India · OCI card
OCI card photo
The OCI photo is a square, unlike the Indian passport's rectangle: at least 51 x 51 mm printed, 200 x 200 to 900 x 900 pixels as a JPEG under 200 KB online, on a plain light background the Ministry's FAQ says is not white. The application also needs a separate signature image, which we don't make — the photo we do. Check it free before you upload.
The check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file — $4.99, or $6.99 with a 4 × 6 in print sheet.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies.
- Printed size
- 1 × 51 × 51 mm
- Print rules
- VFS Global requires the physical photo affixed to the form to be identical to the uploaded file — print the same file you upload. The MHA PDF asks for continuous-tone photo paper with no visible pixels.
- Digital file
- JPEG/JPG · 200 × 200 to 900 × 900 px · 200 kB max
- Head size
- 25–35 mm chin to crown
- Background
- Plain light-coloured — the OCI FAQ rules out pure white
- Glasses
- Not banned outright: the MHA PDF rules out tinted or dark lenses and glare on clear lenses. Removing them removes the glare problem entirely.
Not fully verified. Pixel, byte, format and background rules come straight from the MHA OCI FAQ and specification PDF. The head-size rule is where official sources conflict: the MHA PDF says 25–35 mm while HCI Ottawa's PDF says 35–40 mm on the identical layout. We check against the MHA figure and show both to you.
About background editing. The MHA PDF bans retouched or enhanced photos and the FAQ rules out a white background — a replacement composite could fail both. Off by default.
What the free check covers
We measure
- Head size against the published window
- Eye position, where the authority sets one
- Head tilt and rotation
- Background brightness and evenness
- Sharpness and exposure
Only you can confirm
- Glasses — we can't reliably detect them, so we flag rather than pass
- Expression and mouth position
- Red eye
- Filters, retouching or AI edits made before upload
We are an independent service, not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority always makes the final decision — a pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check.