Chinese Passport Photo

China (passport for PRC citizens) specifics

Do you bring your own photo for a Chinese passport?

Inside mainland China, usually not. Since 1 February 2018 anyone applying for a 中华人民共和国护照 can use the free photo service at the public security reception window, and larger halls have self-service machines that print the 出入境证件数字相片采集回执 within minutes. The alternative is a photo shop linked to the police system, which takes the 证件照, uploads it and gives you the same receipt. The situation is different abroad: renewals through the 中国领事 app require you to upload a digital photo yourself, and embassy counters ask for a 33 x 48 mm print on photo paper. That is where this tool helps: it crops to 33 x 48 mm, keeps the head inside the published range and exports a JPEG you can upload or a sheet you can print.

Where to print a Chinese passport photo in China

For a domestic application the question is less where to print than where to get the receipt.

• Exit-entry service hall (出入境办证大厅): free photo at the counter or at a self-service machine, receipt issued on the spot.
• Commercial photo shops offering 社会化照相服务: they take the photo, submit it to the police system and hand you the receipt. No standard price is published.
• 中国领事 app for citizens abroad: no print needed; you upload a JPG or PNG under 5 MB with a white background, dark clothing and both ears visible. The embassy FAQ warns against re-photographing an old passport photo.
• Embassy or consulate counters abroad: a 33 x 48 mm print made by a photo lab or on professional photo paper. This tool's 4 x 6 inch sheet prints at any photo kiosk; ask for borderless at 100 percent.

Why the National Immigration Administration rejects photos

• Head placement: not centred, too high, too large or too small. On paper the head should be 30 to 34 mm tall and the face 16 to 24 mm wide; in a 354 x 472 pixel file the pupils should be 82 to 118 pixels apart.
• Lighting: over- or under-exposure, shadows or hot spots on the face.
• Background: anything other than a uniform white, light grey or light blue, or a gradient, shadow or clutter behind you, or clothing that blends into the background.
• Pose and expression: chin up or down, a tilted head, uneven shoulders, closed eyes, visible teeth, a sideways glance or an exaggerated expression.
• Glasses: tinted lenses (illness excepted), thick frames, frames over the eyes, glare on the lenses.
• Coverings: hair over the eyebrows, hats, scarves, head coverings that shade the face, temporary ornaments, a high bun.
• File and print quality: blur, colour cast, scan noise, stains, borders, scratches, red eye, heavy make-up, or retouching of scars, moles or hair. The digital file must be a JPEG between 20 and 80 KB.

Official source, verified 3 September 2026

The domestic standard is the poster 出入境证件相片照相指引, drawn up by the Ministry of Public Security Exit-Entry Administration in 2011 under ICAO Doc 9303 and hosted by the National Immigration Administration, with a downloadable copy dated 16 April 2019. The free on-site photo policy is quoted from the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau (19 March 2024) and the Guangdong Public Security Department (24 August 2023). Rules for applications abroad come from the Chinese Embassy in the United States (9 March 2019) and the embassy FAQ for the 中国领事 app (March 2024).

Checked against the official source on 2026-09-03.

Sources

• gaj.gz.gov.cn/zwfw/ywtd/crjimmigration/crjzx/content/post_9548913.html
• gdga.gd.gov.cn/bsfw/zsk/crj/content/post_4241962.html
• ao.china-embassy.gov.cn/chn/lsfw_0/hzlxz/zglsapp/202403/W020240324207601652051.pdf
• us.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsfw/zj/hzlxz/201903/t20190309_5098803.htm
• nia.gov.cn/n741445/n763221/index.html
• nia.gov.cn/n741445/n741619/n894511/c896346/content.html