India Post My Stamp — Get Your Child's Photo on a Real Postage Stamp (Children's Day Gift)
What a My Stamp sheet is, what it costs, which post office counters make it, the photo and ID rules, how you collect it or get it by Speed Post, and whether the stamps actually work on letters.
Last updated: November 14, 2026. Price and rules are from India Post's official My Stamp guidelines and order form. यह गाइड हिंदी में पढ़ें
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Yes, you can get your child's photo printed on a real Indian postage stamp. India Post calls it My Stamp. You pay ₹300 for one sheet of 12 stamps, each with a ₹5 face value, and your photo is printed as a small thumbnail beside every stamp on the sheet. You order it at a participating Philatelic Bureau or post office counter, with a government ID and the photo.
The catch is that not every post office does it. India Post offers it only at selected counters. So call your Head Post Office first, then go. Done right, it's a gift a child can keep for life — and actually stick on a letter to their grandparents.
What Is India Post's My Stamp?
India Post describes My Stamp as its brand name for personalised sheets of postage stamps. Each sheet carries a selected commemorative stamp design, and next to each stamp there's a small space (a "tab") where your picture is printed.
- Since 2011 — It was first introduced at the World Philatelic Exhibition INDIPEX-2011, and India Post later extended it to all postal circles.
- What can go on it — Your own photo, family and friends, an institution's logo, or images of artwork, heritage buildings, tourist places, wildlife and birds.
- Themes vary by counter — India Post's own wording is that "selected themes are available at selected My Stamp counters". Designs listed on official pages and forms include Greetings, Happy Birthday, Wedding Wishes, Happy Anniversary, Indian Flowers, the Taj Mahal and the Fairy Queen locomotive.
For a child, a Happy Birthday or Greetings sheet usually works best. Ask which themes the counter has in stock before you fill the form — you can't change the order once it's placed.
My Stamp Price — What You Pay
From India Post's official My Stamp guidelines. Prices can change, so confirm at the counter.
| Item | Cost / Rule |
|---|---|
| One My Stamp sheet | ₹300 (12 stamps of ₹5 face value each) |
| 2 to 100 sheets | 10% discount |
| More than 100 sheets | 20% discount, but only on the sheets above 100 (the first 100 still get 10%) |
| Delivery by post (optional) | Registered Post or Speed Post charges, paid by you |
Note that the 12 stamps carry only ₹60 of postage in total, while the sheet costs ₹300. Think of it as a personalised keepsake that also happens to be valid postage, not as a way to buy stamps.
Discount fine print: India Post says these discounts apply only at counters run by postal staff — Philatelic Bureaus, counters and postal or philatelic museums — not where the hardware, space and staff are outsourced. Ordering two sheets (one for you, one for the grandparents) gets you the 10% off at an eligible counter.
Where to Order My Stamp
Officially, the scheme runs at "selected Philatelic Bureaux and counters, important post offices and post offices situated at tourist places". That can include your city's GPO or Head Post Office, a Philatelic Bureau, or a counter set up at a stamp exhibition. Some regions go wider — for example, India Post's North Gujarat region announced in December 2024 that My Stamp is available at all its Head Post Offices, including Ahmedabad GPO.
At the counter (the reliable way)
This is the process India Post's guidelines actually describe: form, ID, photo, payment, acknowledgement slip. Phone the Head Post Office first and ask, "Do you have a My Stamp counter, and which sheets are in stock?"
Online (check before you count on it)
We couldn't confirm an online ordering route for individual My Stamp sheets — India Post's online portals were not loading when we checked for this guide. If you can't reach a counter, check India Post's website or ask your Head Post Office what's on offer in your circle.
Honestly, for a gift you need this week, go to the counter. You see the photo before it prints, you choose the sheet in person, and you usually walk out with it.
How to Order My Stamp at the Post Office — Step by Step
1. Call and confirm
Ask your Head Post Office or GPO whether My Stamp is available, which themes they have, and their timings. This one call saves a wasted trip.
2. Fill the My Stamp Order Form
It asks for your name, address with PIN code, mobile, email, the name and number of your ID proof, and which sheet and how many. Sign the form and the terms on the back — but not the acknowledgement slip at the bottom.
3. Show your government ID
India Post asks for any ID proof issued by a government authority — for example Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence, voter ID or passport. The person placing the order shows their own ID.
4. Give the photo
Get it clicked at the counter, or hand over a printed copy or a soft copy (it's sensible to carry it on your phone and on a pen drive, and to check which the counter can accept). The operator does not edit photos, so bring a good one.
5. Pay and keep the acknowledgement slip
Pay ₹300 per sheet (less any discount). The slip has your order number — you need it to collect the sheet. If you want it posted, say so now and pay the Speed Post or Registered Post charge.
