Indian passport photo upload refused? Find out why
Choose the file the portal refused. The upload doctor reads it and names each problem, then saves a fixed copy that meets the Indian passport (Passport Seva) rule. Free, and nothing is uploaded.
| Portal | Indian passport (Passport Seva) |
|---|
| File | JPG, under 250 KB |
|---|
| Rule | JPEG, exactly 630×810 pixels, under 250 KB, colour, white background. The portal allows 12 upload attempts. |
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| Status | Official |
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Sources, checked 24 Oct 2026: VFS Global: Passport Seva photo and signature upload instructions (Nov 2025); Embassy of India, Berne: ICAO photographs notice.
Common causes
- An iPhone photo renamed to .jpg
- iPhones save HEIC files. Renaming one to .jpg doesn't change what's inside, and portals read the inside.
- A progressive JPG
- Some portals read only plain (baseline) JPGs and call anything else a format error, even when size and KB are right.
- Two file endings
- Names like photo.jpg.jpg or scan.pdf.pdf are refused as "more than one extension".
- Print colours (CMYK)
- Scanners and design apps sometimes save CMYK; portals expect ordinary RGB.
- A turn flag instead of a real turn
- Phones often mark a photo to be turned rather than turning it; portals that ignore the mark see it sideways.
- Wrong pixels, shape or KB
- Over the maximum, under a minimum, or the wrong shape for the form.
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Questions
- Why was my indian passport photo upload refused?
- Usually the file, not what's in it. Indian passport (Passport Seva) wants: JPEG, exactly 630×810 pixels, under 250 KB, colour, white background. The portal allows 12 upload attempts. The doctor reads your file and names the cause.
- Can it fix the file?
- Yes, when the photo already has the right shape: it saves a plain JPG at the right pixels and KB with one file ending. A photo with the wrong shape goes to the editor, which crops it around the face.
- Is my file uploaded?
- No. It is read in your browser and never leaves your device.
- How many times can I upload the photo?
- The Passport Seva portal allows 12 upload attempts for the photo and signature, so check the file before you try again.
