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The Chinese visa application (paper and COVA online form) uses the same 33 x 48 mm photo as the Chinese passport: head 28–33 mm from chin to crown, plain white background, ears visible, no glasses, no head covering.
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Not sure whether your photo will pass? See Why ID photos get rejected.
Chinese Visa Photo requirements
| Photo size | 33 x 48 mm (1.3 x 1.89 in) |
|---|---|
| Pixels (print) | 390 x 567 px at 300 DPI · 780 x 1134 px at 600 DPI |
| Head height | 28–33 mm from chin to crown — official published figure (Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa photo standard). |
| Background | White or close to white, with no border. |
| Glasses | Allowed if the lenses are clear and untinted, there is no glare, and the frames are not thick-rimmed or covering the eyes. |
| Editing | Keep the photo natural and unedited — the rules require an undistorted image with natural skin tone, and heavily edited photos are rejected even though retouching is not named as explicitly as for the Chinese passport photo. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open, facing the camera straight on. |
| Official source | Official photo requirements ↗ |
Good to know
The COVA online application checks the uploaded photo automatically. Digital uploads must be a JPEG between 40 KB and 120 KB, 354–420 pixels wide and 472–560 pixels high — export at 300 DPI (390 x 567 px) and the maker's photo is within tolerance for most portals; if a portal insists on exact pixel bounds, use the custom size at the same 33 x 48 ratio.
Both ears should be visible and hair must not cover the eyebrows. Earrings and thick glasses frames are common rejection reasons.
China (visa for foreign nationals) specifics
Do you bring your own photo for a Chinese visa?
Mostly you supply it as a file. The China Online Visa Application (COVA) asks you to upload a JPEG of yourself, which it crops and checks automatically. The Chinese term for the document is 中华人民共和国签证, and the poster issued by the Department of Consular Affairs calls the two formats 数字相片 (digital photo) and 贴表用相片 (paper photo for the form). The digital file must be 354 to 420 pixels wide, 472 to 560 pixels high and between 40 and 120 KB. If the check refuses your file several times, the US embassy's COVA guideline tells you to carry on with the form and bring a standard 33 x 48 mm print when you hand in your passport. This tool covers both cases: export the 33 x 48 mm crop as a JPEG inside the pixel and file-size window for the upload, and download the 4 x 6 inch sheet if you need the paper copy.
Where to print a Chinese visa photo near a visa centre
The paper photo has to be on glossy photo paper, so a plain office printout is refused. Only some visa centres publish prices:
- Gothenburg visa centre: a document photo editing and printing service for SEK 129 per person, where staff adjust your digital photo and print a compliant copy (service sheet dated 17 September 2025).
- Third-party booths in the Gothenburg centre lobby: SEK 199 to 249 per person, according to the same sheet.
- Sydney visa centre: VIP 2 Instant Photo Service, an on-site digital photo, listed at $49.5 on an undated page.
- Lagos visa centre: photograph services are bundled into the VIP 3 Assistance Package at NGN 74,500 including VAT (notice of 28 April 2026); no separate photo price is published.
Why Chinese visa offices reject photos
- File outside the window: not a JPEG of 354 to 420 by 472 to 560 pixels at 40 to 120 KB.
- Head size or position: the head should be about 205 pixels wide (191 to 251), the crown 10 to 70 pixels from the top, the eyes at least 256 pixels from the bottom and more than 60 pixels apart.
- Glasses with heavy frames, frames across the eyes, reflections or tinted lenses. Ordinary clear glasses are accepted.
- Shadows on the face or background, blur, over- or under-exposure, red eye, unnatural skin tone, damage or smears.
- Open mouth, closed eyes, crying, a tilted or turned head, or a portrait-style pose.
- Jewellery, a hand, a toy or another person in the frame, a coloured background, or clothing that matches the background.
- Hair over the eyebrows, eyes or ears, or a head covering that hides part of the face.
- A paper photo on matte or plain paper, with creases, or older than six months; uploading someone else's photo gets the whole application refused.
Official source, verified 3 September 2026
The numbers above come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs poster 中国签证申请相片规格要求, published on the US embassy visa photo page (2016) and republished by the Canadian embassy on 30 November 2023, and from the Chinese Visa Application Service Center FAQ pages of 17 February and 11 March 2024. The US embassy's COVA guideline of 22 September 2025 is the source for what to do when the upload check fails. Photo-service fees are quoted from the Gothenburg, Sydney and Lagos centres' own pages.
Checked against the official source on 2026-09-03.
Sources
- us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/qz2021/202509/t20250920_11712388.htm
- visaforchina.cn/MES3_ZH/qianzhengyewu/jichuzhishi/changjianwenti/218744017700130816.html
- ca.china-embassy.gov.cn/chn/lsyw/lszj/qz00/202311/t20231130_11189609.htm
- visaforchina.cn/GOT3_EN/upload/dd02619988dd46378ccce6e4ee0f9838.pdf
- visaforchina.cn/SYD3_EN/vipservice
- visaforchina.cn/LOS3_EN/tongzhigonggao/249752087104196608.html
- visaforchina.cn/CBR3_EN/qianzhengyewu/jichuzhishi/changjianwenti/226934308064071680.html
- us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/qz2021/201612/t20161206_4410998.htm
How to make it in 3 steps
- Take or choose a photo. Stand in front of a plain light wall in even light with no shadows, camera at eye level about 2 m away, head and shoulders in frame with space around your head.
- Crop with the head guides. The maker opens preset to the 33 x 48 mm standard with the official 28–33 mm head range marked. Drag and zoom until the crown of your head and your chin sit on the guides, then run the built-in photo check.
- Download. Save the single photo (for online uploads) or the 4 x 6 in print sheet, and print it at any photo shop, pharmacy photo kiosk or at home for the price of a regular photo print.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Chinese Visa Photo?
33 x 48 mm — 390 x 567 px at 300 DPI. The head must measure 28–33 mm from chin to the top of the head.
What background color does a Chinese Visa Photo need?
White or close to white, with no border.
Can I take a Chinese Visa Photo at home with my phone?
Yes. Stand in front of a plain light wall in even daylight, have someone take a sharp, front-facing photo from about 2 m away, then crop it to the exact 33 x 48 mm standard with the free maker — the head guides show you the official head-height range.
Is this Chinese Visa Photo maker really free and private?
Yes — completely free, with no ads, no watermark and no signup. Unlike photo-booth apps and paid services, your photo is processed entirely in your browser and is never uploaded to any server.
Where can I print my Chinese Visa Photo?
Download the 4 x 6 in (10 x 15 cm) sheet and print it as an ordinary borderless 4 x 6 in (10 x 15 cm) photo at actual size (100%, no scaling) at a photo shop, a pharmacy photo kiosk, an online print service or on a home printer, then cut along the guide lines. You pay only for an ordinary photo print, not a photo-booth service fee. Local examples: 出入境办证大厅, 公安联网照相馆. More detail: Printing passport photos in China.
Is the Chinese visa photo the same as the Chinese passport photo?
Yes — both use the 33 x 48 mm format with a 28–33 mm head height on a white background. The same file from this page works for passport renewals at Chinese embassies and for visa applications.