What size is the India OCI card photo?

51×51 mm. As a digital file that is 600×600 pixels.

What file size does the India OCI card photo need?

Up to 200 KB. Picproved saves the file inside this limit.

What background does the India OCI card photo need?

A plain off-white or light grey background with no shadows or patterns.

Can I wear glasses in the India OCI card photo?

Best to take them off. Many offices reject photos with glasses.

How do I make the India OCI card photo with my phone?

Stand facing the camera against a plain wall in even light. Picproved shows live checks while you take it, crops it to 51×51 mm (600×600 pixels) and checks the rules before you save. Your photo stays on your device.

Can I use a UK 35×45 mm passport photo for OCI?

No. The OCI photo is square, so a 35×45 mm print or file has the wrong shape. You can make the square OCI photo from the same shot.

Did the OCI photo rules change with e-OCI in 2026?

No. The 2026 rules changed the card itself. The photo is still square and up to 200 KB. The 630×810 pixel size you may read about is for the Indian passport, not the OCI card.

How many photos do I need for an OCI application?

One upload, and in most countries one printed photo pasted on the form. The Embassy of India in The Hague asks for four 5×5 cm prints, and the New Zealand missions don't say.

Does a baby's OCI photo follow the same rules?

Yes, the same square photo with a light background. Lay a baby on a plain light sheet and take the photo from above, with nothing else in the frame.

Can my OCI photo have a white background?

The portal asks for a light colour that isn't white for the upload. If your mission's print checklist asks for white, follow it for the printed copy only.

OCI photo size and requirements: square, under 200 KB

Make your India OCI card photo that meets the official rules (51×51 mm, off-white background, up to 200 KB). Live camera guidance and checks; your photo stays on your device.

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India OCI card photo: size and rules

Size	51×51 mm (600×600 pixels)
File size	up to 200 KB
Background	off-white or light grey
Head height (chin to crown)	35.7 to 40.8 mm
Glasses	Best taken off
Expression	Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open

Square, 200×200 to 900×900 px, JPEG under 200 KB
Plain light-colour background, not white, no border; the face about 80% of the photo (ociservices.gov.in FAQ)
Some missions' print checklists ask for white: follow your mission for the printed copy

Official rules: ociservices.gov.in. Rules checked on 24 October 2026.

Who needs it

Foreign citizens of Indian origin, and the foreign spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI card holder, apply for an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card to visit, live and work in India without a visa. You apply online on the Ministry of Home Affairs OCI portal, then take or post the file to the Indian mission where you live, often through VFS Global or BLS International. The e-OCI card launched in 2026 changed the card, not the photo.

How to apply

Fill in the OCI form online and upload a square JPEG photo: 200×200 to 900×900 pixels, under 200 KB, a plain light-colour background that isn't white, no border, and the face about 80% of the photo. (ociservices.gov.in: OCI FAQ (Ministry of Home Affairs))
Upload your signature as a wide JPEG under 200 KB. A child who can't sign gives a thumb impression in black or blue ink instead. (Embassy of India, Washington: OCI FAQ)
Print the form and paste on a printed photo, the same as the upload, where your mission asks for one: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm) in most countries. (Embassy of India, Washington: OCI FAQ)
Send or take the file to your mission or its service centre with the documents for your case. Each mission has its own checklist, so follow the one for where you live (below). (ociservices.gov.in: OCI FAQ (Ministry of Home Affairs))

Printing the photos

One 6×4 inch print holds 2 photos of 2×2 inch: the 1 you need and 1 spare. Print at 100% scale, not fit to page.