6. Collect the sheet
Many counters print it while you wait — India Post's North Gujarat region says the sheet is ready within a few minutes. If it isn't ready, collect it within 7 working days with the signed slip. After that, India Post takes no responsibility for it.
Photo and ID Rules — Read This Before You Go
We didn't find a pixel size or file format in India Post's My Stamp guidelines. What it does say is that the customer is fully responsible for photo quality and copyright, and the operator won't touch up your image. Here's what that means for you.
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Your photo, or family, friends and relatives | Anything illegal, offensive, insulting or immoral |
| Logos of institutions | Any religious or political content |
| Artwork, heritage buildings, tourist places, wildlife, birds | Images you don't have the rights to (copyright) |
| Photo clicked at the counter, or your own printed or soft copy | Anything dishonest, deceptive or unpatriotic |
Tips for a child's photo: the picture prints as a small thumbnail, so pick a close-up of the face — not a full-body shot at a birthday party. Use a plain, light background and good daylight. Crop it on your phone before you go, because nobody will crop it for you.
Take the child along if you can. India Post's guidelines allow photos of family members, but the printed order form's terms mention photos of the "physically present customer". Counters may read this differently. Having your child with you (or a ready photo plus a quick call to check) avoids an argument at the window.
India Post can also refuse to print any image it finds unacceptable, without giving a reason. In that case it refunds your payment. Otherwise, payments are not refundable and printed sheets are not taken back.
Delivery Time, Speed Post and Tracking
You have three ways to get the sheet. Pick based on how soon you need it and whether you can go back to the counter.
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wait at the counter | Printed on the spot where the counter can do it | Last-minute gifts |
| Collect later | Come back within 7 working days with the slip, or send someone with an authority letter (with their attested signature), the slip and their government photo ID | Busy counters, exhibition counters |
| By Speed Post or Registered Post | Ask for postal delivery when you order; you pay the postage | Gifts for family in another city |
If you choose Speed Post, ask for the 13-character article number (like EK123456789IN) once it's booked. You can then follow it on our free tracker. For typical transit times by distance, see our Speed Post delivery time guide, and for what each scan means, our tracking status meanings.
One honest warning: India Post's terms say delivery delays "will not be a legal matter", and it isn't responsible for delays caused by technical faults in hardware or software or by a shortage of stock. If the gift has to arrive by a fixed date, collect it yourself and post it on to family with your own Speed Post booking — pack it flat between two pieces of cardboard so it doesn't bend.
Can My Stamp Be Used as Real Postage?
Yes. Each stamp on the sheet is a real India Post stamp with a ₹5 face value. India Post's North Gujarat region, announcing the scheme, said these personalised stamps can be used to send letters anywhere in the country. Your photo is printed on the tab beside the stamp; the stamp itself carries the postage value.
A lovely use on Children's Day: have your child write a letter to their grandparents and stick one of their own stamps on it. You can keep the rest of the sheet intact as a keepsake.
Not for resale: the order form says My Stamp sheets must not be resold, donated, or used for commercial or political publicity without India Post's prior written consent.
Schools, Companies and Big Orders
Planning sheets for a whole class or an office? Corporate customers apply on official letterhead, through an authorised signatory with their ID, and must order a minimum number of sheets. India Post's guidelines page says 100 sheets, while the printed order form says 500, so confirm the current minimum with your Philatelic Bureau.
There's also a separate "Customised My Stamp" scheme, where an organisation designs the whole sheet. That needs a minimum of 5,000 sheets, ordered at least a month in advance, so it's not something to try for a one-off gift.
Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Going to the nearest small post office
Not every post office offers My Stamp — India Post lists selected Philatelic Bureaux and counters, important post offices and post offices at tourist places. Head for the GPO, Head Post Office or Philatelic Bureau, and call first.
Bringing a blurry or busy photo
No editing is done, and the image prints small. A sharp close-up on a plain background looks far better than a group photo.
Losing the acknowledgement slip
You need it to collect the sheet, and anyone collecting for you needs it too. Take a phone photo of it before you leave.
Writing a wrong address for postal delivery
India Post isn't liable for wrong information you give. Check the PIN code twice — our guide on writing an address for Speed Post shows the right format.
What to Do Now
- Pick one sharp, close-up photo of your child and crop it on your phone.
- Call your GPO or Head Post Office and ask if their My Stamp counter is working and which themes they have.
- Carry your Aadhaar, PAN or another government ID, the photo (printed and on your phone) and ₹300 per sheet.
- Keep the acknowledgement slip safe until you have the sheet in hand.
- If it's being sent by Speed Post, note the article number and track it below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sending other gifts by post this season? Our guide to sending festival gifts by Speed Post covers packing and booking, and Speed Post charges helps you work out the postage.
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