India · OCI Card · Digital upload photo · Digital upload
India OCI Card - Photo Upload
For an India OCI card online application, upload a square photo with equal width and height, between 200 and 900 pixels per side, saved as a JPEG or JPG file no larger than 200 KB. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source
The head must measure 25 to 35 mm from top of hair to bottom of chin, and the photo must not be retouched or enhanced. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal source
India OCI Card - Photo Upload source-backed photo requirements, examples, retake guidance, and local privacy notes. India OCI card application photo for the online OCI portal upload. The FAQ item 9 upload rules (200 to 900 pixels per side, equal width and height, JPEG or JPG up to 200 KB) apply to the uploaded file. The photo-specification PDF sets the 25 to 35 mm head height and the no-retouching rule. Applicants should check the official portal for route-specific steps. Use this as local guidance, then verify current official instructions before submitting.
Open local photo tool- Minimum image
- at least 200 x 200 pixels, up to 900 x 900 pixels
- Head height
- 25–35 mm
- Background
- light gray; plain
- File size
- maximum 200 KB
- Editing
- Do not retouch or otherwise enhance or soften the photo.
- Dataset version
- e6a3cf1a
- Field verification
- 2026-10-27
- Output
- Digital upload
Scope and limitations
- This flow covers the OCI online photo upload only. The FAQ says non-conforming photos will be rejected and may delay processing. This page does not guarantee acceptance, and pricing is not verified. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source
Official Sources
Published by Tejji. This guidance is not an official issuing-authority service and does not imply government affiliation.
- Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source record reviewed 2026-10-27
- Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal source record reviewed 2026-10-26
Full photo specifications
| Requirement | Published rule and evidence |
|---|---|
| Document and applicant scope | India OCI card application photo for the online OCI portal upload. The FAQ item 9 upload rules (200 to 900 pixels per side, equal width and height, JPEG or JPG up to 200 KB) apply to the uploaded file. The photo-specification PDF sets the 25 to 35 mm head height and the no-retouching rule. Applicants should check the official portal for route-specific steps. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source |
| Output type | Digital upload |
| Official image dimensions | 51 x 51 mm Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source |
| Head height | 25–35 mm Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal source |
| Measurement reference points | Top of hair to bottom of chin Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal source |
| Background | Plain light-coloured background that is not white, with no border. The PDF also prohibits distracting shadows. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal sourceMinistry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal source |
| Pose and framing | Front view of the head and shoulders with the full face in the middle of the photo. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source |
| Eyes and eye-line | The source requires open, clearly visible eyes but publishes no numeric eye-line position. |
| Additional requirements | The photo must be square, with equal width and height, not less than 51 x 51 mm, with the face covering 80% of the photo (FAQ item 9). Use a plain light-coloured background that is not white, with no border. The full face must be in the middle of the photo, showing the head and shoulders from the front. The head must measure 25 to 35 mm from top of hair to bottom of chin. Eyes must be open and clearly visible; tinted or dark glasses are not permitted, and head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal sourceMinistry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal source |
| Digital file requirements | Equal width and height; 200 to 900 pixels per side; JPEG or JPG up to 200 KB. |
| Editing policy | Do not retouch or otherwise enhance or soften the photo. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal source |
Nearest-page comparison
Both are India digital photo uploads, but the OCI flow uses the OCI portal's square 200 to 900 pixel upload and JPEG or JPG up to 200 KB rule, a 25 to 35 mm head height, and a plain light-coloured background that is not white. The passport digital flow uses the 630 x 810 pixel ICAO size and a white background.
- upload dimensions
- file format and size
- head height
- background rule
- editing rule
Photo rejection risks
These source-based risks are unranked by the issuing authority.
- wrong_resolution
- wrong_face_size
- glasses_reflection
- software_alteration
- unclear_or_wrong_background
Local print price example
No published price example verified for this flow. General print prices vary by provider and location.
Field-level source evidence
Each listed excerpt supports the named artifact fields. Translations are labeled and are not represented as official English text.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-27
Supports: file requirements max height pixels, file requirements max width pixels, file requirements min height pixels, file requirements min width pixels
Source locator: FAQ item 9, photograph specifications
The height and width of the applicant photo must be equal. The minimum dimensions are 200 pixels (width) x 200 pixels (height). The maximum dimensions are 900 pixels(width) x 900 pixels (height).
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-27
Supports: file requirements accepted extensions, file requirements max kb
Source locator: FAQ item 9, photograph specifications
The images of the photograph and signature must be in JPEG/ JPG format with max size 200 KB.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-27
Supports: additional photo requirements, printed photo height, printed photo width, application and output scope
Source locator: FAQ item 9, photograph specifications
Photograph to be uploaded on the application should be of square shape of size not less than 51x 51 mm (with 80% coverage of face).
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-27
Supports: background requirements, permitted background colors, plain background requirement, pose and framing, nearest-page comparison
Source locator: FAQ item 9, photograph specifications
It should have plain light color background (not white) without the border with front view of person's head and shoulders showing the full face in middle of the photograph.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-27
Supports: photo rejection risks, risk ranking
Source locator: FAQ item 9, photograph specifications
Photographs that do not conform to the above standards will be rejected and may cause delay in processing the applications.
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-26
Supports: maximum face or head height, measurement reference points, measurement subject, minimum face or head height
Source locator: Do's and Dont's for a Proper photo, head height
height of head should measure 1 inch to 1-3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm).
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-26
Supports: editing policy, editing rules forbidden
Source locator: Photograph Print Properties
Do not retouch or otherwise enhance or soften the photo.
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-26
Supports: shadow requirement
Source locator: Sample Photo, background and shadows
There should not be any distracting shadows on the face or on the background.
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, OCI Services Portal · reviewed 2026-10-26
Supports: additional photo requirements
Source locator: Head and eyes, position and background
No tinted or dark glasses. Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons
Examples
- Minimum digital image size: at least 200 x 200 pixels, up to 900 x 900 pixels Digital upload for India OCI Card - Photo Upload.
- Background example: light gray.
- File examples: JPG, JPEG, maximum 200 KB.
Retake Guidance
- Use a plain background (light gray) with even front lighting.
- Keep the face centered, phone level, and shoulders square to the camera.
- Retake if head height is outside 25-35 mm (top of hair to bottom of chin).
- Retake instead of using filters, retouching, portrait mode, background replacement, or AI alteration when the source warns against edits.
- Do not retouch or otherwise enhance or soften the photo.
Data Flow
No photo bytes leave this browser for the local capture, validation, crop, report, and download flow unless you explicitly choose a future upload feature.
FAQs
What size should the OCI photo be?
Upload a square photo with equal width and height, from 200 x 200 to 900 x 900 pixels, as a JPEG or JPG no larger than 200 KB.Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source
Can the OCI photo have a white background?
The FAQ asks for a plain light-coloured background that is not white, with no border.Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Online OCI Services Portal source