PAN Card Photo Size and Signature Size: NSDL (Protean) vs UTI

The PAN card photo size is 3.5 cm x 2.5 cm (3.5 cm high, 2.5 cm wide), the same as the photo box on Form 49A. For the signature, scanned online applications have used about 2 cm x 4.5 cm. Online uploads also have strict file limits: the Protean (formerly NSDL) scanning specification has been reported as 200 DPI, with a photo of up to about 20 KB, a signature of up to about 10 KB, and supporting documents as PDF up to 300 KB. UTIITSL's portal is commonly described with a 213 x 213 px photo. Check the limits shown on the portal you use, as they are the final word.

PAN card photo and signature size at a glance

The pixel values above are simply the cm sizes converted at 200 DPI. We could not open the official Protean specification page while writing this, so treat the KB limits as reported values and confirm them on the portal.

Protean (NSDL) vs UTIITSL: what is different?

PAN applications are processed by two agencies for the Income Tax Department: Protean eGov Technologies (the new name of NSDL e-Gov) and UTIITSL. Both accept new PAN and correction applications, but their upload screens differ:

• Protean (NSDL): asks for scans at 200 DPI. Photo in colour at 3.5 x 2.5 cm, signature around 2 x 4.5 cm, documents as PDF up to 300 KB, as reported.
• UTIITSL: a square photo of 213 x 213 px is widely quoted, with a small JPG size. Signature sizes quoted by guides vary.

The government has also announced PAN 2.0, a project to bring PAN services onto one platform, so upload screens may change. If the portal shows a different limit from this page, follow the portal.

When you do not need a photo at all

• Aadhaar-based e-KYC applications commonly use the photo from your Aadhaar record, so there may be no photo or signature upload.
• Instant e-PAN on the income tax e-filing portal is Aadhaar-based and free, for people who do not yet have a PAN.
• Paper applications need a printed photo pasted on the form, not a file.

You need the resizers below when you apply with scanned documents, for example for a correction with a new photo or signature.

How to make the PAN card photo

1. Take a recent colour photo against a plain white background, face straight, no cap or dark glasses.
2. Crop it to passport style with your face and shoulders.
3. Open the PAN card photo resizer. Its preset is 213 x 213 px, 5–30 KB, the commonly quoted online size.
4. For Protean (NSDL), change the width and height to 197 x 276 (3.5 x 2.5 cm portrait at 200 DPI) and the maximum to 20 KB, or to whatever the portal states.
5. Download photo.jpg, check that your face is clear, and upload it.

PAN card photo resize to 50 KB or 300 KB

Searches for "PAN card photo resize 50 KB" or "300 KB" mix up different limits. 300 KB is the limit for supporting document PDFs, not the photo. The photo limit on PAN portals is much smaller. A photo that is too heavy for the portal is the most common upload error, so start with the limit the screen shows.

How to make the PAN card signature

1. Sign on plain white paper in black ink in your normal running signature.
2. Photograph it flat in daylight and crop it tightly.
3. Open the PAN card signature resizer. Its preset is 400 x 200 px, under 30 KB, with black & white on.
4. For Protean's scanned route, change it to about 354 x 157 px (4.5 x 2 cm at 200 DPI) and lower the maximum to the portal's limit (reported as around 10 KB).
5. Download signature.jpg and check that the strokes are clear.

Your PAN signature will be printed on the card and used for verification later, so make it the signature you use on your bank account and other documents. Our guide on making a signature clear for online forms has more tips.

Supporting documents (PDF up to 300 KB)

Proof of identity, address and date of birth are uploaded as PDFs. Scan or photograph each page, combine them with JPG to PDF if needed, and shrink the result with compress PDF to 300 KB. Make sure every page is readable after compression; a blurry Aadhaar or certificate is a common reason for a PAN application to be returned.

For phone scanning tips, see how to scan documents with your phone to PDF.

Common PAN upload problems

• Photo too large for a portal limit of 20–30 KB.
• Square photo uploaded where a portrait is expected, or the other way round. Match the portal's shape.
• Signature in a different style from your bank or Aadhaar records.
• Documents over 300 KB, or unreadable after heavy compression.
• HEIC photo from an iPhone. Convert with HEIC to JPG first.
• Name mismatch between the form and the documents, which no photo fix can solve.

All our resizers run in your browser, so your photo, signature and ID documents are not uploaded to any server while you prepare them.

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