NDA & CDS 2026 Photo & Signature Requirements — Published KB Ranges

NDA and CDS upload through the same UPSC OTR portal, so their photo and signature rules are identical to each other and to UPSC CSE. UPSC keeps it simple: it publishes file-format and file-size limits, a plain white background, and a face covering most of the frame — but no fixed pixel size, no square-crop rule, and no name-and-date strip. This guide covers the confirmed specs for both exams and a workflow that gets both files ready before the portal opens.

What are the photo and signature specs for NDA and CDS?

Both NDA and CDS use the same UPSC OTR portal for applications. The specifications are identical for both exams and match UPSC CSE, since all three share the same portal. Confirm the figures in the specific NDA or CDS notification published by UPSC before applying.

Always confirm the current cycle's exact figures in your notification PDF at upsc.gov.in before applying. For a side-by-side comparison of all major exam specs, see the photo and signature size guide for all exams.

Does NDA or CDS require your name and date on the photo?

No. UPSC's OTR portal instructions do not ask for a name-and-date strip on the photo, and they publish no fixed pixel size or aspect ratio, so there is no square-crop requirement either. What UPSC does specify is the JPG format, the 20–200 KB size band, a plain white background, and a face covering about 75% of the frame.

If the notification for your cycle adds a requirement — some notices set a photo-recency window, for instance — follow the notification. When a form does ask for name-and-date text, the photo-with-name-date tool adds a clean strip in one step; see how to add name and date on an exam photo.

How does NDA/CDS compare to banking and SSC exam photos?

The file rules differ enough that one photo file rarely clears every portal. NDA and CDS accept a wider 20–200 KB photo with no fixed pixel size, while banking portals such as IBPS and SBI want a portrait rectangle around 200 × 230 px capped near 50 KB, and SSC captures the photo live at the portal. Match each form's own spec rather than reusing a single file.

For the IBPS PO checklist, see the IBPS PO 2026 photo & signature checklist. The specs are the same as UPSC CSE, which shares this portal — see the UPSC CSE / IAS photo and signature guide. For SSC's live-capture system, see the SSC CGL / CHSL photo and signature guide.

What background, dress code, and framing does UPSC require?

The UPSC OTR portal specifies a plain white background, formal attire, and a face covering about 75% of the frame. These apply to both NDA and CDS applications.

• Background: plain white only. Not off-white, cream, or light grey. Off-white walls are a common cause of rejection.
• Spectacles: if you wear glasses, check the specific notification — some defence notices restrict them or require the eyes to be clearly visible without glare.
• Headgear: allowed only for religious reasons (turban, hijab) if worn consistently in your identity documents. Otherwise, remove it.
• Framing: head and shoulders, face at least 75% of the frame. Don't stand too far from the camera — closer than a standard passport portrait.
• Attire: formal. A dark, solid-colour shirt reads cleanly against a white background. Avoid white tops; shoulder edges blur into the background.
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes fully open, looking directly at the camera.

How do I prepare my signature for NDA and CDS?

Sign on plain white A4 paper in black or blue ink — black is strongly preferred. Cursive or running hand only; all-capitals signatures are rejected. The signature file size band is 20–100 KB, more permissive than SSC's 10–20 KB range, so aggressive compression is not needed here.

• Paper: plain white A4, no lines. Lined or coloured notepaper makes the background hard to clean to true white.
• Ink: black ballpoint strongly preferred; blue accepted. Gel pens are fine at this file size.
• Style: cursive or connected running hand. If you normally sign in block capitals, practise a simple flowing version. The portal flags all-capitals patterns.
• Photography: lay the paper flat, hold your phone directly above it, even light, no shadows across the signature.
• Resize and clean: run the image through the UPSC signature resizer. It removes the paper background, trims whitespace, and outputs a clean JPG inside the 20–100 KB band. Nothing leaves your browser.

What are the most common NDA and CDS photo rejection reasons?

Most rejections at the UPSC portal trace back to three causes: a file outside the 20–200 KB band, a non-white background, or a face too small in the frame. The portal returns a generic error without specifying which check failed, so it pays to fix all of these before uploading.

For the full breakdown of rejection patterns across all Indian exam portals, see why exam photos and signatures get rejected.

How to prepare your NDA and CDS photo and signature — complete workflow

For the photo:

1. Take a clear photo against a plain white wall, formal attire, face centred and covering about 75% of the frame.
2. Resize for UPSC. Run the image through the UPSC photo resizer. It outputs a JPG on a clean white background inside the 20–200 KB band.
3. Save as photo.jpg. The UPSC portal expects this exact filename — rename the file before the upload session.

For the signature, prepare offline before the application window opens:

1. Sign on white A4 paper in black ink, cursive hand.
2. Photograph flat in even light, no shadows across the signature.
3. Run through the UPSC signature resizer. It cleans the background and outputs a JPG in the 20–100 KB band.

For UPSC-specific requirement details and links to the official notification PDFs, see the exam requirements directory.