UPSC NDA photo & signature size
Photo about 350×350 px, 20–200 KBSignature about 350×350 px, 20–100 KB
1. Choose
- Pixels:
- about 350 × 350 px
- File size:
- 20–200 KB
- Format:
- JPG
- Background:
- white
- Face share:
- about 75% of the height (from the notice)
Source: UPSC National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 — Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II (20 May 2026), checked 3 Oct 2026
Change the output size
The notice gives an approximate size, so you can pick another one close to it.
2. Fix
JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC (where the browser can open it). Large phone photos are fine.
Nothing is uploaded. Everything runs on this device.
For the UPSC National Defence Academy Examination, the photo should be about 350×350 pixels, 20–200 KB, in JPG format on a white background. The signature should be about 350×350 pixels and 20–100 KB. Resize yours with the tool above. It's free and runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
The notice gives a range or a physical size, not one exact pixel size. Treat these dimensions as a target and check the notes and the quoted notice text below.
UPSC One-Time Registration: upload a passport photo (JPG, 20–200 KB, plain white background, face ≥75% / 3-4th of frame, head centred, both ears visible, eyes open, NOT signed) AND, additionally, capture a MANDATORY live photograph (webcam or QR/mobile). The live photo is matched to the uploaded one — a mismatch blocks the application. Resize the uploaded photo here; the live photo is captured in the portal. The size limits come from UPSC's "Instructions for Uploading the Photo & Signature", which now sit behind the candidate login at upsconline.nic.in under Instructions and FAQs. The exam notice we cite as the source repeats the live-photo and three-signature rules.
The notice gives a range or a physical size, not one exact pixel size. Treat these dimensions as a target and check the notes and the quoted notice text below.
UPSC requires a TRIPLE signature: sign three times vertically (one below the other) on plain white paper in BLACK ink, with a gap between each, and scan all three as ONE image. JPG, 20–100 KB, 350–500 px; exactly three signatures, vertical, not rotated, on plain white paper (no lines/colours). The size limits come from UPSC's "Instructions for Uploading the Photo & Signature", which now sit behind the candidate login at upsconline.nic.in under Instructions and FAQs. The exam notice we cite as the source repeats the live-photo and three-signature rules.
N.D.A. & N.A. Examination (I), 2027
UPSC calendar: notification on 2 Dec 2026, last date for applications 22 Dec 2026.
Exam date: 11 Apr 2027 (per calendar)
Source: UPSC Programme of Examinations 2027, as on 20.05.2026. Checked 11 Oct 2026. See the exam calendar
“Applicants are required to upload their photograph and also capture their live photograph while filling up the Common Application Form (CAF). Applicants must ensure that the uploaded photograph and the live photograph captured are clear as per instructions given on "Instructions and FAQs > Instruction for filling the form > Photos and Signature" available on the Commission's website https://upsconline.nic.in.”
UPSC NDA 2026 eligibility, age limit and posts
As per the UPSC National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 (Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II, F.No. 7/01/2026.E.1(B)) (20 May 2026), checked on 7 October 2026.
NDA takes students straight out of Class 12 into the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy, and into the 10+2 cadet entry at the Naval Academy. Everyone gets the same birth-date window, with no age relaxation for any category, and you must be unmarried. Everything below comes from the UPSC notice of 20 May 2026, with the page number against each fact.
Applications for NDA & NA (II) 2026 closed at 6 PM on 9 June 2026. The written exam was set for 13 September 2026, and the notice expected the written result in October 2026. UPSC's 2027 calendar puts the NDA & NA (I) 2027 notification on 2 December 2026, with applications closing on 22 December 2026 and the exam on 11 April 2027; the calendar says these dates can change. The 2026 (II) notice expected 394 vacancies, 24 of them for women, for the 158th NDA course and the 120th Naval Academy course starting 1 July 2027. (p1, p3, p5, p11; UPSC Programme of Examinations 2027)
Age limit (by date of birth)
Born between 1 January 2008 and 1 January 2011, both days included.
Check your age for UPSC NDA| Age band | Born not earlier than | Born not later than | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born 1 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011 | 1 January 2008 | 1 January 2011 | p7, para 3(b) |
- ·The notice does not give an age in years. It says only unmarried candidates born not earlier than 1 January 2008 and not later than 1 January 2011 are eligible, so both of those days count. (p7, para 3(b))
- ·The same dates apply to every category. The notice prints no age relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS or any other group.
- ·UPSC goes by the date of birth in your Class 10 (matriculation or secondary school) certificate or an equivalent, and won't accept a horoscope, an affidavit, a municipal birth extract or a service record. Once your date of birth is in the UPSC records, it cannot be changed in this exam or any later one. (p7, para 3(b) and Notes 1-2)
Source: UPSC National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 (Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II, F.No. 7/01/2026.E.1(B)) (20 May 2026). Each row gives the page and para. Checked on 7 October 2026.
See every exam you can apply for with your education and age →Educational qualification
For the Army wing you need Class 12 in any stream. For the Air Force and Navy wings, and for the 10+2 cadet entry at the Naval Academy, you need Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Students who are still in Class 12 can apply, but they must show they have passed by 10 June 2027.
