A PAN card application (Form 49A) asks for both a photograph and a signature, each within set limits — and the two portals, NSDL/Protean and UTIITSL, use *different* dimensions. Because PAN underpins KYC across banks and investments, the upload validation is strict. Here's how to prepare both correctly the first time.
Exact specs by portal
| Portal | Photo | Signature | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSDL / Protean | 197×276 px, under 50 KB | 354×157 px, under 20 KB | JPG |
| UTIITSL | 213×213 px, under 30 KB | 400×200 px, under 20 KB | JPG |
Photo requirements
Both portals want a recent colour passport-style photograph on a plain white/light background, saved as a JPG within the small size limit above. Scan or shoot at around 200 DPI for a clean result, then resize with the PAN Card Photo Resize tool or hit the limit with Compress Image to 20KB.
Signature requirements
Sign in black or dark-blue ink on white paper, scan it cleanly (≥200 DPI) and crop tight. Then size it to your portal's exact pixel dimensions and under 20KB with Signature Resize to 20KB. A high-contrast scan compresses easily without becoming illegible.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the photo size for a PAN card application?
- On NSDL/Protean the photo is 197×276 px under 50KB; on UTIITSL it's 213×213 px under 30KB. Both are JPG on a plain light background.
- What is the signature size for PAN Form 49A?
- NSDL/Protean wants 354×157 px and UTIITSL wants 400×200 px, both under 20KB as a JPG, signed in black or dark-blue ink on white paper.
- Why does my PAN signature keep getting rejected?
- Almost always because it's sized to the photo's dimensions instead of the signature's. Resize the signature to its own spec (354×157 for NSDL, 400×200 for UTIITSL).