Pakistan Passport Photo Requirements for Online Renewal and Prints

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP) uses one set of rules for the face and different file limits depending on the service. The table shows the printed photo, the online renewal file and the other DGIP e-services side by side.

The DGIP renewal page gives a file size limit but no pixel size. PhotoForPass uses 350 x 467 pixels, the size listed for other DGIP e-services, and compresses the file to 20 KB or less for renewal.

Many Pakistanis living in the US renew their passport online on the DGIP portal (onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk). The photo upload is the step that trips up most applicants, because the limit is tiny.

Why 20 KB is hard

A photo from a modern phone is usually 2 to 5 MB, or 100 to 250 times the DGIP renewal limit. Shrinking it with a generic tool often leaves a blurry, blocky face or a file that is still over 20 KB. The photo also has to stay sharp enough for the face, eyes and background to pass review.

Must not be edited in software

The DGIP renewal page says the photo must not be edited in software. Start with a sharp, well-lit photo against a plain white wall so it needs as little change as possible, and never use beauty filters or face retouching.

Other DGIP services and NICOP

Other DGIP e-services, such as newborn passports, reprints and modifications, ask for a 350 x 467 pixel color photo on white, up to 3 MB. NICOP and other NADRA identity cards are separate applications with their own photo rules, so check NADRA's instructions for those.

Every Pakistan order is built for online renewal first, with prints as an option. You do not have to compress anything yourself.

• Digital photo ($16.95): a 350 x 467 pixel JPG on white, compressed to 20 KB or less for DGIP online renewal. The same file works for DGIP e-services that accept up to 3 MB.
• Photo + print sheet ($18.95): the same digital file plus a print-ready 4 x 6 inch sheet (JPG and PDF) with 8 photos at 35 x 45 mm. Print it at CVS, Walgreens or Walmart and cut along the guides.

DGIP says printed photos must be professionally taken and not cut down from a larger picture. Our sheet prints each photo at exactly 35 x 45 mm, so you only cut along the guides. Order it as a glossy or matte 4 x 6 photo print, not a home print on plain paper.

Most rejections come from file size and a few common capture mistakes. Check these before you upload to the DGIP portal or print.

• File over 20 KB. The renewal portal refuses anything larger.
• Blurry or blocky after compression. Over-compressing a large photo can make the face unreadable.
• Background not plain white. Gray, cream or patterned walls, or shadows behind you.
• Head too small or too big. The head must measure 29 to 34 mm from chin to crown on the print.
• Glasses with glare or tint. Reflections on lenses, tinted lenses or frames over the eyes. Removing glasses is the safest choice.
• Expression. Smiling, open mouth or closed eyes.
• Other people or objects. Only you in the photo, with your full head and shoulders.
• Red-eye or shadows. Use soft, even light instead of a direct flash.
• Edited photos. Filters, retouching or face reshaping apps.

Children follow the same core rules: plain white background, face clearly visible, only the child in the photo. A newborn passport goes through DGIP e-services, which use the 350 x 467 pixel photo of up to 3 MB.

For a baby, lay them on a plain white sheet and take the photo from above, with the phone parallel to the face. Keep hands, toys and blankets with patterns out of view, and take several shots so you can pick one with the eyes open and the face straight.

PhotoForPass handles the size and compression problem for you. You take or upload a photo on any phone or computer, and our checks run in your browser before you pay, so your photo stays on your device until then.

We check face position, head size, eyes, lighting, shadows and background against the DGIP rules, fix the lighting, replace the background with plain white, and size and crop the photo to 35 x 45 mm and to a 20 KB online file. Each order includes up to 5 photo checks and 3 free redos per person, and files are ready about 30 to 60 seconds after payment.

Final acceptance is always up to DGIP. If your photo is rejected, our 14-day money-back guarantee gives you a full refund. Photos are deleted automatically after 90 days, or anytime from My photos.