What is the PAN Card Photo Size?
The PAN card photo size refers to the mandatory dimensional, resolution, and file weight standards prescribed for photographs submitted during Permanent Account Number (PAN) applications in India. Governed under the Income Tax Department of India, applications are processed via two primary authorized agencies: Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure) and UTIITSL (UTI Infrastructure Technology And Services Limited).
Unlike standard international passport photographs which follow a 3.5 × 4.5 cm (7:9) ratio, PAN card applications enforce two distinct specifications depending on the mode of submission:
213 × 213 Pixels (1:1 Ratio)
When applying online with scanned documents on the Protean or UTIITSL portal, you must upload a 200 DPI square crop under 50 KB in JPG format.
2.5 × 3.5 cm (5:7 Ratio)
When submitting a physical hard copy Form 49A/49AA, you must affix two passport-style color photos measuring 25 × 35 mm into the designated photo boxes.
PAN Card Photo Size in KB
When uploading to online portals, the allowed pan card photo size in kb is strictly less than 50 KB (maximum 50.0 KB). If your photo file size is 50.1 KB or above, the server validation script triggers an upload error, preventing you from proceeding to the payment or e-Sign step.
To ensure seamless acceptance, keep your photograph between 15 KB and 45 KB. For the digital signature upload, the permissible file size is even smaller: strictly between 10 KB and 20 KB. If your raw camera image is 2 MB to 5 MB, use our compress image to 50KB tool or the built-in compressor in the editor above.
PAN Card Photo Size in Pixels
The official digital pan card photo size in pixels for online portals is 213 × 213 pixels. This specific number originates from scanning a 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm or 1.06 inch square section of the photograph at 200 Dots Per Inch (DPI) (where 1.065 inches × 200 DPI ≈ 213 pixels).
- 200 DPI Standard (Online Portals): 213 × 213 px (1:1 aspect ratio).
- 300 DPI High-Resolution: 295 × 413 px (for standard 2.5 × 3.5 cm rectangular crop).
- 600 DPI Master Print: 591 × 827 px (for studio high-density printing).
Uploading an image with non-square dimensions (like 600 × 800 px) to NSDL's 213×213 upload field will cause the portal to stretch or squash your facial features.
PAN Card Photo Size in CM and MM (pan card photo size 3.5 x 2.5 cm)
The physical pan card photo size in cm is 2.5 cm (width) × 3.5 cm (height). In millimeters, the exact pan card photo size in mm is 25 mm × 35 mm.
In India, the pan card photo size width height in india has a 5:7 proportion. While Indian passport photos are slightly larger at 3.5 × 4.5 cm (35 × 45 mm), Form 49A photo boxes on paper forms are tailored for 2.5 × 3.5 cm prints. You can print multiple 2.5 × 3.5 cm photos on a single 4×6 inch or A4 photo sheet using our A4 print sheet generator or view our standard photo size in cm chart.
NSDL / Protean PAN Card Photo Size
The Protean eGov portal strictly requires:
- Photo Dimensions: 213 × 213 pixels
- Resolution & DPI: 200 DPI True Color (24-bit RGB)
- Photo File Size: Max 50 KB (JPEG only)
- Signature Specs: 213 × 426 pixels, 200 DPI, 10 KB – 20 KB
- Background: Pure White
UTIITSL PAN Card Photo Size
The UTI Infrastructure (UTIITSL) portal enforces:
- Photo Dimensions: 213 × 213 pixels (or 300 DPI crop)
- Resolution & DPI: 200 DPI / 300 DPI Color
- Photo File Size: Max 30 KB to 50 KB
- Signature Specs: 213 × 426 px or 400 × 200 px, max 20 KB
- Background: Plain Light / White
PAN Card Photo JPG/JPEG Format Requirements
All government document upload systems for PAN cards exclusively accept pan card photo jpg or JPEG files. Formats such as PNG, WebP, HEIC (iPhone default), TIFF, and PDF will return an "Invalid File Type" error during upload.
Ensure that your image is saved in standard RGB / sRGB 24-bit TrueColor. Images saved in CMYK (often exported by desktop publishing software) or greyscale (unless specifically required for signatures) can fail server-side automated validation.
