What is the UPSC photo size limit?

The UPSC photo must be a JPG/JPEG between 20 KB and 200 KB. The file must be named exactly photo.jpg — the URN portal checks the filename. Your face has to cover at least 75% of the frame on a plain white background, both ear lobes visible, eyes open, neutral expression. Use the UPSC Photo Resizer on BharatTools — it crops to spec, sets white background, lands inside the 20–200 KB band, and names the output photo.jpg automatically.

What is the UPSC triple signature requirement?

UPSC's URN system requires three vertical signatures on a single image. Take a plain white sheet (no lines), use a black ink pen, sign three times one below the other with distinct gaps, then scan all three together. The resulting JPG must be between 20 KB and 100 KB, dimensions between 350×350 and 500×500 pixels, and named signature.jpg. If your scan is too large, use BharatTools Image Compressor with a custom 100 KB target.

What is the URN and why is it irreversible?

URN stands for Universal Registration Number. It is the permanent ID UPSC issues you when you first complete Card 2. Once generated, you are only allowed one lifetime opportunity to edit your URN profile fields (name spellings, DOB, parents' names, Class 10 roll number, security questions). Triple-check every field on the preview screen before clicking submit — typos here haunt every UPSC exam you ever sit for.

What is the UPSC live photo capture step?

During Card 3 the portal asks you to take a live photograph — either via your laptop's webcam or by scanning an on-screen QR code on your phone. The portal's AI then cross-references this live photo against the photo.jpg you uploaded. If the system flags a visual mismatch (different person, heavy filter, wildly different lighting) it halts your application. Sit in a well-lit space against a plain wall, look directly at the camera, and keep the lens at face level.

What ID proof PDF do I need for UPSC?

A single PDF between 50 KB and 300 KB containing Aadhaar, Voter ID, PAN, Passport, or Driving Licence. Aadhaar is the recommended option for smoother downstream processing (DigiLocker fetch, e-KYC). If your scan is a JPG, use BharatTools JPG to PDF first; if the PDF exceeds 300 KB, follow it with PDF Compressor — both run locally in your browser.

Who is exempt from the UPSC application fee?

Female candidates and candidates from SC, ST and PwBD categories are entirely exempt from the ₹100 application fee. Male candidates from General, OBC and EWS categories pay ₹100 via UPI, Net Banking, Credit/Debit Card, or by generating an offline SBI Cash Challan. The Card 4 module computes your fee automatically based on category data entered in the CAF (Card 3).

Are my UPSC documents uploaded to BharatTools servers?

No. Every BharatTools tool runs entirely in your browser. Your photo, triple-signature scan, and ID proof PDF never leave your device — you can verify by opening DevTools Network tab while you process. We don't see your file. We don't store it. We don't need to. This matters especially for UPSC where the ID PDF contains Aadhaar/PAN.

Why does the UPSC portal reject my photo?

Common reasons: (1) filename is not exactly photo.jpg — the URN portal is filename-strict; (2) outside the 20–200 KB band; (3) background not pure white, or visible shadows; (4) face less than 75% of the frame, or ear lobes hidden; (5) the live-photo step flagged a mismatch with your uploaded photo. The UPSC Photo Resizer fixes 1–3 in one pass; 4–5 need a fresh shot in better lighting.

How to Fill the UPSC Application Form (URN System)

Step-by-step guide to the 4-card portal at upsconline.nic.in — Account, URN, Common Application Form, Exam Module. Photo 20–200 KB, triple-signature 20–100 KB, ID PDF 50–300 KB. Use the in-browser tools we link inline; nothing leaves your device.

Updated June 2026

What you'll need before you start

Class 10 certificate — for name spellings, DOB, board roll number (must match exactly; URN is one-shot editable).
Recent passport-style photo — colour, plain white background, JPG between 20 KB and 200 KB, named photo.jpg, face covers 75% of frame, both ear lobes visible.
Triple-signature scan — three vertical signatures in black ink on plain white paper, JPG between 20 KB and 100 KB, 350×350 to 500×500 px, named signature.jpg.
Photo ID proof as PDF — Aadhaar (recommended), Voter ID, PAN, Passport, or Driving Licence, PDF between 50 KB and 300 KB.
Category / Income certificate — if applying under reservation (OBC, SC, ST, EWS), keep the certificate number, issuing authority and issue date handy.
Working mobile number and email — both verified by OTP during Card 1.
UPI / debit card / net banking — for the ₹100 application fee (male General/OBC/EWS only; female, SC, ST, PwBD are exempt).
Webcam or phone — for the mandatory live photo capture during Card 3. A well-lit spot against a plain wall.

UPSC 2026 file specifications

The URN portal filters out anything that misses these — wrong format, wrong size, wrong filename. Match the spec exactly.

Field	Photo	Signature	ID proof
Format	JPG / JPEG	JPG / JPEG	PDF
File size	20 KB – 200 KB	20 KB – 100 KB	50 KB – 300 KB
Dimensions	Square, face 75% of frame	350×350 to 500×500 px	—
Filename	`photo.jpg`	`signature.jpg`	Any
Background / paper	Plain white, no shadow	White paper, no lines	—
Other	Both ear lobes visible; wear glasses/beard if you wear them daily	Three signatures, vertical, black ink, distinct gaps	Aadhaar recommended

The URN is permanent. Edit window is one-shot.

Card 2 generates your Universal Registration Number. Until you click submit on that card you can edit freely. After submission, UPSC allows onelifetime modification to your URN profile — and that's it. Your name spelling, parents' names, DOB, Class 10 roll number and security questions carry through every UPSC exam you ever sit for. Cross-check every character on the preview screen before submitting Card 2.

The 4-card portal walkthrough

Card 1Account creation

Card 2Universal Registration Number (URN)

Card 3Common Application Form (CAF)

Card 4Exam module, centres & fee

Card 1 — Account creation

Go to upsconline.nic.in. You will see four distinct cards on the homepage — complete them in sequence. Click Create Account. Enter your active email ID, click Send OTP, retrieve the code from your inbox and confirm. Repeat for your mobile number using the separate SMS OTP. Set a password and answer the security prompt.

Use credentials you will still have access to in five years — UPSC keeps your candidate record indefinitely against your URN, and password recovery routes back through this email and mobile.

Step 1 of 4

Tools used in this guide

UPSC Photo Resizer

Square crop, 20–200 KB JPG, pure white background. Outputs photo.jpg ready for the URN portal.

Image Compressor — 100 KB

Drop the triple-signature scan; binary-search JPEG lands at or under 100 KB.

JPG / Image to PDF

Combine Aadhaar / PAN scans into one PDF. Reorder, rotate, A4 or Letter.

PDF Compressor

Shrink ID-proof PDFs under UPSC's 300 KB cap. Browser-only.

Why use BharatTools instead of uploading to a PDF site?

Every tool linked above runs locally in your browser — your photo, signature, and Aadhaar/PAN PDF never touch a server. Open DevTools Network tab while you compress: zero requests. For UPSC this matters more than usual — the ID proof PDF contains Aadhaar or PAN, and you do not want a copy of that sitting on a third-party host. You can also send files between your phone and a print shop without WhatsApp using Quick Send, a peer-to-peer transfer that doesn't store anything either.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to prepare your UPSC photo?

The UPSC Photo Resizer handles the square crop, KB target, and white background in one pass — output named photo.jpg, ready for the URN portal.

Open UPSC Photo Resizer →

Specifications based on the UPSC URN portal notification (upsconline.nic.in) as of Updated June 2026. Always cross-check the current exam notification at upsconline.nic.in before submitting — UPSC occasionally revises file-size bands and filename rules between cycles.