TGPhotos for an Indian visa: requirements and the usual reasons for refusal
A square frame, a light background, no glasses. Here are the portal’s requirements and why photos get rejected.
The photograph is the single most common reason an Indian visa application comes back. The portal’s requirements are specific, and part of the checking is automated — there is no point explaining to software that “you can see everything just fine”.
Technical requirements
- JPEG format
- A square frame: width equal to height
- Between 350×350 and 1000×1000 pixels
- File size between 10 KB and 1 MB
- A plain background, white or light, with no shadows
- Taken within the last 6 months
What has to be in the frame
The face straight on and complete, from the crown of the head to the chin. Look directly at the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed. Take off your glasses — they are not allowed for the e-visa. Headwear only for religious reasons, and the face must still be fully visible.
Why photos get rejected
- A photograph of a printed photograph. Scanning a paper shot brings glare, a grey background and lost sharpness — those files are rejected
- An arm’s-length phone selfie: the face is at an angle and distorted
- A shadow on the wall behind you — the background is no longer plain
- The frame is cropped: the top of the head did not fit, or the chin is cut off
- The photo is rectangular when a square is required
- The file is too small after a messenger compressed it — under 10 KB
How to take it properly at home
Stand facing a window with your back to a white wall, half a metre to a metre away from it — that keeps shadows off the background. Ask someone to shoot from eye level, not from below or above. Then crop to a square so the head fills most of the frame.
If you would rather not bother, we have a separate service: upload an ordinary photo, we bring it up to the requirements and tell you straight away whether it will pass or needs retaking — before filing, not after a refusal.
