RRB Photo Size and Signature Size: NTPC, Group D, ALP Guide

For current Railway Recruitment Board forms, the photo is captured live on the portal through a webcam or phone camera, so you do not upload a photo file. You upload a signature as a JPG/JPEG of 30–49 KB, at least 140 x 60 pixels, signed in black ink inside a 35 x 20 mm box (as reported for RRB NTPC 2026). Older RRB notices used a 30–70 KB JPG for both photo and signature, and you may still see those numbers in guides. The CEN (Centralised Employment Notice) for your post is the final word.

RRB upload specs at a glance

Item	Current process (NTPC 2026, reported)	Older RRB notices	Notes
Photo	Live capture on the portal	JPG, about 30–70 KB; some ask for a 3.5 x 4.5 cm portrait	Do not use old specs for the live photo
Signature	JPG/JPEG, 30–49 KB, at least 140 x 60 px	JPG, about 30–70 KB	Black ink, running handwriting
SC/ST certificate (free travel)	As per the CEN	JPG 50–100 KB or PDF up to 500 KB (older corrigendum)	Only if you claim free travel
Other certificates	As per the CEN	As per the CEN	Mostly checked at document verification

Guides for the 2025 cycle gave several conflicting photo and signature sizes (20–50 KB, 20–70 KB, 10–40 KB). That is a sign the rules shifted between notices, not that one guide was right. Go by your CEN.

RRB NTPC, Group D and ALP: the live photo

RRB has moved to a live photo taken during the application, like SSC. Older advice to "resize your photo to 20–50 KB" does not apply when the portal is taking the photo itself.

For a clean live photo:

Sit in front of a plain light wall with light falling on your face, not from behind.
Remove caps, masks and dark glasses.
Look straight at the camera and keep it at eye level.
If the capture is rejected, move somewhere brighter rather than retrying in the same spot.

Keep a few printed passport photos ready anyway. Admit cards, the exam centre and document verification commonly ask for them. If a CEN or a later step asks for a photo file, the RRB photo resizer helps (see below).

How to make the RRB signature (30–49 KB)

Sign in black ink on plain white paper. Use your running handwriting, not capital letters.
If the notice mentions a 35 x 20 mm box, draw a light pencil box of that size and sign inside it, so the shape is right.
Photograph it in daylight, flat and straight, and crop around the signature.
Open the exam photo resizer and pick Railway RRB signature from the list. Its preset is 140 x 60 px with a 30–70 KB range. Change the maximum to 49 KB to match the current rule.
Download signature.jpg and check that it is between 30 and 49 KB and readable.

30 KB is a high minimum for a small signature image. A 140 x 60 px signature naturally compresses to a few KB, so the tool pads the file to reach the minimum without changing the picture. If you prefer a larger image, increase the width and height (keeping the 7:3 shape, for example 280 x 120); RRB's rule is "at least" 140 x 60.

If you need an RRB photo file

Some RRB notices, other railway recruitments and later stages may still ask for a photo upload. The RRB photo resizer uses 320 x 240 px and 30–70 KB, which matches some older notices. Many RRB notices instead asked for a 3.5 x 4.5 cm portrait; in that case, change the width and height to a portrait such as 350 x 450 px, or choose a passport preset in the exam photo resizer. Always set the KB range from your CEN.

SC/ST certificate upload for free travel

SC and ST candidates can usually get a free rail travel pass for the exam by uploading the SC/ST certificate in the prescribed format. An older RRB corrigendum allowed it as a JPG of 50–100 KB or a PDF up to 500 KB.

To prepare it:

Scan or photograph the certificate flat, in good light, with every word readable.
If it is several pages or photos, combine them with JPG to PDF.
Shrink the PDF with compress PDF to 500 KB, and check that the text, seal and signature are still readable.

Some notices ask the certificate to be in a specific format printed in the CEN (for example, the format for OBC-NCL, SC or ST). Your certificate must be in that format for document verification, not just for travel.

Which RRB portal to use

RRB applications are made through the official RRB application portal linked from each regional RRB website (for NTPC 2026, rrbapply.gov.in). Do not apply through any other site. One application covers a CEN; you pick the RRB region and posts inside it.

For a similar live photo process, the SSC photo and signature guide covers the similar SSC live photo process, and our post on photo not uploading in online forms covers upload errors.

Common reasons RRB applications get stuck

Live photo rejected for poor light, glasses or a tilted camera.
Signature under 30 KB or over 49 KB, or in capital letters.
Using old photo specs from a previous cycle.
SC/ST certificate not in the prescribed format, or unreadable after compression.
Leaving the form to the last days, when the portal is slowest.

Read the CEN once, end to end, before you start. RRB notices are long, but the upload rules are in one section and take five minutes to check.

Questions

What is the RRB photo size?

In the current RRB process (for example NTPC 2026), the photo is captured live with a webcam or phone on the portal, so there is no photo file size to meet. Older RRB notices used a JPG photo of about 30–70 KB.

What is the RRB signature size?

For NTPC 2026 the signature is reported as a JPG/JPEG of 30–49 KB, at least 140 x 60 pixels, signed in black ink in running handwriting inside a 35 x 20 mm box. Check the CEN for your exam.

What size should the SC/ST certificate be for RRB?

The SC/ST certificate is uploaded by candidates who want the free rail travel pass for the exam. An older RRB corrigendum allowed a JPG of 50–100 KB or a PDF up to 500 KB. Use the format and limit in your CEN.

Is the photo and signature size the same for RRB NTPC, Group D and ALP?

All of them use the RRB online application portal, so the method is usually similar within a year. Each CEN sets its own rules, and specs have changed between cycles, so read the one for your post.