Reference
Photo and signature requirements for Indian government forms
A reference to what the major portals actually ask for, how to read a requirement properly, and what to do when a notification is vague.
The reference table
Requirements below are the ranges these portals commonly state. They are indicative, not authoritative: limits are restated every cycle and do change, sometimes without any announcement. Always read the current notification for the exam or scheme you are applying to.
| Portal or exam | Photograph | Signature | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD) | 20–50 KB | 10–20 KB | JPEG |
| RRB / Railway recruitment | 15–40 KB | 10–20 KB | JPEG |
| IBPS, SBI and other banks | 20–50 KB | 10–20 KB | JPEG |
| State PSC (MPPSC, UPPSC, BPSC and others) | 20–50 KB | 10–20 KB | JPEG |
| UPSC | Varies by year | Varies by year | JPEG |
| University and admission portals | 50–200 KB | 20–50 KB | JPEG or PDF |
| Scholarship portals (NSP and state schemes) | 50–200 KB | 20–50 KB | JPEG or PDF |
| Police and defence recruitment | 20–50 KB | 10–20 KB | JPEG |
Indicative ranges only. Confirm against your own notification before uploading.
How to read a requirement properly
A photo specification usually contains four separate rules, and a file has to satisfy all of them. Most rejections happen because someone met three and never noticed the fourth.
- File size — a ceiling in kilobytes, sometimes unusually phrased as "not exceeding 20 KB".
- Pixel dimensions — for example 200 by 230 pixels. This is separate from file size and is the rule most often missed.
- Format — almost always JPEG for photographs. Some portals will not accept PNG.
- Content — recency, background, head size and expression. No tool can fix this one.
Why the limits differ so much
There is no central standard. Each portal sets its own limits, and the number usually reflects storage and bandwidth decisions made years ago rather than anything about photo quality.
This is why a photo that passes one portal can be refused by another for no reason the applicant can see. It also explains why the same exam can change its limits between cycles.
The size-versus-pixels trap
The commonest technical mistake is meeting the file size by shrinking the image, and in doing so dropping below the pixel requirement — or meeting the pixel requirement at a file size that is over the ceiling.
These are two independent rules. The correct order is always dimensions first, then compression. Handle them the other way round and you will fix one while breaking the other.
When the notification is vague
Some notifications state only a size, or only a dimension, or say "recent passport-size photograph" with no figures at all.
Where figures are missing, aim for the middle of what comparable portals ask: roughly 200 by 230 pixels and comfortably under 50 KB. That satisfies essentially every requirement that does not state its own, and it will still pass the ones that do.
Questions people ask
Are these requirements official?
No. They are the ranges portals commonly state, collected for reference. The official notification for your exam or scheme is the only authoritative source, and it takes precedence over anything here.
What if my notification states a requirement not listed here?
Follow the notification. Where it gives a size and a pixel dimension, satisfy both: set the dimensions first, then compress to meet the size ceiling.
Can I use one photo for several applications?
Often yes, but check each notification. Limits and pixel requirements differ between portals, and the recency rule may also differ.
Why does the portal reject a file that is clearly under the limit?
Usually because a different rule was broken — pixel dimensions, format, or the content of the photograph. Portals rarely say which.