PAN Card Photo Size Converter & Reducer Online
Manually resizing an image using standard paint applications frequently results in distorted aspect ratios or heavy pixelation. Our automated pan card photo size converter and pan card photo size reducer simplifies this entire workflow:
Exact 213×213 px Crop
Locks the aspect ratio to 1:1 square or 5:7 physical ratio automatically.
Lossless Compression
Reduces 2MB–5MB phone photos to under 50 KB without facial blur.
Private & Instant
Runs entirely inside your client browser with zero upload to external servers.
Step-by-Step: How to Make & Resize PAN Card Photo Online
Follow these simple steps on desktop or mobile to create a compliant PAN photo in under 30 seconds.
Upload Your Source Picture
Click "Choose Photo" or drag-and-drop your image into the Photo Maker studio above. You can upload any standard photo from your phone gallery or desktop.
Adjust Biometric Head Alignment
Use the zoom and pan controls to fit your face inside the guided biometric oval. Ensure your head occupies 70% to 80% of the frame and eyes align horizontally.
Clean Background & Enhance Clarity
If your picture was taken against a wall with shadows, toggle "Auto White Background" to brighten the background to pure studio white.
Download Optimized JPEG (<50 KB)
Click "Download Single Photo" to save the ready-to-upload 213×213 pixel file strictly compressed under 50 KB. You can also generate a printable 4×6 inch multi-copy sheet if applying via physical paper.
PAN Card Photo Background & Quality Requirements
The Income Tax Department biometric deduplication systems require clear, unobstructed facial features. Adhere to these essential quality standards:
- Plain pure white or light grey background
- 70% to 80% face coverage from chin to crown
- Both ears and eyes clearly visible
- Neutral facial expression with closed mouth
- Even, diffused lighting without harsh facial shadows
- Selfie with wide-angle facial distortion or tilted angle
- Dark, red, blue, or patterned backgrounds
- Wearing dark sunglasses, tinted lenses, or caps
- Red-eye effect, blurriness, or heavy beauty filters
- Scanning a low-resolution printed paper photocopy
PAN Card Photo Signature Size Requirements
Strict 10 KB – 20 KBIn addition to the photograph, online PAN card applications mandate a clear digital scan of the applicant's signature. Key technical rules include:
213 × 426 Pixels
Aspect ratio ~1:2 or 2:1 horizontal (200 DPI)
10 KB to 20 KB
Files below 10KB or above 20KB get rejected
Black Ink on White
Sign with a black ballpoint or gel pen
Need to format your signature? Use our dedicated Signature Resizer to remove paper shadows, boost black ink contrast, and lock size strictly between 10 KB and 20 KB.
Common PAN Photo Upload Mistakes to Avoid
Uploading a standard 3.5×4.5 cm portrait directly causes NSDL's automated parser to stretch and squash your facial proportions. Always crop to a 1:1 square first.
While file size must be under 50 KB, over-compressing down to 4 KB introduces severe JPEG compression artifacts that make biometric facial verification fail.
The Income Tax Department automated scanner scans at 200 DPI greyscale/color; black ink delivers the highest contrast. Light blue or gel pens with bleeding ink risk rejection.
For digital uploads, the photo file must only contain the face. Do not sign across the digital photo upload. Cross-signing across the photo is only done physically on paper Form 49A on the left-hand photo box.
Related Image & Document Tools
Explore our complete suite of free in-browser converters for all Indian government identity documents and recruitment portals:
Create Indian & global passport size photos online.
Signature Resizer OnlineFormat signatures to strict 10–20 KB & 20–50 KB.
Aadhaar Photo Size GuideUIDAI 3.5×4.5 cm (7:9 ratio) biometric specifications.
MB to KB CompressorReduce large camera photos to exact target KB limits.
Standard Photo Size in CMComprehensive CM, MM, Inch & Pixel reference chart.
Govt Documents ResizerAll-in-one resizer for SSC, UPSC, Driving License & PAN.
Disclaimer & Non-Affiliation Notice: passportsizephotoratio.in is an independent online educational resource and client-side browser image utility. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Income Tax Department of India, Protean eGov Technologies Limited (NSDL), UTIITSL, or any other government authority. Official portal specifications, forms, and validation algorithms are subject to change at the discretion of the respective portal administrators. Always verify specific document upload instructions directly on the official application portal (onlineservices.nsdl.com / utiitsl.com) before final submission.