PAN Card Application Photo and Signature Requirements

Applying for a new PAN card or making changes to your existing PAN through NSDL or UTIITSL requires uploading a photograph and signature in specific sizes and formats. Incorrect uploads are the leading cause of PAN application rejection, causing weeks of delays in processing.

The Income Tax Department mandates strict specifications for both the photograph and the signature uploaded during the PAN application process. This guide covers both NSDL (protean-tinpan.nsdl.com) and UTIITSL (utiitsl.com) platforms, as their requirements are identical.

PAN Card Photo Specifications

  • File Size: 20KB to 50KB
  • Dimensions: 200px × 230px (width × height)
  • Format: JPEG only
  • Background: Plain white or light-colored, no shadows
  • Other: No sunglasses, no cap (except religious headwear), neutral expression, both ears visible

PAN Card Signature Specifications

  • File Size: 10KB to 20KB
  • Dimensions: 200px × 230px (same as photo)
  • Format: JPEG only
  • Pen: Black or dark blue ink on white paper
  • Style: Sign inside a designated box, do not cross the boundaries

Step-by-Step: Compress PAN Photo to 20KB

  1. Take a fresh passport-style photo against a white background with even lighting.
  2. Open the PAN Card Compressor on CompressKaro — it presets both 200×230 pixel dimensions and 20KB file size automatically.
  3. Upload your photo by dragging and dropping the file onto the upload area.
  4. Adjust the quality slider until the real-time file size display shows exactly 20KB.
  5. Download the compressed JPEG — the file is ready to upload to NSDL or UTIITSL.

Step-by-Step: Compress PAN Signature to 10KB

  1. Sign on white paper using black or dark blue ink. Keep the signature within a roughly 2-inch square area.
  2. Scan or photograph the signature at a reasonable resolution (200-300 DPI is sufficient).
  3. Use the signature compressor to resize and compress the signature image to exactly 10KB at 200×230 pixel dimensions.
  4. Download and verify the output before uploading to the PAN application portal.

Why PAN Applications Get Rejected

Beyond file size and dimensions, these factors cause frequent PAN application rejections:

  • Blurry photo: The uploaded photo must be clear and in focus. A blurred photo will be rejected even if the file size is correct.
  • Signature outside box: Your signature must be entirely within the scanned area. Cropped or clipped signatures are rejected.
  • File format mismatch: Only JPEG is accepted. Uploading PNG images, even with a .jpg extension, will fail validation.
  • Wrong dimensions: Both photo and signature must be exactly 200×230 pixels. Any deviation triggers rejection.

Privacy First: Process PAN Documents Locally

Your PAN application contains sensitive personal information. CompressKaro processes all images locally in your browser — no uploads, no servers, no data leaks. Your photo and signature never leave your computer, ensuring complete privacy during the document preparation process.