What NEET (UG) asks for
NTA's rules for NEET are about file size and what the photo shows, not pixels. The table sums up the 2026 bulletin; under it are its own words for each upload, including the two different size lines for the fingers and thumb image.
| Upload | Pixels | File size | Format | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport size photograph | Not set | 10–200 KB | JPG/JPEG | White |
| Signature | Not set | 10–100 KB | JPG/JPEG | Not stated |
| Fingers and thumb impressions (both hands, one image) | Not set | 10–200 KB we aim for 50–200 KB | JPG/JPEG | Not stated |
Passport size photograph: the notice's words
“The recent passport size photograph should be either in colour or black & white with 80% face (without mask) visible including ears against white background.”
“Photograph should be in JPG/JPEG format (clearly legible) between 10 kb to 200 kb.”
“Passport size Photograph (taken after 01 January 2026)”
Name and date on the photo: Not asked for in 2026. The 2025 bulletin said the name and date should preferably be shown; the 2026 bulletin dropped that line.
Signature: the notice's words
“Signature file should be in JPG/JPEG format between 10 kb to 100 kb”
Fingers and thumb impressions (both hands, one image): the notice's words
“Left and Right Hands Fingers and Thumb impressions in JPG/JPEG format between 10 kb to 200 kb”
“File size must be between 50 kb to 300 kb”
Why 50–200 KB: Clause d(iii) and the upload form say 10–200 KB, but another line of the same bulletin says 50–300 KB. A file of 50–200 KB meets both.
How to use the NEET resizer
- Choose your passport size photo for card 1, a picture of your signature for card 2, and one picture of the finger and thumb impressions of both hands for card 3.
- Zoom in on the photo until your face, with both ears, fills most of the frame (NTA asks for 80%), and drag to centre it. Tap Make the background white if the wall behind you isn't white, and Whiten the paper if a scan looks grey.
- When the checklist is green, download each file: the photo inside 10–200 KB, the signature inside 10–100 KB and the fingers and thumb image inside 50–200 KB.
Example: a phone photo through the NEET (UG) resizer
- Passport size photograph: a 12-megapixel phone photo, 3,000 × 4,000 px, opens as a 1,800 × 2,400 px copy; with no shape set, the frame is the whole 1,800 × 2,400 px, kept at 1,800 × 2,400 px. The JPEG is 10,240 to 200,000 bytes (10–200 KB), named neet-ug-photo-1800x2400.jpg. Over the limit even at 60% quality, it would get fewer pixels, same shape.
The JPEG quality it lands on depends on the picture itself.
Framing a NEET photo without a pixel size
Because the bulletin gives no pixel or cm size, the tool doesn't force a shape on you: the photo keeps the shape of your picture and you crop it by zooming in. The rule that matters is the face share: in the bulletin's words, “80% area of the image should be candidate's face”, with your ears visible and no mask. That photo goes on your attendance sheet and is used again at counselling and admission, so zoom in until your face fills most of the frame. The tool doesn't measure your face for you; judge it on the preview. Black and white photos are allowed in 2026; Polaroid and computer-generated photos are not.
The bulletin states no ink colour, paper or layout for the fingers and thumb image. A practical way to make it: press the fingers and thumb of each hand on one sheet of plain white paper, left hand and right hand side by side, and take one straight, sharp picture of the sheet.
What changed from NEET 2025
- The signature limit went up to 10–100 KB (the 2025 bulletin said 10–50 KB in one place and 4–30 KB in another).
- The postcard size photo upload was removed; printed postcard photos are still needed on exam day.
- A live photo captured in the form was added (below).
- The photo may now be black and white, and the line about the name and date on the photo was dropped.
The live photo in the NEET (UG) form
Step 10 of the form, Capture Live Photograph, takes a live photo with your webcam, or by scanning a QR code with your phone or tablet if your computer has no webcam. Use a light-coloured background and good light, with 80% of your face visible including your ears and no mask. It is matched with your Aadhaar photo, and it can't be changed once the fee is paid. It doesn't replace the passport size photo you upload.
Use the same good light and plain, light background as your uploaded photo, and take your mask off before you start.
Why NEET (UG) uploads get rejected
- Unclear finger and thumb impressions are rejected.
- There is no correction later: the bulletin says to upload the correct photograph, signature and impressions because the facility for correction will not be given.
- Polaroid and computer-generated photos aren't accepted.
- A fabricated or morphed photo is treated as Unfair Means.
- If your live photo doesn't match your Aadhaar photo, you have to upload an attested certificate with a photo (Annexure-VI).
How the tool reaches the KB range
Your crop is drawn at up to 2,400 pixels on its longest side and saved as a JPEG at the highest quality that stays under the maximum. If even 60% quality is too big (a full-size phone photo usually is), the pixel size is reduced, keeping your crop's shape, and the quality search runs again. A file below the minimum gets an invisible comment added until it reaches it, without touching the picture. The checklist is read from the finished file. For a photo at an exact pixel size, use the Passport Size Photo Maker or Increase Image Size in KB.
Check before you apply
- These are the NEET (UG) 2026 rules. Between 2025 and 2026 NTA raised the signature limit to 100 KB and dropped the postcard photo upload, so check the 2027 bulletin when it's out (usually around February).
- NTA gives no pixel, cm or DPI size for any upload, so the tool keeps your crop and only fits the file size.
- The bulletin gives two ranges for the fingers-and-thumb image (10–200 KB, and 50–300 KB on another page); the tool aims for 50–200 KB, which meets both.
- Keep printed photos for exam day: the bulletin asks for 6 to 8 passport size and 4 to 6 postcard size (4" × 6") colour photos with a white background. One postcard photo is pasted on the proforma at the exam centre.
Sources
Rules on this page and in the tool are as per the NEET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin (revised PDF) dated 23 February 2026; check the latest notice before you apply. We read the official sources below on 8 October 2026 (NEET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin; no NEET (UG) 2027 bulletin had been published on 8 October 2026) and will check them again by 1 February 2027.
- NEET (UG) 2026 Information Bulletin (revised PDF) ↗, dated 23 February 2026
- NTA public notice inviting NEET (UG) 2026 applications ↗, dated 8 February 2026
- NEET (UG) official portal ↗, read on 7 October 2026
- NEET (UG) 2025 Information Bulletin (previous cycle, for comparison) ↗, dated 7 February 2025