UPSC Photo Size and Format: Photo, Signature and ID Upload
UPSC asks for a JPG photo with your name and the date printed on it, within set KB and pixel limits, plus a signature and a photo ID. Here are the typical specs as of 2026 and how to meet them in your browser without uploading anything.
· 5 min read · 1.4K views · by the Cortex Digital Hub team
Set the Image Resizer to pixels first (say 500 × 500), then to a KB target inside the UPSC band, and export the photo and signature as JPG; nothing leaves your device. Free · exact KB and pixel targets · no upload
Resize the photo → → Opens Image Resizer · runs in your browser
Every year a share of UPSC applications are flagged for a photo problem that has nothing to do with the candidate's face: the file is too small, the name and date are missing, or the signature was saved as a PNG. The Commission publishes the rules in each notification and on the application portal, and they have been stable for the last few cycles, so the figures below are a reliable starting point. Treat them as "as of 2026, confirm in the notification", because the exact band is set each year and the upload box on the portal is the final word.
What UPSC typically asks for
The photograph, the signature and a photo ID are uploaded through the One Time Registration (OTR) and the exam-specific form. The same specs have applied to the Civil Services Examination and, with small variations, to CDS, NDA, IES, CAPF and the other exams run through the portal. Here is the pattern from recent cycles:
| Item | File size | Pixels | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph (with name and date printed) | 20 KB to 300 KB | 350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 | JPG |
| Signature (black or blue ink on white) | 20 KB to 300 KB | 350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 (check the form) | JPG |
| Photo ID (Aadhaar, Voter ID, PAN, passport, DL) | within the stated KB band | as scanned, legible | as the form states |
The lower limit matters as much as the upper one. A photo saved at 15 KB will be refused just as a 400 KB one will. For the general logic of these bands, and the way other Indian government forms set theirs, see photo and signature size for government forms; this post sticks to what is specific to UPSC.
The name-and-date rule
This is the UPSC-specific requirement that trips up the most people. The photograph must have the candidate's name and the date on which it was taken printed on it, typically along the bottom. The photo must also be recent; notifications have specified that it should be taken on or after a stated date, generally a few weeks before the application window opens. The studio can print the text when they shoot the photo, or you can add it yourself in a browser editor before resizing. Keep the text small, legible, in a dark colour on the light strip below the face, and make sure it does not cover the chin or shoulders.
A few more points from the notifications: the face should be clearly visible with both ears, eyes open, no sunglasses, no caps unless worn for religious reasons, and a plain light background. The framing is close to a normal passport photo, so our passport photo size guide covers the composition; the difference is the printed text and the square-ish pixel range, which means a 413 × 531 passport crop will need re-cropping to a square or near-square before upload.
Signature and photo ID
Sign on white paper with a black or blue pen, in a box roughly 3 cm tall and 7 cm wide, and photograph or scan it in good light. Crop tightly to the signature, convert to greyscale if the paper looks yellow, and save as JPG. Do not type your name in a cursive font; the signature on the admit card and the one in the exam hall are compared.
For the photo ID, the form asks you to pick the document type and enter its number, then upload an image of it. Scan the front side flat, make sure the number and your name are readable at the uploaded size, and keep it within the KB band the upload box states. The ID you choose here is the one you carry to the exam centre, so pick one you will not lose.
Common mistakes that get an application flagged
The photo is under 20 KB because the studio sent a WhatsApp-compressed copy. The photo is a passport photo with no name or date. The date printed is older than the window the notification allows. The signature is a PNG, or a JPG with a grey, shadowed background that reads as "unclear". The photo is 1200 pixels wide because it came straight off a phone, or it is HEIC from an iPhone and the portal refuses it; convert that with the HEIC to JPG converter before anything else. And the most expensive one: the photo and signature are swapped into each other's slots and the candidate only notices on the admit card.
Step by step in the browser
Start with the best copy of the photo you have, ideally the original from the studio, not a forwarded one. Open the Image Resizer, choose resize by pixels and set 500 × 500 (or whatever square size sits comfortably inside the band for your year). Check the crop so the head and shoulders are centred and the name-and-date strip is intact. Then switch to the target file size option and set about 100 KB, which lands safely between the two limits; if the result comes in under 20 KB, which can happen with a very plain background, raise the target. Export as JPG. Everything runs on your device, so the photo never sits on a server you did not choose.
Repeat for the signature at the same pixel range, with a target around 50 KB. If the first JPG looks blurry at the lower end, the original was too small; rescan it rather than upscaling. For the photo ID, resize to the stated band the same way and check that the number is still legible by zooming in before you upload. If an upload box asks for a smaller file than you expect, say 20 KB, the resize photo to 20 KB guide walks through that case.
Before you click submit
Open the uploaded preview on the portal and look at it the way an examiner would: name and date present, face clear, signature dark and legible, ID number readable. Download the submitted application PDF and keep it with the originals of the three files, named clearly, in a folder you can find in six months. The same photo and signature, uploaded through OTR, follow you to other UPSC exams in the cycle, so getting them right once saves repeating the exercise for each notification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UPSC photo size in KB?
In recent cycles the photograph has had to be a JPG between 20 KB and 300 KB, with pixel dimensions between 350 × 350 and 1000 × 1000. The exact band is in that year's notification and on the application portal, so confirm it before you upload.
Does the UPSC photo need my name and date printed on it?
Yes, in recent notifications. The candidate's name and the date the photo was taken must appear on the photograph itself, and the photo must be recent, usually taken within a stated window before the application.
Can I use my passport photo for the UPSC form?
Only if it carries your name and the date and is recent enough. A plain passport photo without the printed text has been a common reason for a flagged application.
What format does UPSC want for the signature?
A JPG, typically within the same 20 KB to 300 KB band, signed in black or blue ink on white paper. Check the live form for the pixel range in the year you apply.