Government & Identity · THE NO-PANIC PLAN
Prepare Form 93 photographs for an Indian citizen?s PAN application
For an individual Indian citizen preparing the current Form 93 PAN allotment form and needing its two printed photographs. The current form asks for two recent colour photographs, each 4.5 cm ? 3.5 cm, on a white background; older PAN guidance uses different dimensions and should not be substituted. Form 93?s left photo has a signature or left-thumb impression across both the photo and form, while the right photo must remain clear and unmarked. This workflow prepares the base image and print; it does not complete a PAN application, validate identity, guarantee acceptance, or replace the processing provider?s instructions for a digital/DSC submission. Instant e-PAN is a separate route and does not require a scanned photo. Do not upload identity documents, Aadhaar/PAN numbers, application forms, signatures, or other personal records to Nirmion.
MISSION Help an Indian citizen prepare and verify the two printed portrait photographs required by current Form 93, while separating that paper-form task from Instant e-PAN and provider-specific digital upload routes.
Prepare the Form 93 photo cropTHE REAL-WORLD BIT
What happens outside this browser tab?
Confirm that the current Form 93 and a photo-bearing submission route apply; capture a recent colour image with a white background; create a 35 mm ? 45 mm planning crop; print two copies at the exact physical size and inspect them; then place and sign/attest them on the current Form 93 exactly as instructed, using the portal?s separate current rules for digital submission.
YOUR CHECKLIST, WITH FEWER DRAMATIC SIGHES
One step at a time.
Follow the order below. If a step names a Nirmion tool, its link is right there with it.
- 01
Confirm you need photos for the Form 93 route
First establish that you are preparing a new PAN allotment application as an Indian citizen using current Form 93. The current form is prescribed under Rule 158 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026 and its instructions specify two recent colour photographs with white backgrounds, 4.5 cm ? 3.5 cm. Do not use old Form 49A photo specifications: the current UTIITSL portal says the new forms apply from 1 April 2026 and old forms are no longer accepted. If you already have a PAN, do not make a fresh allotment application just to replace a lost card or update details; check the proper current change/reprint service. If you qualify for Instant e-PAN, that separate free electronic route does not require a scanned photo or signature. This page covers preparing printed photographs for Form 93, not determining PAN eligibility. (Sources 1, 2, 3, 4)
- 02
Capture a recent colour photo on a white background
Take or select a recent colour photograph of the applicant against a clean white background. Keep the original image intact and choose a sharp, well-lit frame where the person can be clearly recognized; the official form says PAN-card image clarity depends on the quality and clarity of the photograph. Avoid filters, face reshaping, text, decorative borders, watermarks, or edits that change the person?s appearance. The official Form 93 instructions say two matching recent photographs are required, including for minor applicants; where the form is completed by a Representative Assessee, follow the current form?s separate signature and representative instructions. Do not infer extra passport-photo rules from another country?s passport standard. Save the chosen original privately, and use a local editor if you do not want to process a face image in a browser tool. (Source 1)
- 03
Make a 35 mm ? 45 mm crop and check its framing
Use Nirmion?s Passport Photo Maker (tool 122) to create its 35 mm ? 45 mm planning crop; its stated output is 413 ? 531 pixels at 300 DPI, and its page says processing happens in the browser without uploading the image to Nirmion. The tool itself explicitly does not certify government compliance. Compare the crop with the current Form 93?s portrait box: keep the face fully visible and avoid clipping the head or chin. Do not use the square ID Photo Cropper or an older 3.5 cm ? 2.5 cm PAN instruction for this current Form 93 print task. Keep the untouched original separately. If using a digital/DSC route instead of printed photos, stop here and follow the selected provider?s current upload rules; a print crop is not proof that a digital upload meets file-type, size, or scanning requirements. (Sources 1, 5)
- 04
Print two copies at actual size and inspect them
Print two copies of the same recent colour image at the physical size specified by Form 93?3.5 cm wide ? 4.5 cm high. In the print dialog, select actual size or 100% scale and disable fit-to-page or other resizing. Measure one copy with a ruler after printing; reprint if the dimensions drift, colour has shifted materially, the white background is tinted, or the face is blurry or cut off. The form says the two photos should not be stapled or clipped. If the printer cannot hold the correct scale or image quality, use a photo-print service and check the prints before attaching them. The crop tool makes an image file, not a physical print, and its pixel dimensions alone do not prove your printer produced the right size. (Source 1)
- 05
Attach and mark the photos exactly as the form instructs
On the current Form 93, place one photo in each labelled portrait space. Sign or place the left-thumb impression across the left-side photo so part falls on the photograph and part on the form; leave the right-side photo clear and without any mark. Put the applicant?s or applicable Representative Assessee?s signature/thumb impression in the declaration box on the last page too. If using a thumb impression, the form instructions require attestation by a Magistrate, Notary Public, Oath Commissioner, or Gazetted Officer under official seal and stamp. Check the form version and complete the application?s supporting proof and submission requirements directly with an authorized PAN service provider. Do not send a filled form or ID documents to Nirmion. Keep a copy of the completed packet and provider acknowledgement for your records. If the portal instead requests scans or DSC upload, follow its current format and file-size instructions rather than assuming the printed-photo process applies. (Sources 1, 2, 4)
THE HELPER CREW
Tools for the fiddly bits.
These are the currently published Nirmion tools matched to this guide. Open a tool page for its accepted inputs and limits.
RECEIPTS, PLEASE
Sources & review notes
Each source is linked to the steps it supports. Open it to check its scope and current guidance.
Source checked 2026-10-06