- Army wing of NDA
- Class 12 pass of the 10+2 pattern of school education, or an equivalent exam held by a State Education Board or a University. (p8, para 3(c)(i))
- Air Force and Naval wings of NDA, and the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy
- Class 12 pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, of the 10+2 pattern or an equivalent exam held by a State Education Board or a University. (p8, para 3(c)(ii))
Nationality: You must be unmarried and a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam to settle permanently in India. The last two groups need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India; Gorkha subjects of Nepal do not. (p7, para 3(a))
- ·If you are appearing in Class 12 you can apply, but proof of passing must reach Army HQ (or Naval HQ for Naval Academy candidates) by 10 June 2027. UPSC says it will not extend this date for a late board exam or a late result. (p8, para 3(c) and Note 2)
- ·Students in Class 11 cannot apply. (p8, Note 1)
- ·You must not marry until you finish your full training. A candidate who marries after applying will not be selected, and one who marries during training is discharged and must repay what the Government spent on them. (p8, Note 5)
- ·Anyone debarred by the Ministry of Defence from holding a commission, or who resigned or was withdrawn on disciplinary grounds from an armed forces training academy, is not eligible. (p8, Note 3; p9, para 3(e))
- ·Candidates who failed the pilot aptitude test (CPSS/PABT) earlier can now be considered for the Air Force Ground Duty branches if they say so in the exam form. (p8-9, Note 4)
- ·You must meet the physical standards in Appendix-III of the notice. (p9, para 3(d))
Posts, pay level and age band
These are the six entries the notice lists, 394 vacancies in all, and it calls them provisional. Men and women are selected and ranked separately. NDA cadets train for 3 years at the Academy. Army cadets then spend a year at the IMA and Navy cadets a year at the Naval Academy; Air Force pilots get about a year and a half of flying training. They are commissioned as Lieutenant (Army), Sub-Lieutenant (Navy) or Flying Officer (Air Force), all at pay Level 10, with Military Service Pay of ₹15,500 a month on top. The notice gives a fixed stipend of ₹56,100 a month during training at the service academies. It does not name a commissioning rank for the 4-year B.Tech entry at the Naval Academy, so no pay level is shown there. Promotions go Lieutenant to Captain after 2 years and Major after 6 years of commissioned service, with the Navy and Air Force ranks moving the same way. City allowances vary, so take-home pay differs by posting. (p5; pp35-36, paras 5-10; p40, para 12)
Pay Level 10 · basic pay ₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500 (p5; p35, paras 5-7; p36, para 10)
| Post | Department | Group | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDA Army wing, 158th course (208 vacancies: 198 men, 10 women) | Indian Army | — | Born 1 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011 |
| NDA Navy wing, Executive branch (42 vacancies: 37 men, 5 women) | Indian Navy | — | Born 1 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011 |
| NDA Air Force wing, Flying (92 vacancies: 90 men, 2 women) | Indian Air Force | — | Born 1 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011 |
| NDA Air Force wing, Ground Duties (Tech) (18 vacancies: 16 men, 2 women) | Indian Air Force | — | Born 1 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011 |
| NDA Air Force wing, Ground Duties (Non-Tech) (10 vacancies: 8 men, 2 women) | Indian Air Force | — | Born 1 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011 |
Pay level not stated (p5; p35, para 5; p36, para 8(b)-(c))
| Post | Department | Group | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Naval Academy, 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme, 120th course, Executive branch (24 vacancies: 21 men, 3 women) | Indian Navy | — | Born 1 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011 |
About the UPSC NDA application form
The UPSC National Defence Academy Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The online application portal has strict requirements for photo and signature uploads — images outside the specified dimensions or file size are automatically rejected.
For the photograph, you need a colour image of about 350×350 pixels with file size between 20 KB and 200 KB, saved in JPG format with a white background. The signature should be about 350×350 pixels and between 20 and 100 KB.
Common reasons UPSC NDA forms get rejected
- File size over 200 KB (most common — phone photos are often 2–5 MB).
- Dimensions far from about 350×350 pixels.
- Coloured or patterned background — the form asks for a plain white background.
- Wrong file format. The notice asks for JPG.
- Signature on lined or coloured paper instead of plain white.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the photo size for UPSC NDA 2026?
- About 350×350 pixels, between 20 KB and 200 KB, in JPG format with a white background. The notice gives a range or a physical size, not one exact pixel size. Treat these dimensions as a target.
- What is the signature size for UPSC NDA?
- About 350×350 pixels, between 20 KB and 100 KB. The notice gives a range or a physical size, not one exact pixel size. Treat these dimensions as a target.
- Are my files uploaded when I resize them for UPSC NDA?
- No. Everything runs in your browser — your photo and signature are never uploaded to a server, stored, or logged.
- Is the UPSC NDA photo and signature resizer free?
- Yes — completely free, with no signup, no watermark, and no daily limit.
- What is the NDA age limit?
- For NDA & NA (II) 2026 you had to be born between 1 January 2008 and 1 January 2011, both days included, and be unmarried. The notice gives the limit as birth dates, not as an age in years.
- Is there any age relaxation for SC, ST or OBC in NDA?
- No. The NDA notice prints no age relaxation for any category, so the same birth dates apply to everyone.
- Can Class 12 students apply for NDA?
- Yes, if you are appearing in Class 12. You must send proof of passing by 10 June 2027 for the 2026 (II) exam. Class 11 students cannot apply.
- Do I need Physics, Chemistry and Maths for NDA?
- Only for the Air Force and Navy wings and the 10+2 cadet entry at the Naval Academy. The Army wing takes Class 12 in any stream.
- Can girls apply for NDA?
- Yes. Unmarried women can apply to every NDA wing and the Naval Academy entry. The 2026 (II) notice set aside 24 of the 394 vacancies for women, and men and women are ranked separately.
- What is the NDA salary after training?
- Officers start at pay Level 10, ₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500 a month, plus Military Service Pay of ₹15,500. During academy training the notice gives a fixed stipend of ₹56,100 a month.