PPSC photo and CNIC picture requirements
PPSC’s online application asks for two images: your photograph and the front of your CNIC. Its published requirements are:
| Requirement | Photograph | CNIC front image |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum size | 4.5 cm high × 3.5 cm wide | 5.4 cm high × 8.6 cm wide |
| File format | .JPG | .JPG |
| File size | Not more than 60 KB (2024); less than 25 KB (2022) | Not more than 60 KB (2024); less than 25 KB (2022) |
| Background | White, coloured photo with clear contrast | Not stated |
| Content | Full head, clear face and shoulders, only you | Front side, properly scanned, clear and legible |
Sources: PPSC’s Photograph and CNIC picture requirements (file dated 29 April 2024) and its Online Application Procedure (file dated 3 October 2022). Both were linked from the PPSC jobs page when we checked in October 2026.
The requirements document is strict about it: if your photograph and CNIC picture don’t comply, PPSC says you will not be allowed to appear in the exam. Rules can change between advertisements, so read the current advertisement and the instructions on the upload screen before you apply.
25 KB or 60 KB? The two PPSC documents disagree
PPSC’s newer photograph requirements allow a file of up to 60 KB. Its step-by-step application procedure, which is older but still linked as the guide to applying, says the maximum size of each image should be less than 25 KB.
We can’t tell from the documents which limit the portal applies today, so this page uses 25 KB: a file under 25 KB meets both rules. At 413 × 531 px that is enough for a clear passport photo. If the upload screen itself tells you 60 KB, you can raise the maximum to 60 for a little more quality.
One small detail: KBSnap counts 25 KB as 25,000 bytes, slightly under 25 × 1,024 bytes, so the file stays inside the limit whichever way the portal counts.
How to apply online and upload images on PPSC
PPSC’s procedure walks through six phases. In short:
- On ppsc.gop.pk, click Apply Online, select the post and click Proceed after reading the post details.
- Read the Important Instructions and the EPay User Manual, tick the undertaking and click Apply Online. Enter your CNIC.
- Personal profile: enter and verify your email address and mobile number, then your date of birth, gender and other details, and save your personal information.
- Fee payment: the system generates your PSID. Pay the fee as explained in the EPay User Manual.
- Images uploading: upload your latest photograph and the front image of your CNIC.
- Add your qualifications and service record (if any), then click Submit Application on the submission page.
You then receive an application number, and an email and SMS with a token number for editing or printing the application. If you leave before submitting, the system resumes from where you stopped the next time you start with your CNIC.
Meeting PPSC’s photo rules
PPSC’s requirements document lists what the photograph must show. Here is each rule and how to meet it:
- Recent, passport size and professionally taken. A studio photo is the best start. Ask the studio for the digital file as well as the prints.
- Coloured, with a white background and clear contrast. This tool doesn’t change backgrounds, so the photo must already be on white. Avoid white clothes, which reduce the contrast.
- Full head, clear face and shoulders. PPSC lists a covered face, caps and glasses as not acceptable.
- Only you, with no other objects. PPSC also says you can’t use a photo cut down from a larger picture, such as a group or wedding photo. Take a new photo; the resizer should only trim a little from one that is already head and shoulders.
- Looking straight at the camera with a neutral expression.
Need guide lines for head size while framing? Prepare the photo in the Passport Photo Maker with the Pakistan preset (35 × 45 mm), then bring the JPG back here to bring it under 25 KB.
Preparing the CNIC front image
The same tool handles the CNIC picture. PPSC wants the front side, properly scanned, clear and legible, at least 8.6 cm wide and 5.4 cm high.
- Scan the front of the card, or photograph it flat on a plain dark surface in good light with no glare.
- Crop the photo to the edges of the card in your phone’s photo editor.
- Add it here and change the size to width 8.6 cm and height 5.4 cm.
- Set the resolution to 150 DPI (508 × 319 px). Fewer pixels keep the text readable under 25 KB; at 300 DPI the quality would have to drop much further.
- Zoom into the result and make sure your name and CNIC number are easy to read.
Common problems with PPSC uploads
- Image too large. Phone photos are several megabytes. The preset brings the photo under 25 KB while keeping 413 × 531 px.
- Wrong format. PPSC asks for .JPG. The tool saves JPG even when you start from a PNG, a WebP image or an iPhone HEIC photo.
- CNIC picture is blurry. Lower the DPI rather than the quality, as in the steps above, and start from a sharp, glare-free scan.
- You left the form halfway. Start again with Apply Online and your CNIC. The system continues from the step you reached.
- You need to change something. PPSC allows editing only after the application has been submitted successfully, using the token number you receive.
For problems with the online system, PPSC’s FAQ gives its helpline, 042-99202764. KBSnap is an independent tool, not connected with PPSC: you upload the finished files yourself on PPSC’s website.