UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) Photo & Signature Size
Reviewed by Jaspal Kumar, easyPhoto developer
UPSC photo: JPG, 20–200 KB, saved with the file name photo. Plain white background, your face filling 75% or more of the photo, both ears visible.
UPSC signature: sign three times, one below the other, in black ink on plain white unlined paper, and scan all three as one JPG of 20–100 KB, each side 350–500 pixels (width and height).
Plus a live photo: the form also takes your photo through the webcam or your phone (by scanning a QR code) and matches it to the photo you uploaded.
Prepare your UPSC photo and signaturePrepare your UPSC photo and signature
Drop a photo, or click to browse
A clear, front-facing photo works best
JPG · PNG · HEIC · processed on your device, never uploaded
Both tools work inside this browser tab, so the photo and signature stay with you. How our checks work · Full UPSC CSE guide
What "75% face coverage" means
UPSC wants your face to cover at least three-quarters of the photo's area. In practice, a normal passport photo with shoulders and lots of space above the head usually falls short. Crop in close around your head, keeping both ears in view, then check the file is still 20–200 KB.
When the form refuses your photo
- "The face is unclear or doesn't meet the required 3/4th or 75% face coverage"
- Crop closer so the face fills the frame, and use a sharp, evenly lit photo.
- "Unable to detect face in image"
- The face is too small, turned, in shadow or hidden. Use a front-facing photo with both ears showing, no dark glasses.
- "Live photo and uploaded photo do not match"
- Your uploaded photo must look like you today. Use a recent photo, remove cap, mask and dark glasses for the live photo, and sit in good light facing the camera.
Three signatures on one sheet
- Sign three times, one below the other, with clear space between them.
- Black ink, plain white paper — no lines, no coloured paper.
- One image, upright and sharp, with exactly three signatures.
UPSC's sample sheet rejects signatures side by side, in blue ink, a single signature, cramped spacing, blurred or rotated scans, and ruled or coloured paper.
On exam day
Every 2026 UPSC notice says your face will be checked at the exam venue. Carry the Photo ID card whose details you entered in the form (for the Civil Services exam, also at the interview).
NDA, CDS, CAPF, ESE — same rules?
Yes. UPSC's application portal uses the same photo and signature rules for every exam. One difference to know: the ESE 2027 notice still prints an older upper limit of 300 KB. The portal limits at the top of this page are the ones the form checks.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I write my name and the date on my UPSC photo?
No. UPSC's instructions say the photograph must not be signed, and none of its 2026 notices asks for any writing on it.
What should my files be called?
Name the photo file "photo" and the signature file "signature" — the form asks for exactly these names. The Photo ID upload is named "id_card".
How do I take the live photo if my computer has no webcam?
Scan the QR code the form shows with your phone, and take the live photo on the phone.