🇮🇳 OCI card Photo Maker
Free OCI card photo maker: upload any portrait and get a 51 × 51 mm ID size photo with a plain light — not pure white background, checked against the India rules and ready to print. Runs in your browser — your photo is never uploaded.
1Choose the document
- Photo size
- 51 × 51 mm
- Head height
- 25–35 mm
- Background
- Plain light — not pure white
- Output
- 1200 × 1200 px · 600 dpi
Official requirements
- Colour photo, 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in)
- Head from top of hair to chin: 25–35 mm
- Eye line 29–35 mm above the bottom edge
- Plain light — not pure white background
- Full face, front view, looking straight at the camera
- Eyes open, level and clearly visible — no hair across the eyes
- Natural expression with the mouth closed
- Even lighting — no shadows on the face or the background
- Colour photo, sharp, printed on photo paper with no retouching
- Glasses: only without glare or tint and with frames not covering the eyes — safest without
- Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons, with the full face visible from chin to forehead
- Taken within the last 6 months
2Upload your photo
3Compliance check & download
Upload a photo and it will be cropped to the exact size, then checked against every measurable rule for the document you chose.
OCI card photo requirements
The tool measures the first four rules for you and checks lighting, pose, expression, sharpness and background automatically. The rest are listed so you can check them by eye.
- ✓Colour photo, 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in)
- ✓Head from top of hair to chin: 25–35 mm
- ✓Eye line 29–35 mm above the bottom edge
- ✓Plain light — not pure white background
- ✓Full face, front view, looking straight at the camera
- ✓Eyes open, level and clearly visible — no hair across the eyes
- ✓Natural expression with the mouth closed
- ✓Even lighting — no shadows on the face or the background
- ✓Colour photo, sharp, printed on photo paper with no retouching
- ✓Glasses: only without glare or tint and with frames not covering the eyes — safest without
- ✓Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons, with the full face visible from chin to forehead
- ✓Taken within the last 6 months
Specific to India
- Online / digital submission: Photo: square JPEG, at least 200 × 200 px and at most 900 × 900 px, under 200 KB, no border, face about 80 % of the frame. Signature: JPEG under 200 KB, a landscape strip with height : width of 1 : 3 (for example 600 × 200 px), dark ink on plain white paper; typed signatures are rejected.
- Printed copies: None for the online upload; 2 × 2 × 2 in prints are often requested by VFS or the mission for physical submission
- The OCI portal wants a plain light background that is not pure white, so the photo contrasts with the card's white border.
- Children under 1 need not have their eyes open.
Source: OCI Services (MHA) – FAQ and photo specification. Last reviewed 2026-09-20. Always confirm against your application form — the issuing authority has the final say.
How to make an OCI card photo at home
- 1
Take the photo
Stand 0.5–1 m in front of a plain light wall, face a window, camera at eye level 1.5–2 m away. Neutral expression, mouth closed.
- 2
Upload it here
The face is detected, the head is levelled and the crop is set so the head measures 31 mm — inside the 25–35 mm range.
- 3
Fix anything flagged
Each check tells you what is wrong in millimetres — zoom, move, or retake. The background is replaced with the required colour.
- 4
Download & print
Save the single photo, the file for online forms or the 4 × 6 sheet (6 photos) and print at 100% on photo paper.
Full details in the photo-taking guide and the accepted vs rejected examples.
OCI card photo — questions
What size is an OCI card photo?＋
51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in). The head, measured from the top of the hair to the chin, must be 25–35 mm, with the eyes 29–35 mm above the bottom edge.
What is the OCI card photo size in pixels?＋
At 300 dpi a 51 × 51 mm photo is 600 × 600 px; at 600 dpi it is 1200 × 1200 px. This tool exports at 600 dpi. For online submission: Photo: square JPEG, at least 200 × 200 px and at most 900 × 900 px, under 200 KB, no border, face about 80 % of the frame. Signature: JPEG under 200 KB, a landscape strip with height : width of 1 : 3 (for example 600 × 200 px), dark ink on plain white paper; typed signatures are rejected.
What background colour is required?＋
Plain light — not pure white. The tool replaces your background with the required colour automatically, or you can switch that off and it will check your real background instead.
Can I wear glasses in an OCI card photo?＋
Only without glare or tint and with frames not covering the eyes — safest without.
Are head coverings allowed?＋
Only for religious or medical reasons, with the full face visible from chin to forehead.
How do I print OCI card photos at home?＋
Download the 4 × 6 inch sheet — it holds 6 photos with cut lines — and print it at 100% / actual size on photo paper, then cut along the grey lines. The file carries 600 dpi so it prints at the true size.
Related photo sizes
Ready? Make your OCI card photo now — free, in your browser.
Make my photo →