Resize a photo for a PAN card
Resize your photo for a PAN application: colour JPG at 3.5 × 2.5 cm and 200 DPI, under 20 KB. Free, and your photo is never uploaded.
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A PAN application through Protean (formerly NSDL) wants a small colour JPG, and the upload fails if the photo is too heavy. This page crops your photo to the right shape, sizes it for 200 DPI and compresses it under 20 KB, the strictest limit Protean publishes.
Which limit applies: 20 KB or 50 KB?
Protean publishes two figures. Its Form 49A instructions list the photo as 3.5 × 2.5 cm at 200 DPI, colour JPEG, maximum 20 KB. A how-to article on its main site says maximum 50 KB and 5 × 2.5 cm.
A file under 20 KB passes both ceilings, which is why this page aims there. If the form in front of you states another size, follow the form: it is the one checking your upload.
What the size means in pixels
At 200 DPI, 2.5 cm wide by 3.5 cm high is 197 × 276 pixels, and that is what this page writes. The photo is cropped from the centre to fit, so start with one where your face is in the middle and there is space around your head.
Getting a clean result
Use a recent colour photo against a plain light background, taken straight on. A busy background costs bytes that should go on your face, and is the first thing to look wrong at this size.
Where these numbers come from
Checked in October 2026. Rules change with each notification, so the form or notice in front of you always wins.
Questions
What size should a PAN card photo be?
On Protean's Form 49A instructions: 3.5 × 2.5 cm, 200 DPI, colour JPEG, maximum 20 KB. That works out to 197 × 276 pixels.
Does this work for UTIITSL as well?
UTIITSL runs its own portal, and we could not confirm its current figures from an official source. Check the size stated on its form, then use Make It Fit for that limit.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. It is resized in your browser and stays on your device, which matters for a document tied to your identity.