Printed OCI photo by country

Where you live	Who takes the application	Printed photo
UK	High Commission of India, London, through VFS Global	One recent 2×2 inch physical photo, under 6 months old, the same as the uploaded one. (VFS Global UK: OCI supporting documents checklist (Oct 2025))
USA	Embassy of India, Washington, and the Consulates General (Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle), through VFS Global, mostly by post	One 2×2 inch photo pasted on the printed OCI form, the same as the uploaded one. (Embassy of India, Washington: OCI FAQ)
UAE	Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, and Consulate General of India, Dubai, through BLS International	One 51×51 mm (2×2 inch) photo pasted on the printed form, the same as the uploaded one, with the plain light-colour background the OCI portal asks for. (ociservices.gov.in: OCI FAQ (Ministry of Home Affairs))
Canada	High Commission of India, Ottawa, and Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver, through BLS International	One 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) photo pasted on the printed OCI form, the same as the uploaded one. (BLS International Canada: checklist and information booklet for OCI (Toronto))
Australia	High Commission of India, Canberra, and Consulates General in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, through VFS Global	One recent 2×2 inch photo to ICAO rules, the same as the uploaded one. (VFS Global Australia: OCI checklist (March 2026))
New Zealand	High Commission of India, Wellington, and Consulate General of India, Auckland (no service partner)	Not stated by the mission: ask before you post.
Germany	Embassy of India, Berlin, and the Consulates General in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich (by where you are registered)	One photo of at least 51×51 mm with a light-colour background (not white), the face about 80% of the frame, no border, the same as the uploaded one. (Embassy of India, Berlin: OCI general information)
Netherlands	Embassy of India, The Hague (OCI is handled by the Embassy itself, not VFS)	Four 5×5 cm photos to Indian norms, the same as the uploaded one; the Embassy has no photo or photocopy service. (Embassy of India, The Hague: OCI checklist (Feb 2026))

Living somewhere else? The upload rules are the same everywhere; check your mission's own checklist for the print.

Mistakes that get OCI photos sent back

A rectangular passport photo (35×45 mm or 630×810 pixels) instead of a square one.
A white or patterned background on the upload, or a border around the photo.
A file over 200 KB, or smaller than 200×200 pixels.
The face too small: the portal wants it to fill about 80% of the photo.
A printed photo that isn't the same as the uploaded one.
A signature photographed on lined or coloured paper, or squashed into a square.

More for your OCI application

How to take the India OCI card photo on your phone

Stand about an arm's length from a plain off-white or light grey wall, facing a window or other soft light, so there are no shadows on your face or behind you.
Take off your glasses if you can, push your hair away from your eyes and eyebrows, and keep a neutral face with your mouth closed.
Hold the phone at eye level, or ask someone to take it. Picproved's camera tells you when your head is straight, centred and the right size.
Picproved crops the photo to 51×51 mm (600×600 pixels) with the head 35.7 to 40.8 mm tall, evens out the off-white background and checks every rule before you save.
Save the file: it comes out up to 200 KB, ready to upload.

Why photos like this get rejected

All documents that use 51×51 mm · Photos under 200 KB

If the office rejects it

	Picproved	Other big passport photo apps
Which photos are covered	Every photo you save	Two of the four pay out only for photos that passed their own expert check or a paid human check
Proof of the rejection	None. Tell us it was rejected	Three of the four ask for proof of the rejection or a reason for the claim
Time to tell us	90 days from your order	14 days from getting the photo at one, 30 days from the rejection at another; we found no limit at the other two

No face retouching. Pay once. 90-day redo and refund, no letter needed. Saving is free while we launch; the promise covers every paid photo once payments open. How the promises compare

See it in the app

OCI photo, 51×51 mm
Checked against the OCI rules

Questions

What size is the India OCI card photo?: 51×51 mm. As a digital file that is 600×600 pixels.
What file size does the India OCI card photo need?: Up to 200 KB. Picproved saves the file inside this limit.
What background does the India OCI card photo need?: A plain off-white or light grey background with no shadows or patterns.
Can I wear glasses in the India OCI card photo?: Best to take them off. Many offices reject photos with glasses.
How do I make the India OCI card photo with my phone?: Stand facing the camera against a plain wall in even light. Picproved shows live checks while you take it, crops it to 51×51 mm (600×600 pixels) and checks the rules before you save. Your photo stays on your device.
Can I use a UK 35×45 mm passport photo for OCI?: No. The OCI photo is square, so a 35×45 mm print or file has the wrong shape. You can make the square OCI photo from the same shot.
Did the OCI photo rules change with e-OCI in 2026?: No. The 2026 rules changed the card itself. The photo is still square and up to 200 KB. The 630×810 pixel size you may read about is for the Indian passport, not the OCI card.
How many photos do I need for an OCI application?: One upload, and in most countries one printed photo pasted on the form. The Embassy of India in The Hague asks for four 5×5 cm prints, and the New Zealand missions don't say.
Does a baby's OCI photo follow the same rules?: Yes, the same square photo with a light background. Lay a baby on a plain light sheet and take the photo from above, with nothing else in the frame.
Can my OCI photo have a white background?: The portal asks for a light colour that isn't white for the upload. If your mission's print checklist asks for white, follow it for the printed copy only.

Have a photo already? Check it free with the India OCI card photo checker.

More India photos45

All India photo sizes · All countries