“Passport size photo” is one of the most confusing instructions in Indian form filling, because it means different things depending on where you read it.
The standard measurement
In India, a passport size photograph is usually 3.5 cm wide by 4.5 cm tall. That is the size a photo studio will print when you ask for passport size photos.
Some forms instead ask for stamp size, which is smaller, around 2 cm by 2.5 cm.
Why online forms give you pixels instead
A printed photo is measured in centimetres. A digital file is measured in pixels. The two only line up once you decide how many pixels go into each inch, which is called DPI, or dots per inch.
At the standard print resolution of 300 DPI, a 3.5 x 4.5 cm photo works out to roughly 413 x 531 pixels.
But most exam portals do not ask for that. They ask for something much smaller, like 200 x 230 pixels, because they only need it for a screen and a printed admit card.
This is the key point: do not convert from cm yourself unless the form tells you to. If your notification states a pixel size, use that exact number.
Converting between units
If you ever need to convert manually:
- cm to pixels: divide by 2.54, then multiply by DPI
- inches to pixels: multiply by DPI
- pixels to cm: divide by DPI, then multiply by 2.54
So 6 cm at 300 DPI is 6 ÷ 2.54 x 300, which is about 709 pixels.
Common sizes you will meet
| Description | Approximate size |
|---|---|
| Passport size, printed | 3.5 x 4.5 cm |
| Stamp size, printed | 2 x 2.5 cm |
| Typical exam photo upload | 200 x 230 px |
| Typical signature upload | 140 x 60 px |
These are the sizes you will see most often, but they are not universal. Every notification sets its own.
What to do
Open your notification, find the photograph section, and use whatever unit it gives you. If it gives centimetres, convert at 300 DPI. If it gives pixels, use them exactly.
Our photo resizer accepts centimetres, inches, millimetres or pixels and converts for you, so you can type whichever the notification uses.