PDF Size Limit for Passport Application – How to Resize (2026)

Applying for an Indian passport through the Passport Seva portal requires uploading multiple documents in specific formats and sizes. Whether you are applying for a fresh passport, renewal, or tatkal passport, the document upload specifications remain largely the same.

Many applicants face frustrating upload failures because their scanned documents exceed the portal's file size limits. This comprehensive guide explains every requirement and shows you how to use PDFOdimel's free tools to prepare your documents perfectly.

Here are the document upload specifications for the Passport Seva portal:

Photograph Requirements

• Format: JPEG
• Size: 10KB to 300KB
• Dimensions: 3.5cm × 3.5cm (passport size)
• Background: White

Document Requirements

• Address Proof: PDF, up to 1MB
• Date of Birth Proof: PDF, up to 1MB
• Identity Proof (Aadhaar/PAN/Voter ID): PDF, up to 1MB
• Non-ECR Category Proof: PDF, up to 1MB
• Old Passport Copy (for renewal): PDF, up to 1MB

The 1MB limit means you need smart compression — especially for color-scanned Aadhaar cards and multi-page address proof documents.

Compressing Aadhaar Card PDF

Aadhaar PDF downloaded from UIDAI is typically password-protected and 200-400KB. If you need to upload it:

1. Use PDFOdimel Unlock PDF tool to remove the password (the password is in the format: first 4 letters of name in CAPS + YYYY birth year)
2. If it is still over 1MB, use the Compress PDF tool
3. Download the unlocked, compressed version

Compressing Scanned Documents

For physically scanned documents (electricity bills, rent agreements, etc.):

1. Scan at 200 DPI in grayscale (unless the document requires color)
2. Upload to PDFOdimel Compress tool
3. Select Medium compression
4. Verify the result is under 1MB

You do not need a scanner anymore. Here is how to create perfect document PDFs using just your smartphone:

1. Good lighting: Place the document on a flat surface with even lighting. Avoid shadows.
2. Steady shot: Hold your phone directly above the document, keep it straight and stable.
3. Crop properly: Crop the photo to show only the document with a small white border.
4. Convert to PDF: Upload the photo to PDFOdimel Image to PDF tool to convert it to PDF format.
5. Compress: If the resulting PDF is over 1MB, compress it using the Compress tool.

This method works perfectly for Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter IDs, driving licenses, and utility bills.

The same PDF preparation techniques work for other Indian government portals:

• PAN Card Application (NSDL/UTIITSL): Documents up to 2MB, Photo 50KB JPEG
• Driving License (Parivahan): Documents up to 1MB PDF, Photo up to 200KB JPEG
• Voter ID (NVSP): Documents up to 2MB, Photo up to 50KB JPEG
• Income Tax e-Filing: Documents up to 5MB PDF
• EPFO/PF Claims: Documents up to 1MB PDF

PDFOdimel is your one-stop solution for preparing documents for any Indian government portal. All tools are free, require no sign-up, and work on any device.