Indian Passport Surrender Photo: Size and Rules for UK Applicants

Do You Need a Photo to Surrender Your Indian Passport?

Yes. India doesn't allow dual citizenship, so when you become a British citizen you must surrender your Indian passport. The surrender application, which you need before you can apply for an OCI card, asks for recent passport-style photos.

In the UK, the High Commission of India in London and the consulates in Birmingham and Edinburgh handle surrender applications through an outsourced service provider. You fill in the online form, print it, attach your photos and submit it with your old Indian passport and proof of British citizenship.

A photo that's the wrong size, has a shadow or has a coloured background is one of the most common reasons an application gets sent back. This guide shows you how to get it right.

Indian Passport Surrender Photo Requirements

Always check the current checklist from your service provider before you print, because the photo rules for Indian consular services in the UK have changed over the years and can differ by service. These are the typical requirements:

Requirement	Typical rule
Size	35 × 45 mm (some checklists still ask for 2 × 2 inches / 51 × 51 mm)
Number of photos	Usually two identical photos
Background	Plain white, with no shadows or patterns
Age of photo	Taken recently, not reused from an old passport
Face	Full face, front view, eyes open, neutral expression
Head size	Face should fill most of the frame, from the top of the head to the chin
Glasses	Best removed to avoid glare and frames covering your eyes
Head covering	Only for religious reasons, with your full face visible
Finish	Colour, printed on good-quality photo paper, not a home printout on plain paper

India's newer passport photo rules follow the ICAO standard used by most countries, which is why 35 × 45 mm is now the common size. If you want to understand what that standard covers, this ICAO standard photo resource explains the international rules for face position, lighting and background that passport authorities rely on.

How to Take an Indian Passport Surrender Photo at Home in 6 Steps

1. Check your service provider's photo checklist. Open the current surrender checklist from the High Commission of India in London or its outsourced service provider. Note the photo size, the number of photos and whether they must be signed or pasted on the form.
2. Stand against a plain white background. Use a plain white wall or sheet with no pattern, texture or objects. Stand about half a metre away from it so you don't cast a shadow.
3. Use soft, even daylight. Face a window during the day so light falls evenly on both sides of your face. Turn off the flash and avoid overhead lights.
4. Take the photo straight on. Put your phone at eye level about one to one and a half metres away. Face the camera with your head upright, a neutral expression, mouth closed and both eyes open.
5. Crop to the required size. Crop the photo to the size on your checklist, usually 35 × 45 mm or 2 × 2 inches, with your full face, ears and the top of your shoulders in the frame.
6. Print and check before you submit. Print the photos on matte or semi-gloss photo paper at the exact size. Check them against the checklist before you take them to your appointment.

Our Indian passport photo maker crops your picture to 35 × 45 mm with a white background, and our 35 × 45 mm photo size guide explains how the measurements work.

35 × 45 mm or 2 × 2 Inches: Which Size Do You Need?

For many years, Indian passport and consular services in the UK asked for a square 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) photo. Indian passport photos now generally follow the international 35 × 45 mm format, but surrender checklists aren't always updated at the same time.

• If your checklist says 35 × 45 mm, use a standard passport-size photo, the same size as a UK passport photo.
• If your checklist says 2 × 2 inches, use a square photo. Don't stretch a 35 × 45 mm photo to fit.
• If it doesn't say, contact your service provider before you print, rather than guessing.

Whichever size you need, the face and background rules are the same. A photo that meets the ICAO compliant passport photo rules for face size, centring and a plain background is the safest starting point, and you only need to change the crop.

Can I Use the Same Photo for My Surrender Certificate and OCI Card?

Usually, but check the size first. You'll typically apply for your OCI card after you receive your surrender certificate. The OCI application also asks for a photo, often as a digital upload with its own pixel and file size limits, plus printed copies for your appointment.

If you take a sharp, evenly lit photo against a white background, you can crop the same picture for both applications. Just make sure it's still recent when you apply for the OCI card, as you shouldn't reuse a photo that's several months old. Our image to passport size converter can help you resize one photo for different forms.

Common Mistakes With Indian Passport Surrender Photos

• Using the wrong size. A 35 × 45 mm photo isn't the same as a 2 × 2 inch photo. Check the checklist.
• An off-white or grey background. Indian services usually ask for plain white, not the light grey accepted for UK passports.
• Shadows behind your head. Step away from the wall and face the window.
• Your head is too small in the frame. Your face should fill most of the photo, not sit in the middle of a lot of background.
• Glare on glasses. Take them off unless you have a medical reason to keep them on.
• Printing on plain paper. Home printouts on office paper are often rejected. Use photo paper or a print shop.
• Reusing your old Indian passport photo. The photo must be recent and show how you look now.

Check Your Photo Before Your Appointment

Before you print, run your photo through our passport photo checker to spot common problems such as shadows, a tilted head or a face that's too small. It's designed around UK rules, but the checks for lighting, centring and head size apply to Indian photos too. If your background isn't quite white, our ICAO standards photo tool can replace it and crop your picture to the right format.