The Aadhaar card issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is India's primary identification credential used across government registrations, financial services, telecom verification, and academic admissions. Whether you are printing an e-Aadhaar PDF at home, cropping a digital copy for wallet placement, laminating a cut-out paper copy, or submitting identity documents for bank KYC, knowing the exact physical dimensions is crucial to avoid scaling distortion or document rejection.
This guide provides the official physical dimensions of the Aadhaar card in centimeters (CM), millimeters (MM), inches (IN), and digital pixel values across standard print resolutions (DPI). It also covers candidate photo sizing requirements for the myAadhaar portal, card size comparison matrix, bank KYC submission guidelines, and printing layout rules on standard A4 paper.
Official Aadhaar Card Dimensions
Physical PVC Aadhaar cards and laminated e-Aadhaar cut-outs follow the international ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 standard format. This credit-card-sized layout ensures that Aadhaar cards fit perfectly into standard wallet slots, cardholders, and wallet pouches throughout India and internationally.
| Unit of Measurement | Width | Height | Standard Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centimeters (CM) | 8.56 cm | 5.40 cm | Standard pocket wallet size |
| Millimeters (MM) | 85.6 mm | 54.0 mm | Exact manufacturing spec |
| Inches (IN) | 3.37 in | 2.13 in | ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 standard |
| Pixels @ 300 DPI | 1012 px | 638 px | Ideal for high-definition printing |
| Pixels @ 200 DPI | 674 px | 425 px | Standard screen display resolution |
Whether you order a durable PVC card directly from UIDAI's portal or print out an e-Aadhaar PDF on heavy cardstock paper, maintaining these 8.56 cm × 5.40 cm proportion ratios ensures your card fits smoothly into any standard card holder.
Aadhaar Card Photo Size Requirements
When updating your details or photograph at a UIDAI enrolment center, or when uploading identity proofs on government portals, the candidate photograph must satisfy specific dimensional criteria:
- Photo Physical Dimensions: 3.5 cm width × 4.5 cm height (35 mm × 45 mm).
- Aspect Ratio: 7:9 standard passport aspect ratio.
- File Size for UIDAI Portal: Under 2MB (2000 KB).
- Allowed File Format: JPEG or JPG only.
- Face Coverage: 70%–80% of the photo frame must display the candidate's face clearly against a light or white background.
- Lighting & Posture: Head centered, neutral expression, both ears clearly visible, and free of eyeglasses flash glare.
How to Resize Photo for Aadhaar Update
If your digital passport photo exceeds the 2MB limit or does not fit the 3.5×4.5cm frame, you can crop and compress it locally using our secure tool:
Aadhaar Card Size vs Other Indian ID Cards
Most central identity cards in India rely on standardized credit-card-sized plastic dimensions. Here is a direct comparison between Aadhaar and other national cards:
| Identity Card | Dimensions in CM | Dimensions in Inches | Format / Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar Card (PVC) | 8.56 cm × 5.40 cm | 3.37 in × 2.13 in | CR80 / ID-1 |
| PAN Card (NSDL / UTIITSL) | 8.56 cm × 5.40 cm | 3.37 in × 2.13 in | CR80 / ID-1 |
| Driving Licence (Parivahan) | 8.56 cm × 5.40 cm | 3.37 in × 2.13 in | Smart Card Chip Spec |
| Voter ID (EPIC Card) | 8.56 cm × 5.40 cm | 3.37 in × 2.13 in | Elections Commission Standard |
How to Print Aadhaar Card at Correct Size
When printing an e-Aadhaar PDF at home or a local print shop, improper print scaling can cause the card cut-out to print too small or too large. To maintain the 8.56 cm × 5.40 cm target size:
- Open your downloaded e-Aadhaar PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader or Google Chrome.
- Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to bring up the print dialog.
- In the page scaling options, select Actual Size or set Custom Scale to 100%. Avoid selecting "Fit to Printable Area".
- Use 210mm × 297mm (A4) photo paper or 220+ GSM heavy cardstock.
- You can fit up to 5 cut-out Aadhaar cards on a single A4 page without overlapping.
Aadhaar Card Size for KYC Documents
Financial institutions, banks, and telecom providers mandate uploading compressed Aadhaar PDFs (between 200KB and 500KB) for digital KYC. Original e-Aadhaar files are password-encrypted and often 2MB+. Use our local Aadhaar compressor to decrypt and compress your document safely without server uploads:
The official physical size of a PVC Aadhaar card is 8.56 cm in width by 5.40 cm in height.
Yes, both PVC Aadhaar cards and standard credit cards follow the ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 standard dimensions (85.6mm × 53.98mm).
At 300 DPI print quality, an Aadhaar card measures 1012 pixels wide by 638 pixels high.
Use our Passport Photo Maker to crop your image to 3.5cm × 4.5cm and compress it under 2MB in JPEG format.
The UIDAI portal allows uploads up to 2MB. Most bank KYC portals require compressed PDFs under 500KB or 200KB.
Lamination and Wallet Pocket Storage Tips
After downloading your official e-Aadhaar card PDF from UIDAI's myAadhaar portal, print the cut-out portion on 220 GSM photo paper at 100% actual scale (8.56 cm × 5.40 cm). Trim the edges leaving a 1 mm white border and slide it inside a standard 250-micron pouch for pouch lamination. Lamination protects the thermal print from fading over time while keeping the exact credit-card dimensions intact.
Storing your laminated Aadhaar card in leather wallet cardholders requires standard CR80 dimensions. Using non-standard dimensions will cause the card to bend, crack, or fail biometric barcode readers at security checkpoints.