You can change your PAN card photo online through the same “Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data” service offered by Protean (formerly NSDL) or UTIITSL. Tick only the photograph field, upload a new photo with proof of identity and address, and pay ₹101–₹107 for a physical card or ₹66–₹72 for e-PAN only. Your PAN number never changes; only the image printed on the card is updated. Signature updates follow the identical process.
How to Change PAN Card Photo Online (Step-by-Step)
Photo correction is not a separate service. It sits inside the standard PAN correction workflow on Protean’s PAN portal or UTIITSL’s site, using a form now called PAN CR-01 for individuals (PAN CR-02 for non-individuals), which replaced the older combined correction form from 1 April 2026.
On Protean:
- Go to the Protean PAN portal and select “Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data.”
- Choose applicant category and title, then enter surname, date of birth, existing PAN, mobile number, and email.
- Submit the captcha. A temporary token number is generated and emailed for reference.
- On the PAN CR-01 form, tick only the checkbox next to “Photograph” in the left margin. Leave every other field unticked if nothing else needs changing.
- Upload the new photograph, and identity, address, and PAN proof.
- Choose paperless mode (Aadhaar e-KYC/e-Sign, nothing to post) or physical mode (documents sent by post).
- Pay the fee online and note the 15-digit acknowledgement number.
- In physical mode, print the acknowledgement, affix two new photographs in the space provided, sign across the left-side photo, and post it to Protean within 15 days of the online application.
On UTIITSL: open “Change/Correction in PAN Card” on pan.utiitsl.com, enter your PAN, choose Aadhaar-based e-KYC or physical mode, tick the photograph field on the correction form, upload the new photo, pay the fee, and save the coupon number to track status. The flow mirrors Protean’s process closely.
A correction request is different from a PAN card reprint. Reprint reissues the card with existing data unchanged and does not accept a new photo. Any photo or signature update must go through the correction route.
PAN Card Photo Requirements
Protean’s official instructions for the correction form set out the following:
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Photo type | Two recent colour photographs |
| Background | Plain white |
| Size (paper form) | 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm |
| Size (online acknowledgement, physical mode) | 3.5 cm x 2.5 cm |
| Mounting | Not stapled or clipped to the form |
| Image quality | Card clarity depends directly on the quality of the photo submitted |
If you apply through paperless e-KYC/e-Sign mode, there is no acknowledgement to physically affix a photo to; you instead upload the digital photo file within the online form, and the portal’s upload step enforces its own file size and format limits at the time of application. When applying by physical mode, follow the two-photo, white-background, unstapled specification above exactly, since a poor-quality photo submission is a common reason correction requests get flagged for clarification.
Can You Change Signature in PAN Card?
Yes. Signature is a correctable field on the same PAN CR-01/CR-02 form used for photo, name, address, and date of birth changes. There is no separate signature-only application.
How to Change Signature in PAN Card Online
- Open the “Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data” service on Protean or UTIITSL.
- Tick the checkbox next to “Signature” (tick “Photograph” too if both are changing).
- Sign in black or blue ink on plain white paper, photograph or scan it clearly, and upload the file.
- Complete identity and address proof upload, pay the fee, and submit.
- In physical mode, your signature must appear across the photo affixed on the left side of the acknowledgement, with part of the signature on the photo and part on the form itself. The photo on the right side must stay clean, with no signature or mark on it, or the application may not be processed.
- Signature or left thumb impression must stay inside the box provided at the bottom right of the form. A thumb impression, if used instead of a signature, needs attestation by a Magistrate, Notary Public, Oath Commissioner, or Gazetted Officer under official seal.
Documents Required for PAN Photo or Signature Change
| Document | Applies to |
|---|---|
| Proof of existing PAN | Copy of PAN card, or the Income Tax Department’s PAN intimation letter; an FIR copy if the card is lost |
| Proof of identity | Standard accepted ID proof, as per Protean/UTIITSL’s documents list |
| Proof of address | Standard accepted address proof for the address printed on the application |
| New photograph | Two colour prints (physical mode) or one digital upload (paperless mode) |
| New signature | Scanned signature on plain white paper |
| Aadhaar copy | Mandatory to submit if Aadhaar is quoted, except for exempt categories |
No separate “proof of change” document is required specifically for a photo or signature update, unlike name or date-of-birth corrections, which need documentary evidence of the old-to-new change. The new photo and signature you upload are themselves the update.
One caution on documents generally: several practitioner sources report that Aadhaar alone is no longer accepted as standalone proof of date of birth for PAN applications from April 2026. This affects DOB corrections specifically, not a photo-only or signature-only request, but keep it in mind if you are correcting multiple fields together. Confirm current acceptance against the PAN documents checklist before submitting.
