PAN Card Photo Resizer
The NSDL and UTIITSL PAN card application portals enforce strict photo specifications that reject most mobile camera photos on the first attempt. Your photo must be exactly 3.5 x 2.5 cm (276 x 197 px at 200 DPI), under 50KB, in JPEG format with a plain white background and 80% face coverage. This tool automatically resizes, crops, and compresses your photo to pass NSDL's automated biometric validation - including their undocumented checks for head tilt, eye visibility, and skin exposure ratios.
Dimensions
276 x 197 px
Physical size
3.5 x 2.5 cm
Max file size
50 KB
Background
Plain white
NSDL / UTIITSL PAN card photo specifications
Width x Height
276 x 197 pixels (at 200 DPI)
Physical size
3.5 x 2.5 cm (35 x 25 mm)
Required DPI
200 DPI (metadata header checked by NSDL)
Maximum file size
50 KB
Format
JPEG / JPG only
Background
Plain white - no patterns, shadows, or gradients
Face coverage
80% of frame - ears and forehead must be visible
Rejected
Caps, sunglasses, heavy filters, colored backgrounds
How it works
Upload your passport-style photo
Use a recent photo taken against a white wall. Ensure both ears are visible, your face occupies at least 80% of the frame, and there are no shadows on your face or background.
Auto-resize to 276 x 197 pixels
The resizer crops and scales your photo to exactly 276 x 197 px. The canvas maintains the required 1.4:1 aspect ratio that matches NSDL's upload parser. DPI metadata is embedded at 200 DPI.
Compress to under 50KB and download
If the resized image exceeds 50KB, use the companion compressor to bring it under the limit. Download the final JPEG and upload directly to the NSDL or UTIITSL PAN application portal.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the NSDL portal reject my PAN card photo?
NSDL's automated system checks multiple parameters beyond just file size: exact pixel dimensions (276x197), DPI header value (200), JPEG format, white background, face coverage ratio, and even head tilt angle. A photo that looks fine visually can still fail if the metadata is wrong or dimensions are off by even 1 pixel.
Is the PAN card photo size different for NSDL and UTIITSL?
Both NSDL and UTIITSL follow the same specifications: 3.5 x 2.5 cm (276 x 197 px at 200 DPI), under 50KB, JPEG format. However, UTIITSL's validator is slightly more lenient with background color - a very light grey may pass on UTIITSL but will fail on NSDL.
Can I use my Aadhaar photo for PAN card application?
Your Aadhaar photo might work if it meets the quality requirements, but it is typically 200x200 px (square), while PAN card needs 276x197 px (landscape rectangle). You will need to re-crop the photo to the correct aspect ratio using this tool.
Do I need to remove my glasses for the PAN card photo?
Prescription glasses are allowed as long as there is no glare on the lenses and both eyes are clearly visible. However, sunglasses, tinted lenses, and heavy frames that obscure your eyes will cause automatic rejection.
What is the difference between PAN card photo and PAN card signature specifications?
The photo requires 276x197 px (landscape), under 50KB, with white background and face visible. The signature requires 354x157 px (landscape), under 20KB, with black ink on white paper. Both must be JPEG format at 200 DPI.
Bharat Kumar G.verified
Technical SEO & Document Processing Expert
Bharat is the founder of ReadyToSubmit. With years of experience in technical web development, he builds privacy-first, client-side tools to help Indian government exam aspirants format their applications accurately and securely without server uploads.
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