UPSC CSE 2025 Photo & Signature Guidelines
The Union Public Service Commission has some of the strictest document upload rules in India. Learn the exact pixel dimensions and metadata required to prevent application rejection.
Applying for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is the first step toward India's most prestigious career path. However, every year, strong candidates face unnecessary anxiety when the One Time Registration (OTR) portal rejects their carefully scanned documents.
Unlike many standard exams that accept any passport photo under a certain file size, UPSC has very specific pixel dimension requirements and recent rules regarding embedded date stamps.
1. The Official UPSC Photograph Rules
Your photograph must be recent (not more than 10 days old from the start of the online application process). It must be a clear, color photograph taken against a plain white background.
Photo Specifications (Pixel Perfect)
- File Size Limit: 20 KB (Minimum) to 300 KB (Maximum)
- Format: JPG or JPEG strictly.
- Pixel Resolution (Min): 350 pixels (Width) x 350 pixels (Height)
- Pixel Resolution (Max): 1000 pixels (Width) x 1000 pixels (Height)
- New Crucial Rule: The name of the candidate and the date on which the photograph was taken MUST be printed clearly at the bottom of the photo.
Aspect Ratio Note: Because the minimum and maximum dimensions are perfectly square (e.g., 350x350 or 1000x1000), you must ensure your photo is cropped to a 1:1 square aspect ratio before uploading, otherwise it will distort violently.
2. The Signature Upload Requirements
Your signature must be done on clean white paper with a Black Ink pen. Much like the photograph, the OTR portal expects a specific pixel range for the signature image.
Signature Specifications
- File Size Limit: 20 KB (Minimum) to 300 KB (Maximum)
- Format: JPG or JPEG.
- Pixel Resolution (Min): 350 pixels (Width) x 350 pixels (Height)
- Pixel Resolution (Max): 1000 pixels (Width) x 1000 pixels (Height)
3. Photo ID Proof (Aadhar, PAN, etc.)
UPSC is one of the few exams that requires you to upload a scanned copy of your Photo ID proof (like an Aadhar Card, Voter ID, PAN Card, or Passport) in PDF format instead of an image format.
- Format: PDF Only (Cannot be JPG/PNG)
- File Size Limit: 20 KB to 300 KB
- Content: Should be a merged PDF containing both sides of the ID card if applicable (like Voter ID or Aadhar).
How to Easily Prepare UPSC Documents
Getting a photo to be exactly 350x350 pixels while somehow also staying under 300KB can be incredibly frustrating if you aren't familiar with Photoshop. If you use a simple resize tool, it might stretch your face.
Imgverto provides a suite of completely free, client-side tools designed for exact pixel manipulation. Your data never leaves your browser, ensuring your ID proofs remain 100% private.