Three of the IDs in your wallet — PAN, voter ID and driving licence — all want a photo that looks identical: a recent, front-facing colour headshot on a plain white background. So people assume one photo covers all three. It doesn't. The upload rules diverge enough that a file accepted by one portal is rejected instantly by another.
The short version — three real differences
- File-size cap: PAN and Sarathi publish workflow-specific limits; public Form 6 does not publish a universal Voter ID digital cap.
- Crop shape: only PAN via UTIITSL needs a square; the rest are portrait rectangles.
- Pixel size: do not assign one to Voter ID from Form 6; it publishes a physical 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm photo instead.
PAN vs Voter ID vs Driving Licence — side by side
Here is the 2026 photo spec for each, drawn from the respective government portal — confirm the current figure on the linked source before you apply. The KB limit is the number that rejects most uploads, so it is listed first.
| Document | Portal | Max file size | Pixel size | Crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAN (UTIITSL) | myutiitsl.com | 30 KB | 213×213 px | Square |
| Driving Licence | sarathi.parivahan.gov.in | 10–20 KB | 420×525 px preferred | Portrait |
| PAN (NSDL / Protean) | onlineservices.proteantech.in | 50 KB | 197×276 px | Portrait |
| Voter ID (Form 6) | voters.eci.gov.in | Not publicly specified | 4.5×3.5 cm physical | Portrait |
The public Voter ID guidance confirms a colour photo and white background but does not publish the digital format or file-size rule. The PAN and Sarathi rows describe their separate digital workflows. (PAN appears twice because it has two portals with different rules; the PAN card photo size guide covers both.)
Difference 1: no universal Voter ID digital cap is published
ECI's public Form 6 instructions state the physical size and visible photo qualities, but not a digital KB window. A numeric Voter ID comparison would turn a compatibility target into an ECI rule. Check the current upload screen; do not carry a PAN or Sarathi cap across to it.
Difference 2: only PAN (UTIITSL) is square
Form 6 and the Sarathi photo guidance use portrait physical proportions. PAN via UTIITSL is the outlier in this comparison: a square 213×213 px crop. Upload a portrait photo to UTIITSL without squaring it and the portal either rejects it or crops your face off-centre — the single most common reason a PAN photo bounces. If you apply for PAN through NSDL instead, the portrait crop is fine.
Difference 3: the pixel minimums differ too
The cited PAN routes publish their own pixel guidance, and Sarathi prefers 420×525 px. Public Form 6 does not publish Voter ID pixel dimensions, so the current online form is the place to confirm any digital canvas it enforces.
So can one photo cover all three?
Keep one clear source photo, but prepare separate exports. That avoids claiming that a PAN or Sarathi digital target is also an ECI rule and lets you follow the current fields shown by each application route.
The compress-to-KB tool brings any photo under a chosen KB size in your browser, and each ID has a dedicated resizer that hits its exact spec: PAN, voter ID and driving licence — nothing is uploaded to a server.
For the full spec of every Indian government ID photo — including where Aadhaar differs (its photo is taken at a centre, not uploaded) — see the Indian government ID photo requirements guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PAN, voter ID and driving licence photo the same?
No. Each application route has its own instructions. ECI's public Form 6 specifies a 4.5 cm by 3.5 cm colour photo on white but does not publish a universal digital KB, pixel or format rule; PAN and Sarathi publish separate digital guidance for their own workflows.
Which of the three has the strictest photo size limit?
Do not use one assumed cap across all three. Their application routes publish different instructions, and ECI's public Form 6 does not state a universal digital KB cap. Check the current upload screen for the route you use.
Can I use one photo for my PAN card, voter ID and driving licence?
Keep a good-quality colour source photo, then prepare a separate export for each application route. Do not assume one KB target, pixel canvas or format covers all three, because ECI's public Form 6 does not publish those digital fields and the PAN and Sarathi workflows use their own instructions.
Why is only the PAN photo square?
PAN via UTIITSL uses a square 213×213 px crop optimised for face-matching, while NSDL PAN, voter ID and driving licence all use a portrait rectangle. If you upload a portrait photo to UTIITSL without squaring it, the portal rejects it or crops your face off-centre — the single most common reason a PAN photo bounces.
Do all three accept a phone photo?
The cited guidance describes the resulting photos, not one universal capture-device rule. Start with a clear colour source image, then follow the current application's crop, format and file-size fields instead of using one assumed export for all three.