UPSC Photo & Signature Size Requirements
Crop, resize, and compress your UPSC Civil Services application photo to exact portal specs — in your browser.
The UPSC online application portal rejects photos that are the wrong size, wrong shape, or exceed 300 KB. The two most common mistakes are submitting a rectangular passport photo instead of a square one, and submitting a PNG instead of a JPEG. Use the tools below in order: crop to square first, then compress.
Tools for UPSC
Select the 1:1 aspect ratio preset, then set Output width and height to 350. UPSC requires a square photo — a standard passport rectangle will be rejected.
100 KB sits comfortably within the 20–300 KB range and gives a good quality–size balance.
Sign on plain white paper in black or blue ink. Crop tightly around the signature — no blank margins.
20 KB is the safe middle of the 1–40 KB UPSC signature range.
Official requirements
| Document | Size | Dimensions | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | 20–300 KB | Square (approx. 350×350 px) | JPEG / JPG |
| Signature | 1–40 KB | Variable (crop tightly) | JPEG / JPG |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting a rectangular passport photo (3.5×4.5 cm) instead of a square — UPSC requires a square crop.
- Uploading a PNG file — the portal accepts JPEG only. Even if renamed to .jpg, a PNG will fail validation.
- File size over 300 KB — even 301 KB causes an upload error. Stay below 300 KB.
- EXIF orientation not applied — the photo appears rotated sideways on the portal. Enable auto-orient before uploading.
- Signature on lined or coloured paper — only plain white is accepted. Paper texture also increases file size.
Frequently asked questions
- Does UPSC require a square photo or a passport-size photo?
- Square. UPSC's online application form requires a square photograph — not the standard 3.5×4.5 cm passport rectangle used by SSC or IBPS. Use the 1:1 aspect ratio preset in the crop tool.
- What exact pixel size should my UPSC photo be?
- UPSC does not specify an exact pixel size — only the file size (20–300 KB) and the square crop. A 350×350 px JPEG compressed to around 100 KB is a widely used standard that passes every UPSC application portal.
- Can I use the same photo for UPSC and NEET?
- Yes, if you took a square crop of your photo. Both exams require a square passport-format photo with similar size limits. Take one good square photo and use it for both UPSC and NTA exams.
- What colour background is required for the UPSC photo?
- A white or very light plain background. Avoid coloured, patterned, or outdoor backgrounds. The background must be uncluttered and free of shadows.
- My signature is slightly over 40 KB after compressing. What should I try?
- Scan or re-photograph the signature against a plain white background — paper texture and slight colour variation dramatically increase file size. If still over, lower the JPEG quality further (try 60–70) or trim the image even closer to the signature boundary.