NRI Paper DeskGet started

OCI photo requirements

The OCI photo is 2 x 2 inches — 51 x 51 mm — and it is square. For the online application the file must be square too, roughly between 200 x 200 and 900 x 900 pixels, saved as a JPEG under about 200 KB, on a plain light background.

The single most common mistake is reusing the passport photo. Passport Seva wants 630 x 810 pixels, a rectangle. OCI wants a square. They are different shapes, so one file cannot serve both — even when the two photographs were taken in the same sitting.

The full specification

RequirementWhat it has to be
Printed size2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), square
Upload shapeSquare — height and width must be equal
Upload dimensionsRoughly 200 x 200 to 900 x 900 pixels
FileJPEG, under about 200 KB
BackgroundPlain and light — not pure brilliant white
Head sizeAbout 25 to 33 mm chin to crown, roughly 70–80% of the height
FaceStraight to camera, neutral expression, both ears visible, no glasses
Photo fix and check$9.99flat · back within the hour
Send your photo

Send the photo you already have. We return it at the right size for the OCI portal and for printing, checked against the spec.

  • A portal-ready file at the exact pixel size the upload screen wants
  • A print-ready 2 x 2 file for the physical form
  • Checked by a specialist against the current spec before you upload
  • Re-done free if the portal still refuses it

Why the background should not be pure white

This is the detail that catches people who have just done a passport renewal. A printed passport photo is expected on a white background. The OCI upload wants a plain light background, and a brilliant pure white one can leave the portal with no contrast to find the outline of the head and shoulders against.

A very light grey or a soft off-white is the safer choice. Everything else about the background stays the same: no pattern, no shadow, no furniture, nothing behind you.

Why the upload fails without telling you why

The OCI portal frequently refuses a file and gives no reason, which is what makes this step so frustrating. In practice it is nearly always one of four things:

  1. The image is not exactly square — even a pixel or two off.
  2. The pixel dimensions sit outside the accepted range.
  3. The file is over the size limit.
  4. The JPEG was written as a progressive or sub-sampled file. Phone editors and free online croppers do this by default. Re-save as a plain baseline JPEG.

If it is the passport portal rejecting you rather than OCI, and you are seeing a named error, that one has its own page: what distortionCheck failed means.

Everything else in the OCI file

The photo is one item on a longer list, and the sequencing around a recent passport renewal is what trips most applications. The OCI application guide covers the documents, the fees and the timeline, and the re-issue rules explain whether you need a new card at all.

Where these numbers come from

We re-check every fee and rule on this page monthly. If you find something out of date, tell us and we will fix it the same day.

Get your OCI file preparedPrepared the same day you send it.

OCI photo requirements, answered

What size photo is needed for an OCI application?
Two inches by two inches, which is 51 mm by 51 mm — a square. For the online upload the file must also be square, roughly between 200 x 200 and 900 x 900 pixels, saved as a JPEG under about 200 KB.
Can I use my Indian passport photo for the OCI application?
No, and this is the mistake that catches most people. The Passport Seva upload is 630 x 810 pixels, a rectangle. The OCI upload is square. A file prepared for one is refused by the other, so the two photos have to be prepared separately even if they are taken in the same sitting.
Does the OCI photo background have to be white?
It should be a plain, light background — and pure brilliant white is not the safest choice. A very light grey or off-white gives the portal contrast to find the edge of the head against. This is the opposite of the printed passport photo, where a white background is expected.
How much of the frame should the face fill?
The head should measure roughly 25 to 33 mm from chin to crown, which works out at about 70 to 80 percent of the height of the photo. Too small is the more common failure — people crop a full upper body into the square.
Why does the upload fail without telling me why?
The OCI portal often refuses a file without naming the reason, which is what makes this frustrating. In practice it is nearly always one of four things: the image is not perfectly square, the pixel dimensions fall outside the accepted range, the file is over the size limit, or the JPEG was saved in a progressive or sub-sampled format by a phone editor.
Get it done quickly