UPSC Photo and Signature Requirements (CSE (IAS/IPS), CDS, NDA, CAPF, IES/ISS)
Union Public Service Commission sets a precise specification for both the photo and the signature uploaded with every application, covering CSE (IAS/IPS), CDS, NDA, CAPF, IES/ISS. Your photo needs to be 3.5cm by 4.5cm, which works out to roughly 110 by 140 pixels, sized between 20KB and 300KB, saved as a JPEG/JPG file with a white background. Recent passport size photograph.
The signature has its own separate specification: 4cm by 2cm (around 140 by 60 pixels), between 20KB and 300KB, also as a JPEG/JPG file. Signature in running hand.
How to Resize Your Photo and Signature for UPSC
The tool above already has UPSC selected, so the correct dimensions and size range are loaded for both uploads automatically. Upload your photo into the Photo box, click Resize, and it locks to the exact 110 by 140 pixel size while compressing to sit inside the 20 to 300 KB range. Do the same for your signature in the Signature box, uploading a clear photo or scan of your signature on plain white paper. Download both files once they're ready, and you're set to attach them directly to your UPSC application form.
Common Mistakes Students Make with UPSC Uploads
UPSC's wider accepted file size range (20 to 300 KB) makes size rejections less common, but candidates still trip up on the signature requirement to sign in running hand rather than in block capitals, since the form explicitly expects your natural cursive signature, not a printed-style one.
Beyond that, the single most avoidable mistake is not re-checking the file after resizing. Open the downloaded file once before submitting your form, just to confirm it looks like an actual, recognizable photo of you or your signature and not an overly compressed, blurry mess. A dimensionally correct file that's visually unusable can still cause problems during manual verification later, even if the automated upload accepts it.
Why Photo and Signature Requirements Differ
It's worth understanding why UPSC treats your photo and your signature as two separate files with two separate specifications rather than one combined upload. Your photo exists mainly for visual identity verification at the exam center, which is why it needs to be recent and clearly show your face. Your signature exists for a completely different purpose, matching your handwriting against your admit card and any physical documents you sign later, which is why its dimensions are typically wider and shorter than a photo, shaped more like an actual signature line than a portrait.
Because they serve different verification purposes, mixing them up, such as uploading your signature into the photo field or vice versa, is a mistake that automated systems sometimes miss at upload time but that gets caught during manual scrutiny before your exam, which can cause avoidable delays. Double-check that each file is going into the correct field on the actual UPSC application form before you submit.
Preparing Your Files Before You Resize
Take a moment before you even open this tool to get your source photo and signature right. Photograph your signature flat, directly from above, on a plain sheet of white paper under good lighting, avoiding any glare or shadow across the ink. For your photo, ask someone else to take it if possible, since a straight-on shot held by another person is usually more consistent than an angled selfie. Once both source files look clean, resizing them to UPSC's exact specification above takes only a few seconds each.
Official Source and Further Reading
Specifications on this page reflect Union Public Service Commission's published requirements as of the latest notification, but exam authorities do revise these figures occasionally between cycles. Always check the current year's official notification on upsc.gov.in before submitting your final application.
Once your photo and signature are correctly sized, our JPG to PDF Converter can combine them into a single document if your UPSC form asks for a combined upload instead of two separate files.