UPSC Photo and Signature Size 2026: Three Signatures and Live Photo
UPSC photo and signature size for the 2026 form, how to make the three-signature image, the live photo and face check, and why uploads get rejected.
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UPSC photo and signature size at a glance
The Common Application Form on UPSC's new portal asks for one photograph, one signature image and a live photo. Guides written from the 2026 notification agree on these figures:
- Photograph: JPG, 20 to 200 KB, plain white background, face covering about three quarters of the image, saved as "photo"
- Signature: JPG, 20 to 100 KB, 350 to 500 pixels, three signatures one below the other in black ink, saved as "signature"
- Live photo: taken through your webcam or phone camera while you fill the form, and matched with the uploaded photograph
A few guides list a wider photo range of up to 300 KB and a minimum of 350 pixels a side. A photo between 20 and 200 KB that is at least 350 pixels wide passes every version, which is what the resizer's UPSC preset produces.
These rules cover Civil Services and the other exams applied for through the same portal. The notification for your exam is the final word, so read its photograph and signature instructions once before you upload.
The photograph
Use a recent colour photo against a plain white background, with no shadows behind you or across your face. Face the camera with your head centred, eyes open and both ears visible, and keep your expression neutral. Caps, sunglasses and tinted glasses are not accepted; religious headwear is allowed if your face stays fully visible. Avoid beauty filters and editing apps, since UPSC checks the photo against your face at later stages.
UPSC also asks that your appearance matches the photo at every stage: Prelims, Mains and the Personality Test. If you upload a photo with a beard, spectacles or a moustache, keep that look through the whole cycle, or the face check at the exam centre can fail.
A phone photo works if someone else takes it at eye level, about a metre away, with daylight from a window in front of you.
Name and date on the photo: what changed
For the 2024 cycle, UPSC asked for a photo taken no more than 10 days before the application opened, with the candidate's name and the date of the photo printed on it. Many guides still repeat that rule.
For 2026 the picture is mixed. Some guides written from the new notification no longer mention a name and date, and at least one says the notification does not ask for them, while others still list both. Because the instruction can change from one cycle to the next, check the photograph section of your own notification:
- If it asks for the name and date, make the photo with our Photo with Name and Date tool and choose UPSC as the size
- If it does not, use a plain photo, which is accepted either way
Whichever applies, use a fresh photo. A photo from last year's attempt is the most common reason for a mismatch with your current appearance.
How to make the three-signature image
UPSC wants a single image showing your signature three times, one below the other. Done wrong, it is one of the most frequent reasons for a rejected form.
- Take a plain white sheet without lines and sign three times with a black pen, one under the other, leaving a finger's width of space between them
- Sign in your usual running hand, the same way each time, since this signature is compared with the attendance sheets at every stage
- Photograph the sheet in daylight with the phone flat above it, or scan it
- Frame all three signatures together, with a little white margin and nothing else on the page
Two signatures, four signatures, signatures side by side, blue ink, a typed or digital signature, or a rotated image are all reasons UPSC rejects the upload.
The live photo during the application
After uploading your photograph, the form asks you to capture a live photo. On a laptop it uses the webcam; you can also scan a QR code and take it with your phone. The live photo is compared with the uploaded one, and a clear mismatch can stop the application.
For a clean capture:
- Sit facing a window or bright lamp against a plain wall
- Remove caps, masks and dark glasses, and look straight at the camera
- Allow camera access when the browser asks; Chrome and Firefox work most reliably
- If the camera does not start, close other apps that might be using it and reload the page
Once you confirm the live photo, you cannot retake it in that session, so check the preview first.
Face authentication at the exam centre
UPSC now checks faces at the centre too. At entry, after your admit card and photo ID are checked, a camera photographs you and compares the image with your application photo, with fingerprint or manual checks if the match fails. It takes a few seconds per candidate.
This is why the photo you upload matters well beyond the form. Upload a recent, unedited photo, keep your appearance the same until the last stage, and carry the same photo ID you entered in the form.
Resize your UPSC photo and signature
Open the Exam Photo and Signature Resizer with UPSC selected:
Small files that would save below the 20 KB minimum are raised above it without changing the picture. Rename the downloads to "photo" and "signature" before uploading if your browser keeps the longer names. Everything runs in your browser, so the images stay on your device.
Photo or signature rejected? Causes and fixes
- File outside the KB range: make it again with the UPSC preset, which keeps it inside 20 to 200 KB for the photo and 20 to 100 KB for the signature
- Not JPG: UPSC accepts only JPG; the resizer always saves JPG
- Dark or patterned background: retake the photo against a plain white wall
- Glare on spectacles or hair over the eyes: tilt the glasses slightly or move the light, and pull hair back
- Signature in blue ink, typed or digital: sign three times in black ink on paper and photograph it
- Signatures side by side or the wrong number: sign three times, one below the other, and frame all three
- Live photo does not match: retake the uploaded photo so it is recent and looks like you today
If the portal refuses a file without explaining why, our guide to why upload forms say a file is too large covers the less obvious causes.
Common questions
Can I sign in blue ink? No. Recent instructions ask for black ink only for the signature.
Can I upload a digital or typed signature? No. It must be handwritten on paper and photographed or scanned.
Can I use the photo from last year's form? It is risky. UPSC expects a recent photo, and the live photo and exam-centre face check compare it with how you look now.
Do I need my name and date on the photo? Only if your 2026 notification asks for it. The 2024 cycle did, and guides disagree about 2026, so check your notice.
Can I grow a beard after uploading a clean-shaven photo? UPSC asks that your appearance matches the photo at every stage, so keep the look you uploaded until the cycle ends.
Before you submit
- Check that your name and date of birth match your Class 10 certificate exactly
- Open the photo and signature files and confirm they are upright, clear and inside the KB limits
- Review the Photo and Signature profile before locking the Common Application Form, since it cannot be edited after locking for that cycle
- Save your registration number, application number and the confirmation PDF
- Apply well before the last day; the portal slows down badly near the deadline
The UPSC preset in the resizer follows the figures in this guide. If your notification gives different numbers, choose Other / custom size and type them in.
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