PAN Card Photo Change Fees
Fees follow Protean’s standard correction fee schedule, inclusive of applicable taxes:
| Mode | Card type | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Physical (documents posted to Protean) | Physical PAN card, Indian address | ₹107 |
| Physical (documents posted to Protean) | Physical PAN card, foreign address | ₹1,017 |
| Physical (documents posted to Protean) | e-PAN only, no physical card | ₹72 |
| Paperless (e-KYC/e-Sign/DSC) | Physical PAN card, Indian address | ₹101 |
| Paperless (e-KYC/e-Sign/DSC) | Physical PAN card, foreign address | ₹1,011 |
| Paperless (e-KYC/e-Sign/DSC) | e-PAN only, no physical card | ₹66 |
UTIITSL charges within the same range for equivalent options. See the full breakdown, including reprint charges, in the PAN card fees guide. Note that the lower reprint fee does not apply here, since reprint cannot carry a photo or signature change.
Photo or Signature Mismatch on PAN Card
If your PAN card was printed with someone else’s photo or signature by mistake, Protean’s form has a dedicated tick box for this: “Mismatched Photo” or “Mismatched Signature.” Selecting it requires you to attach your original PAN card (the one carrying the wrong image) along with the acknowledgement. This is treated as an error correction rather than a routine update request, so processing follows the same correction workflow described above.
Processing Time
Protean and UTIITSL do not publish a fixed turnaround for correction requests on their public fee pages. Practitioners handling these requests commonly report an e-PAN issued within a few working days of the application being processed, with the physical card following by post roughly two weeks after your acknowledgement, demand draft (if used), and proofs reach Protean or UTIITSL. Track your specific application status with the 15-digit acknowledgement number (Protean) or coupon number (UTIITSL) on the respective portal rather than relying on a general estimate.
PAN CR-01: The New Correction Form for 2026
From 1 April 2026, the correction form used for photo, signature, name, address, and other PAN data updates is PAN CR-01 for individuals and PAN CR-02 for non-individuals, per Protean’s current online application flow. This replaced the earlier combined “Request for New PAN Card Or/And Changes Or Correction in PAN Data” form. The change is procedural: online applicants are simply served the current form by the portal, and the new form numbers matter mainly for anyone filling out and posting a paper application. If you’re applying online, as most photo and signature corrections are, you won’t need to track the form number yourself.
What Experts Say
Practitioners who handle PAN corrections routinely flag photo and signature updates as some of the simplest corrections to file, since they rarely need supporting proof beyond the new image itself, unlike name or date-of-birth changes. The most common rejection reason cited is a low-quality or non-white-background photo submitted in physical mode, followed by a signature that overlaps onto the wrong photo on the acknowledgement. Applicants who use the paperless e-KYC route tend to report fewer back-and-forth clarifications, since there is no physical acknowledgement to mail and get returned for a formatting issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my PAN card photo online? Yes. Use the “Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data” service on Protean (tinpan.proteantech.in) or UTIITSL (pan.utiitsl.com), tick the photograph field, upload a new photo, and pay the applicable fee. Your PAN number stays the same; only the photo printed on the card changes.
How do I change my photo in PAN card online? Visit the Protean or UTIITSL correction portal, select “Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data,” tick only the photograph checkbox, upload your new photo along with identity and address proof, pay the fee, and note the 15-digit acknowledgement number to track your application.
Can we change signature in PAN card? Yes. Signature is one of the fields that can be corrected through the same online change/correction request used for photo updates. Tick the signature checkbox, upload a scanned image of your new signature on white paper, and submit it with the rest of the form.
How to change signature in PAN card online? Open the “Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data” form on Protean or UTIITSL, tick the signature field, upload a clear scan of your signature signed in black or blue ink on plain white paper, then complete payment and submission like any other correction request.
What are the PAN card photo requirements? Protean’s official instructions call for two recent colour photographs with a plain white background, sized 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm on the paper correction form (3.5 cm x 2.5 cm on the online acknowledgement). Photos must not be stapled or clipped, and image clarity on the printed card depends directly on the quality of the photo submitted.
Does changing my PAN photo change my PAN number? No. A PAN number is a permanent, lifetime identifier that never changes through a correction request. Only the data and images printed on the card, such as photo, signature, name, or address, are updated.
How long does a PAN card photo change take? There is no fixed published turnaround, but corrected e-PANs are commonly issued within a few working days of processing, with the physical card following by post around two weeks after your documents reach Protean or UTIITSL. Track your application using your acknowledgement or coupon number.
What is the fee for PAN card photo change? Fees follow standard PAN correction charges: ₹107 for a physical card mailed to an Indian address (₹101 in paperless mode), or ₹72 for e-PAN only (₹66 in paperless mode), all inclusive of applicable taxes, per Protean’s published fee schedule.