India visa photo requirements — MHA eVisa portal rules

MHA / COVA eVisa portal spec

The Indian eVisa is processed through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Bureau of Immigration portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in (also reached via the COVA upload flow used by several Indian missions abroad). The portal accepts square JPG photos between 10 KB and 1 MB.

The same square-format spec is also required for OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) and PIO conversion applications. Paper visa applications at Indian embassies typically accept the same photo printed at 2×2 inches.

Background and framing

Background must be plain white. The MHA portal is strict on background uniformity — any visible shadow, gradient or texture behind the head causes upload rejection. The wall behind you should be lit independently to avoid shadow cast-off.

The face must be centered, occupying 50-70% of the frame height. Head must be straight, both ears visible where possible (an MHA preference), shoulders square to camera.

Expression, glasses and accessories

Expression must be neutral with the mouth closed. Eyes open, looking directly at the lens. The MHA biometric checker rejects smiles with visible teeth and any raised eyebrow or partially closed eye.

Glasses are not permitted — clear, prescription, sunglasses or tinted. Bindi and other small religious or cultural marks on the forehead are accepted. Nose rings, ear studs and small everyday jewellery are accepted as long as they don't reflect light strongly.

Digital editing and file format

The eVisa portal accepts JPG only — PNG, HEIC and PDF are rejected at upload. File size must be between 10 KB and 1 MB; resolution at minimum 350 DPI gives a comfortable margin.

Digital editing is limited to brightness, contrast, crop and resize. AI-generated or heavily filtered photos are flagged by the MHA's automated review and can trigger a manual investigation that delays the eVisa by 5-7 working days.

Child applicants and head coverings

Children of any age must follow the same square format and white-background spec. For infants, expression rules are eased — eyes may be partly closed, mouth may be open. The child must be alone in the frame.

Religious head coverings (hijab, turban, dastar) are accepted only if the face is fully visible from chin to forehead. The Indian eVisa does not require a supporting letter for daily religious use.

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