSC photo resize page for SSC exams.
