Stamp Size Photo Size in cm, mm and Inches
The Election Commission's stamp size photo is 2 × 2.5 cm: 20 × 25 mm, 0.79 × 0.98 in, or 236 × 295 px at 300 dpi. No national standard binds every form.
No single national standard covers every form that asks for a “stamp size” photo in India. Where an Indian authority does put a number on it, the clearest example is the Election Commission of India (ECI): candidates submit a photo of “stamp size 2 cm X 2.5 cm”, meaning 2 cm wide and 2.5 cm tall, which is printed beside their name on the ballot paper. In other units that is 20 × 25 mm, about 0.79 × 0.98 inches, or 236 × 295 px at 300 dpi. If your own form prints a photo box or states a size, that box or size decides.
Read the form before you print. “Stamp size” only says the photo is small. A printed box on a form asks for a photo that fits that box; a size given in cm or pixels asks for that size. When a form gives neither, 2 × 2.5 cm is the published figure to start from, and the office that issued the form can confirm.
2 × 2.5 cm in every unit
| Unit | Width × height | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Centimetres | 2 × 2.5 cm | as published by the ECI |
| Millimetres | 20 × 25 mm | cm × 10 |
| Inches | 0.79 × 0.98 in | mm ÷ 25.4 |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 236 × 295 px | inches × 300 |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 472 × 591 px | inches × 600 |
| Shape | 4 : 5 portrait (width ÷ height = 0.8) | 20 ÷ 25 |
Pixel figures assume a print resolution, 300 dpi unless shown otherwise (pixels = mm ÷ 25.4 × dpi), and are rounded to the nearest whole pixel. They describe a print. An online form that wants a small photo uploaded sets its own pixel and KB limits in its notice, and those come first.
What the Election Commission asks for
The ECI’s Handbook for Candidate (2023) describes the photo each candidate hands in. It is separate from the photos pasted on the nomination papers and is due by the date set for scrutiny of nominations:
- Size: stamp size, 2 cm wide × 2.5 cm high. The ballot paper prints it at that size, between the candidate’s name and election symbol.
- Recency: taken within the 3 months before the election is notified. The candidate, election agent or proposer signs a declaration saying so.
- Pose: full face, looking straight at the camera, neutral expression, eyes open, against a white or off-white background.
- Colour: colour or black and white, whichever suits the candidate.
- Clothes: everyday clothing. A uniform is not permitted, and caps, hats and dark glasses should be avoided.
- Match and signature: it must be identical to the photo affixed to the nomination paper, and carry the candidate’s or election agent’s signature on the back.
These rules come from ECI instructions issued in March and May 2015. Haryana’s State Election Commission uses the same figure for local polls: its 2026 handbook for returning officers in municipal elections asks for a stamp size photo of 2 cm × 2.5 cm, 2 cm in breadth and 2.5 cm in height.
Stamp size vs passport size
| Stamp size (ECI) | Passport size (India) | |
|---|---|---|
| Centimetres | 2 × 2.5 cm | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Millimetres | 20 × 25 mm | 35 × 45 mm |
| Inches | 0.79 × 0.98 in | 1.38 × 1.77 in |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 236 × 295 px | 413 × 531 px |
| Shape | 4 : 5 | 7 : 9 |
| Area | 5 cm² | 15.75 cm² |
| Where the size is published | ECI and a state election commission (e.g. Haryana), for ballot-paper photos | Passport Seva (paper forms, children under 4); exam notices such as GATE and CTET |
A stamp size photo covers less than a third of the area of a passport size one, and its 4 : 5 shape is slightly squarer than 7 : 9. For passport size in every unit, plus the pixel and KB limits that exam portals add, see passport size photo size.
Making a stamp size photo from a passport size one
Cutting a printed passport size photo down with scissors does not work. Passport Seva’s ICAO and under-4 guidelines want the face to fill 80–85% of the photo, which is 36 to 38 mm of a 45 mm print, and a stamp size photo is only 25 mm tall. Print the whole picture smaller instead:
- Start from the digital file, not the print. If you have none, PassportPhoto’s free maker crops a phone photo to the passport shape in your browser.
- Scale it to 2 cm wide, which is 236 px at 300 dpi. Because 7 : 9 is a little taller than 4 : 5, the picture comes out about 25.7 mm (303 px) tall.
- Trim about 0.7 mm (8 px) from the top or bottom margin to reach 20 × 25 mm (236 × 295 px), keeping the whole head in frame.
- Print at 100% scale, with no “fit to page”, and measure one photo before cutting the rest.
Sources
Related: passport size photo size · India passport photo by channel · photo sizes in pixels.
Frequently asked questions
What is the size of a stamp size photo in cm?
No single national standard covers every form. The clearest official figure comes from the Election Commission of India: stamp size 2 cm × 2.5 cm, meaning 2 cm wide and 2.5 cm tall. If your form prints a photo box or gives a size of its own, follow the form.
What is the stamp size photo size in mm and inches?
The Election Commission's 2 × 2.5 cm is 20 × 25 mm, or about 0.79 × 0.98 inches.
How many pixels is a stamp size photo?
At 300 dpi, 236 × 295 px; at 600 dpi, 472 × 591 px. These are print conversions. If an online form gives pixel or KB limits for the photo, use those instead.
What is the difference between a stamp size and a passport size photo?
Size and shape. A passport size photo in India is 3.5 × 4.5 cm (7 : 9); the Election Commission's stamp size is 2 × 2.5 cm (4 : 5), under a third of the area. Read which of the two your form names.
Can I cut a passport size photo down to stamp size?
Not with scissors. In a photo framed to Passport Seva's 80–85% face guideline, the face alone is taller than the 2.5 cm stamp. Print the picture smaller instead: scale it to 2 cm wide, then trim about 0.7 mm of margin from the top or bottom.
Can a stamp size photo be black and white?
For an election candidate's photo, yes: the Election Commission accepts colour or black and white. Other forms set their own rule, so check yours.