Quick answer
What photo do Chinese applicants need for an Australian visa?
Most PRC passport holders apply online in ImmiAccount and upload a recent photo: a JPEG of 70 KB to 3.5 MB, ideally 1200 × 1600 pixels, showing head and shoulders against a neutral or light grey background, without glasses unless medically needed. Frequent Traveller applicants also give biometrics, collected in China only in Hong Kong.
PRC passport holders need a visa to visit Australia, and most apply online in ImmiAccount, uploading a photo of each applicant (澳大利亚签证照片): a JPEG of 70 KB–3.5 MB, ideally 1200 × 1600 pixels, no more than 6 months old, showing your head and shoulders against a neutral or light grey background. Applicants in the Frequent Traveller stream must also give biometrics, which within China can be collected only in Hong Kong.
Australian visa photo requirements (ImmiAccount)
| How it is given | Uploaded in ImmiAccount, in the Photograph section under each applicant's name |
|---|---|
| File | JPEG, between 70 KB and 3.5 MB |
| Resolution | 1200 × 1600 pixels preferred |
| Photo age | No more than 6 months old |
| Framing | Full-face view of your head and shoulders |
| Background | Neutral or light grey, contrasting with your face |
| Quality | Good quality and in colour |
| Editing | Unedited: do not remove the background, moles, wrinkles, scars or red eye |
| Glasses | Take them off unless you cannot for medical reasons; then untinted (unless medical), with frames clear of your eyes and no reflection |
| Head coverings | For religious reasons only, with your whole face visible; plain material without patterns |
Home Affairs recommends a professional passport photo provider. The photo maker linked here makes a 35 × 45 mm photo and an 826 × 1062 pixel file on white. That is smaller than the preferred 1200 × 1600 pixels, which Home Affairs gives as a preference rather than a minimum, so check that the saved JPEG is between 70 KB and 3.5 MB before you upload it, or start from a higher-resolution original. If your wall is not plain, a light grey background is the safest choice.
Biometrics in China: Hong Kong only
To be granted a Visitor (subclass 600) visa in the Frequent Traveller stream, you must give your fingerprints and/or a digital facial photograph at an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre, and failing to do so may lead to refusal. The Australian Embassy in China says biometric collection within the PRC is currently available only in the Hong Kong SAR; you can also use a centre in another country. Check the Home Affairs biometrics page for locations before you book travel.
Applying from China
The Australian Embassy in China says you can apply for most visas online in ImmiAccount, the preferred and most efficient way, and that PRC passport holders outside Australia can apply online for most visa subclasses. Each applicant, including children, has a Photograph section under their name: check that you attach the right photo to the right person.
Apply well before you plan to travel, and check the current global processing times. The embassy advises not to finalise travel plans until you hold a visa. For questions, it points you to the Home Affairs Global Service Centre (+61 2 6196 0196) and the online Australian Immigration Enquiry form.
Can you upload your Chinese passport photo file?
Usually not as it is. The digital file for a Chinese passport photo is 20–80 KB, but ImmiAccount wants at least 70 KB, ideally at 1200 × 1600 pixels, and no glasses. Use the original high-resolution photo instead, or take a new one.
How to get your Australian visa photo right
- Start your ImmiAccount application. Choose the visitor visa stream you need and add every applicant, including children.
- Take a photo on a light background. Show your head and shoulders, full face, against a neutral or light grey background, with glasses off and no editing.
- Check the file. Save it as a JPEG between 70 KB and 3.5 MB, ideally 1200 × 1600 pixels. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
- Attach it to the right person. Upload it in the Photograph section under that applicant's name.
- Give biometrics if asked. Frequent Traveller applicants go to an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre, which within China means Hong Kong.
Sample photos
Samples show pose, lighting and background. Crop your own photo to the Australia visa size.
Australia visa photo FAQ
A colour JPEG of 70 KB to 3.5 MB, ideally 1200 × 1600 pixels, no more than 6 months old, showing your head and shoulders against a neutral or light grey background, with no editing.
Take them off unless you cannot for medical reasons. If you must wear them, the lenses must be untinted (unless medically needed), the frames must not cover your eyes and there must be no reflection.
Frequent Traveller stream applicants must give fingerprints and/or a facial photo at an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre. Within the PRC, this is currently possible only in Hong Kong.
Not for an online ImmiAccount application: you upload a digital photo for each applicant.
Home Affairs asks for a neutral or light grey background that contrasts with your face. A plain, light background without shadows or patterns is what matters; if in doubt, use light grey.
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs: Photograph (ImmiAccount help)
- Australian Embassy in China: Visas and Citizenship
- Australian Embassy in China: Lodging a visa application in China
- Australian Embassy in China: Biometric collection for Frequent Traveller stream applicants
- Department of Home Affairs: Biometrics
Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.