Bring a 4.5×3.5 cm white-background photo to the PSK. Check it here, then print it on photo paper.
No photo yet? Try one of these:
By uploading you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Under-4 photo with eyes open, face centred and a plain white background, cropped so the face fills 80–85%.
The whole head from top of hair to chin, with both ears and both edges of the face showing.
4.5×3.5 cm photos on a 4×6 sheet, to be printed at a photo lab on photo paper – not on a home printer.
1Lay your baby on a smooth white sheet, or seat an older toddler in front of a white wall, in even daylight. Dark-coloured clothes help. Wait until their eyes are open and they're looking at the camera.
We check that the eyes are open, the face is straight on, both ears show, there are no shadows or flash glare, and nothing else is in the frame. Then we crop to 4.5×3.5 cm with the face at 80–85%.
3Passport Seva says computer prints are not accepted. Take the 4×6 sheet to a photo studio or lab and have it printed on good-quality photo paper. Don't sign the photo.
Passport Seva asks children under 4 to bring a passport-size photograph. From age 4, photos are taken at the Passport Seva Kendra, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra or passport office itself – so this tool is only for children under 4.
The photo must be 45 mm high and 35 mm wide, no smaller than the box on the form, on a plain white background. It's a close-up – the face takes up 80–85% of the photo – so we use a tighter crop than for UK or US photos.
India's guidelines for under-4s don't relax the eye rule: eyes must be open and clearly visible, with hair kept away from them. The full face must face the camera, with both ears and both edges of the face showing.
Passport Seva's photo do's and don'ts say computer prints are not accepted and photos must be on good-quality photo paper with continuous-tone quality. Our 4×6 sheet is made for a photo lab, not a home printer.
| Rule | Official requirement |
|---|---|
| Who brings a photo | Applicants under 4 bring a passport-size photo; 4 and over are photographed at the PSK/POPSK/POSource |
| Size | 4.5 × 3.5 cm (45 mm high × 35 mm wide), not smaller than the box on the formSource |
| Background | Plain white; dark backgrounds not acceptedSource |
| Face | Head and top of shoulders; face takes up 80–85% of the photo; top of hair to bottom of chin; both ears visibleSource |
| Eyes | Open and clearly visible; hair not covering themSource |
| Lighting | Even; no shadows, flash reflections or red-eye; natural skin tonesSource |
| Printing | Good-quality photo paper, continuous tone; computer prints not acceptedSource |
| Signature | Photo must not be signedSource |
| Attendance | All applicants, including infants, must be present in person at the PSK or POPSKSource |
Children under 4 bring a passport-size photograph to the appointment; from 4 and up the photo is taken at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or POPSK. Either way, your child has to be there in person. (Passport Seva FAQ)
The under-4 rules are in Passport Seva's guidelines for minors below 4: 4.5 × 3.5 cm, plain white background, face 80–85% of the photo with both ears visible, eyes open (no exception for babies), even light, unsigned, on good-quality photo paper.
Passport Seva won't accept a photo "in computer print", so a home printer on plain paper is out. Our 4×6 sheet is meant for a photo lab, printed on photo paper like any other print. The guidelines don't ban a parent from taking an under-4's photo, but the counter has the final say – if it's refused, contact our support with the notice for a full refund. A local studio is the no-risk option.
This page covers applications made in India; embassies and centres abroad have their own photo rules.
