UPSC Photo & Signature Size — Photo 20–200 KB, Triple Signature 20–100 KB

What size do I need?

Your photo must be a colour JPG between 20 KB and 200 KB, uploaded with the file name photo. Use a plain white background, look straight at the camera with both ears visible and eyes open, and make sure your face covers at least three-quarters (75%) of the picture — UPSC rejects photos where the face is smaller, off-centre, shadowed or hidden under dark glasses, and the photo must not be signed.

Your signature must be a JPG between 20 KB and 100 KB, uploaded with the file name signature, and the instructions put its image dimensions at 350–500 pixels. A file can fail at both ends of the KB range: too big and too small. The UPSC presets in the Resizer target a size inside the range, not just under the maximum. Always double-check your current notification before you submit — specifications change between cycles.

The UPSC triple signature — sign three times

UPSC does not want a single signature. Sign your own signature three times, one below the other, on one plain white sheet using a black ink pen, with a clear gap between each signature. Then scan or photograph the whole sheet as one image — the upload must contain exactly three signatures, upright, on plain white paper with no lines or colours. When you resize it, keep the crop around all three signatures, never just one.

You will also capture a live photograph inside the form — it is mandatory, and the portal matches it against the photo you uploaded. If the two do not match, you cannot proceed, so capture it in good light, looking straight at the camera.

How to resize for UPSC

1. Open the Exam Photo & Signature Resizer (the button above takes you straight there).
2. Choose Photo or Signature at the top of the tool.
3. Under “Choose your exam”, select the UPSC preset.
4. Add your photo — or, for the signature, the scan of your full three-signature sheet — tap to choose the file, or drop it in.
5. Position it inside the frame and use the zoom slider if you need to — the frame crops, nothing is stretched. For the signature, keep all three signatures inside the frame.
6. Tap Create my file, check the size shown is inside the required range (and, for the signature, that the dimensions shown are within 350–500 pixels), then tap Download. Rename the downloaded file to photo or signature before you upload it, as the instructions ask.

Open the Exam Photo & Signature Resizer

Why was my file rejected?

The portal says my photo should be between 20 KB and 200 KB — what do I do?

Open the Exam Photo & Signature Resizer, choose Photo, select the UPSC preset, add your photo and tap Create my file. The Resizer makes a JPG inside the 20–200 KB range — check the size it shows before you download, and rename the downloaded file to photo before you upload it.

How do I upload the UPSC triple signature?

Sign your own signature three times, one below the other, on one plain white sheet in black ink, and scan the whole sheet as a single JPG. In the Resizer choose Signature, select the UPSC preset, and keep the crop around all three signatures — it targets the 20–100 KB range. The instructions also put the signature image at 350–500 pixels, so check the dimensions the Resizer shows, and rename the file to signature before uploading.

Do I also have to capture a live photograph for UPSC?

Yes. On the UPSC Common Application Form, capturing a live photograph is mandatory, and it is matched against the photo you uploaded — if the two do not match, you cannot proceed. Capture it in good light, looking straight at the camera.

My file is under 20 KB — can a file be too small?

Yes. Both UPSC ranges start at 20 KB, so a smaller file is outside the published range. The Resizer targets a size inside the range, not just under the maximum.

Is my photo uploaded to a server?

No. FormReady processes your photo and signature in your browser, on your own device. Your files are never uploaded to FormReady.

Will this guarantee my form is accepted?

No tool can guarantee acceptance. FormReady matches the published size specification; final acceptance is decided by the exam portal. Always check the requirements in your current official notification before submitting.

What else does the UPSC form need?

Preparing more than the photo and signature? The Document Pack prepares every document your form needs and downloads them together in one ZIP. Before you upload anything, run each file through the Document Validator — it checks size, format and dimensions against the verified specs and only checks; it never changes your file.

And if a document image is just over or just under size, the Image Compressor adjusts it to an exact KB.

Prepare everything — Document Pack Check before upload — Document Validator Fix the exact KB — Image Compressor

Other exam guides

Looking for a different exam? See all exam guides, each checked against its official notification.

Source and last checked

Source: Instructions for Uploading the Photo and Signature — UPSC Common Application Form (Union Public Service Commission), via upsconline.nic.in. FormReady's specifications follow the official notification for each exam.

Last checked: 23 October 2026 — always check your current official notification.