Chinese Visa Photo Requirements
China measures its visa photo more tightly than most countries: the head height, head width and both margins all have millimeter ranges, and the online form checks pixels and kilobytes before it lets you continue. Upload a portrait and the page produces a file inside every one of those windows.
Passport Photo
or drop JPG, JPEG, JFIF … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Quality is lowered until the photo is at or just under this size; tiny files are padded up to the spec's minimum.
300 DPI is the print standard for passport photos; a 35×45 mm photo is then 413×531 px.
Place several copies on a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo print or an A4 page, ready for a photo kiosk or home printer.
How many photos on the sheet. A 4×6 in print fits 6 photos of 2×2 in or 6 of 35×45 mm; an A4 sheet fits more.
How to use this tool
- 1
Shoot on a light wall
Face the camera with ears and eyebrows uncovered, glasses off and a closed mouth. Fill the frame with head and shoulders; leave clear space above the hair.
- 2
Let the guide set the margins
China visa — 33×48 mm is selected with a White Background. The Head-size guide shows the 28–33 mm band, and Limit file size keeps the JPG between 40 and 120 KB.
- 3
Upload to COVA or print
Download the single JPG for the photo step of the online form. If your service center also wants a paper copy, choose 4×6 in sheet under Print layout.
Chinese visa photo head size, margins and file limits
| Size | Pixels | cm | in | DPI | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 × 48 mm | 390 × 567 | 3.3 × 4.8 | 1.30 × 1.89 | 300 | Printed photo for a paper application |
| Min digital | 354 × 472 | 3.3 × 4.8 | 1.30 × 1.89 | ≈ 272 | Smallest file COVA accepts; this page's output |
| Max digital | 420 × 560 | 3.3 × 4.8 | 1.30 × 1.89 | ≈ 323 | Largest file COVA accepts |
| Head height | ≈ 300–350 | 2.8–3.3 | 1.10–1.30 | at 272 | Chin to crown, hair included |
Most applicants now use the China Online Visa Application (COVA), which asks for the photo first. The form refuses a file outside 354–420 px wide or 472–560 px tall, outside 40–120 KB, or in a format other than JPEG. An untouched phone photo is several megabytes, far outside that window.
The head measurements matter just as much. A head under 28 mm reads as a distant snapshot; over 33 mm, the chin or the crown touches the edge. The 3–5 mm gap above the hair is tighter than most countries allow, which is why a generic visa photo crop often lands slightly off for China. Service centers may check a printed copy against the same rules.
Why Chinese visa photos are rejected
Grey or shadowed background
China wants white or near-white with no border. A light grey that passes for Schengen is refused here.
Head out of range
Too close and the 3–5 mm top margin disappears; too far and the head drops below 28 mm.
File over 120 KB
Unprocessed phone files are far above the limit; the form will not let you continue.
Glasses and glare
Reflections over the eyes or thick frames lead to a retake request.
Retouched skin
Beauty filters, heavy makeup effects or color casts change how you look and are not accepted.
Old photo
The picture must be from the last six months and match your current appearance.
Before you upload your Chinese visa photo
Check these before uploading
- Color, 33 × 48 mm proportion, white background
- Head 28–33 mm tall and 15–22 mm wide
- 354–420 × 472–560 px, JPEG
- File between 40 and 120 KB
- Taken within six months, no hat, no tint
If a portal elsewhere asks for a different window, the image resizer in pixels and KB adjusts both at once. Rules for other countries are compared in passport photo requirements by country.
Chinese visa photo questions
Why does the COVA form keep rejecting my photo?
The online form runs an automatic check on dimensions, file size and face position before you can move on. The usual culprits are a file over 120 KB straight from a phone, a head that fills too much of the frame, or a grey wall. Export again from this page, which stays inside 354–420 × 472–560 px and 40–120 KB.
Are glasses allowed in a Chinese visa photo?
Remove them. Chinese consular guidance discourages glasses, and frames or lens glare over the eyes are a frequent reason for a retake. If you cannot see without them, wear thin frames with no tint and check for reflections before you upload.
Can the photo be in black and white?
No. A Chinese visa photo has to be in color, with natural skin tone and no filters. Black and white, sepia or beauty-mode images are refused even when the size is correct.
Do I have to show my ears in the photo?
Show the full face from the top of the hair to the chin, with eyebrows and eyes clear. Pulling hair behind the ears is the simplest way to keep the face outline visible; religious head coverings are accepted when the face is fully shown.
Is the Chinese visa photo the same as the Chinese passport photo?
Not quite. Chinese citizens' passport photos are taken at the entry-exit office, so the rules on this page apply to foreigners applying for a visa. For the bare frame dimensions see the China visa photo size page.
Do I still need a visa if my country has visa-free entry to China?
Check before you make a photo. China has expanded unilateral visa-free entry and visa-free transit for many passports since late 2023, and travelers covered by them need no visa photo at all.
- China Visa Photo SizeChina visa photo size: 33 × 48 mm print, head 28–33 mm tall and 15–22 mm wide, white background. Make the print or a 40–120 KB file for the online form.
- Japan Visa Photo SizeJapan visa photo size is 45 × 45 mm at most Japanese embassies (35 × 45 mm at some), plain white, taken within six months. Make and print yours.
- Visa Photo MakerMake a visa photo to the right size for the US, Europe, Dubai, China, Japan or India: print size, pixels and KB limit per visa. Crop yours online.
- Image Resizer in Pixels and KBSet width and height in pixels and a maximum in KB in one step: 200 × 230 px under 50 KB is preset, the format most exam and job forms ask for.
- Vietnam Visa Photo SizeVietnam visa photo size is 4 × 6 cm (40 × 60 mm, 472 × 709 px at 300 DPI) on white, no glasses. Crop a phone photo for the e-visa upload or a print.