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Resize a photo for a PAN card application

Resize your photo to fit the PAN card upload limit of 20 KB, in your browser. Best quality that fits, no upload, no watermark. Confirm the limit against your own application.

Verified requirement

Photograph size
Maximum 20 KB
Dimensions
3.5 x 2.5 cm at 200 DPI
Format
Colour JPEG

Source: Protean (NSDL) TIN, official PAN application guidelines. Verified 2026-09-24. Specifications change per cycle and per post, confirm this against your own current application or notice before you upload.

The PAN photo upload limit

When you apply for a PAN card online through Protean (formerly NSDL), the photograph you upload has a maximum file size. Protean's official guidelines state the photo must be a colour JPEG, scanned at 200 DPI, about 3.5 by 2.5 cm, and no larger than 20 KB. A photo over that limit is refused at the upload step. This page pre-fills the resize target at 20 KB so you can drop your photo in and get a version that fits, at the best quality possible.

The tool shrinks the file in your browser. It searches the JPEG quality settings for the sharpest image that still fits under 20 KB, and only reduces the pixel dimensions if it has to. Nothing is uploaded, which matters when the file is a photo of your own face attached to a government identity application.

Confirm the limit against your own application

Portals and their rules change. UTIITSL, the other PAN operator, publishes different figures from Protean, and the correction and reprint forms can differ from the new-application form. Before you upload, check the exact photo requirement shown on your own application screen or in its instructions, and match this tool's target to that number. We are a resizing tool, not the authority on your application; the authority is the portal you are applying through.

Questions

Is Resize a photo for a PAN card application free?
Yes. Resize a photo for a PAN card application is completely free, with no account, no sign-up, and no usage limits. It runs entirely in your browser.
Do my files get uploaded?
No. Resize a photo for a PAN card application processes everything on your device, so your files never leave your browser. You can verify it yourself: open your browser's DevTools, watch the Network tab, and you'll see nothing gets sent.
How do I use Resize a photo for a PAN card application?
Resize your photo to fit the PAN card upload limit of 20 KB, in your browser. Just drop your image in above, everything happens locally in your browser, so it's instant and private.
Is there a file size limit?
There's no hard limit. Because Resize a photo for a PAN card application works locally, the only ceiling is your device's memory, larger files simply use more RAM. Nothing is capped by a server.

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