PAN card photo and signature size
Protean publishes two sets of limits. Its instructions for DSC-based applications say a maximum of 20 KB for the photo and 10 KB for the signature. Its January 2026 article on the scan-and-e-Sign route says a maximum of 50 KB for each, and gives the photo as 5 × 2.5 cm. A file under 20 KB and 10 KB passes both.
| Upload | Pixels | File size | Notice says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 197 × 276 | up to 20 KB | Colour JPEG, 200 DPI, 3.5 × 2.5 cm, max 20 KB (DSC instructions) or 50 KB (e-Sign article) |
| Signature | 354 × 157 | up to 10 KB | Colour JPEG, 200 DPI, 2 × 4.5 cm, max 10 KB (DSC instructions) or 50 KB (e-Sign article) |
Sources: Protean’s guidelines for DSC-based PAN applications and its article on uploading scanned documents (20 January 2026). At 200 DPI, 2.5 × 3.5 cm is 197 × 276 px and 4.5 × 2 cm is 354 × 157 px, which is what the tool makes. Supporting documents go up as PDF, up to 300 KB per page; Compress PDF can get a scan under that.
Checked against the official notices on by Sandesh Karwa. Rules change between exams and years: if your notice says something different, the notice wins.
Do you need to upload a photo at all?
Protean’s online PAN form offers three ways to submit:
- e-KYC uses your Aadhaar data and Aadhaar photo. You can’t choose your own photo, and there’s nothing to upload.
- Physical: you paste photos on the printed form and post it.
- Scanned images through e-Sign, or a DSC: you upload a photo, a signature and PDF proofs. This page is for this route.
How to resize your photo and signature for PAN
- Photo: a recent colour photo against a plain light background, face clearly visible. “PAN card · Photo” is already selected; frame head and shoulders.
- Click Resize. You get a 197 × 276 px JPEG under 20 KB.
- Signature: sign on plain white paper with a black pen. Protean warns against patterned or coloured paper. Choose “PAN card · Signature”, frame it and resize: 354 × 157 px, under 10 KB.
- Upload both in the form, with your proofs as PDF.
Common reasons PAN applications are held up
- Wrong document. Protean puts the application under “Objection” and emails and texts you; log in and upload the right one.
- File too big. Over the KB limit, the upload fails. The tool uses the highest quality that fits.
- Signature on lined, patterned or coloured paper. Protean asks for plain white paper and a black pen.
Your photo and signature stay on your device
The photo and signature are cropped and saved inside this browser tab, using your browser’s own canvas. Your face and signature are what someone needs to open accounts in your name, so they shouldn’t sit on a stranger’s server. The page’s security policy tells your browser to block uploads, so the files can’t leave your device even by accident. The only requests you’ll see are a few to Google Analytics, our visit counter, which never receives your files. Privacy policy
Questions
What is the photo size for a PAN card on NSDL (Protean)?
Protean’s instructions ask for a colour JPEG at 200 DPI, 3.5 × 2.5 cm, of at most 20 KB. Its January 2026 article on the e-Sign scanned route allows up to 50 KB. This tool makes a 197 × 276 px photo under 20 KB, which fits both.
What is the signature size for a PAN card?
A colour JPEG at 200 DPI, 2 × 4.5 cm. Protean’s DSC instructions cap it at 10 KB, its e-Sign article at 50 KB. The tool makes it 354 × 157 px and under 10 KB.
Do I need to upload a photo for e-KYC PAN?
No. With e-KYC, the PAN application uses your Aadhaar photo, and you can’t pick a different one. Photo and signature uploads apply when you submit scanned images through e-Sign or a DSC.
Does this work for UTI (UTIITSL) PAN?
UTIITSL is a separate agency with its own form, and we haven’t checked its limits. Read the size on its form and use Custom size in the tool with those numbers.