The OCI services portal is pickier about the photo file than almost anything else in the application — and whether the upload fails outright or the photo comes back rejected, it rarely tells you why. In practice it is nearly always one of three file problems, and sometimes the signature file beside it. Here they are, quickest first.
Fix it automatically — see the result free Free compliance check · download for $16.99at CVS; ours is $9.99 if it passes · refunded if the government rejects it
Updated August 7, 2026
Why this happens
Where the official OCI photo specification publishes no digital value, the figures on this page are derived from its print specification — the same basis our own checks are built on.
Which message are you seeing?
The classic silent loop: the portal declined the file and said nothing. It is nearly always format or size — a JPEG inside 8 KB – 200 KB — and a photo saved with unusual encoding options can loop even when the size looks right. Re-export it plainly from any image editor and try again.
The file went through and the check said no. Measure it against the spec: 900×900 pixels, square, head at 49–69% of the photo's height, eyes 55–69% up from the bottom of the photo, background: Plain, light-coloured background — then fix the one rule that misses and upload again.
The fix
Or skip the hand work: upload any selfie and we return 900×900 JPEG · 8 KB–200 KB · plain light background, every measurement checked and shown to you free before you pay.
Fix it automatically →The numbers
Every figure below is transcribed from the official source linked at the bottom of this page — the same numbers our checks measure against:
| Photo size | 900×900 pixels, square† (derived from official print specification) |
|---|---|
| File size | 8 KB – 200 KB† (derived from official print specification) |
| Format | JPEG† (derived from official print specification) |
| Head height | 49–69% of the photo's height |
| Eye height | 55–69% up from the bottom of the photo† (derived from official print specification) |
| Background | Plain, light-coloured background |
† Derived from the official print specification — the source publishes no digital value for this item.
Rejected by the portal? We refund you.
Email us with your order id and the full amount goes back to your card. No screenshots, no proof — just tell us it was rejected.
30 DAYS FROM PURCHASE · NO PROOF UPLOADS · EVERY MEASUREMENT CHECKED AGAINST THE PUBLISHED GOVERNMENT SPEC BEFORE YOU PAY
Questions
The government publishes a print specification rather than a digital one, so we build to figures derived from it: a JPEG at 900×900 pixels, square, with the file inside 8 KB – 200 KB. Those are the same numbers our checks measure against.
A silent failure is still usually the file. Check format, shape, and size in that order — all three are visible in your photo file details — and retry in a fresh browser session once the file is right.
Often, yes. The portal takes the photo and a signature image in the same step, and either file can sink it. The signature is a wide strip scanned from paper — same format rule, JPEG — so when a compliant photo keeps failing, re-export the signature file too and try the pair again.
Same fix. A rejection after upload means the check measured the photo and found a miss: 900×900 pixels, square, head at 49–69% of the photo's height, eyes 55–69% up from the bottom of the photo, background: Plain, light-coloured background. Our free check report names the exact rule that failed, so the next attempt is the last.
If it is sharp, straight-on, and your head has room around it — yes: framing, background, shape, and file size are all fixable after the fact. Blur and hard shadows are not; those need a retake.
Open the refund link in your receipt, tell us it was rejected, and the money goes back to your card on the spot — no screenshots, no forms. Covers thirty days from purchase.