Quick answer
What photo does a Chinese social security card need?
There is no national photo spec: each city sets its own. Guangzhou, Beijing and Nanjing ask for a 358 × 441 pixel colour photo, on white in Guangzhou (Beijing's 2019 rule also said white), while Nanjing also accepts red or blue. Guangzhou and Shenzhen issue a photo receipt that you quote when you apply.
A social security card photo (社保卡照片) is usually a 358 × 441 pixel colour photo, front-facing and bare-headed, on a white background. Each city sets its own rules, and Nanjing also accepts red or blue. Many cities first check your photo and give you a photo receipt number (相片回执号) to quote when you apply.
We found no national photo specification from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The rules below come from city human resources and social security bureaus. The card is issued with a partner bank, so you often apply at a bank branch or in a city app.
Social security card photo rules by city
| City | Photo | Background | How you submit it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou | 358 × 441 px, 350 DPI, colour | White | Upload in 穗好办 or 广州人社, checked in 1–5 working days, then a free receipt number |
| Shenzhen | Not published | Not published | A 社保卡相片回执 from a qualified studio, or online through platforms such as the 证件数码相片质量检测中心 website. Valid 180 days |
| Beijing | 358 × 441 px, 20 KB–8.75 MB | Not stated in the 2024 guide; white in 2019 | Upload the card photo with your ID card scans in the online application |
| Nanjing | 358 × 441 px, JPG, 15–100 KB | Red, blue or white, no white margin | Upload in 我的南京, 江苏智慧人社 or the Jiangsu government service website |
From the city bureaus' own guides: Guangzhou (January 2026), Shenzhen (June 2026), Beijing (November 2024) and Nanjing (January 2023).
Beijing's rule has changed
A 2019 Beijing notice asked for a colour, white-background "1-inch" photo of 9–20 KB. Beijing's 2024 guide to applying for the third-generation card online asks for a 358 × 441 photo of 20 KB–8.75 MB. It must be recent, in colour and bare-headed, sharp and complete, with nothing covering your features and no glare. Follow the 2024 guide.
Guangzhou: getting a photo receipt number
Guangzhou wants a receipt number before you apply for a first card. You also need one to replace or renew a card if you want a new photo, your appearance has changed a lot, the validity printed on the card has passed, or the card has no photo. When the city launched the free online check in 2021, it said there was no need to visit a studio: an existing white-background ID photo will do.
- Open 穗好办 (办事 → 社保 → 社会保障卡 → 相片上传) or the 广州人社 WeChat account, and take or upload one front-facing, bare-headed, white-background colour photo of 358 × 441 pixels.
- The card agency checks it within 1–5 working days.
- If it passes, you get a free receipt number. Enter it when you apply online, or give it to the bank.
More than 1,100 bank branches in Guangzhou can print a card while you wait. Children under 7 can have a card without a photo, but should change to one with a photo when they turn 7.
Shenzhen: the 社保卡相片回执
Shenzhen asks for your original ID document plus a social security card photo receipt. Get it from a photo studio qualified for Shenzhen social security card photos, or online through platforms such as the 证件数码相片质量检测中心 website. The receipt is valid for 180 days, so you can reuse it within that time. You then apply at a partner bank, where a standard card takes 12 working days and an instant card is ready the same day, or through the 深圳社保 WeChat account.
Sample photos
How to get a social security card photo
- Check your city's rule. Look at your city's 社保卡 guide or app for the pixel size, background colour and file size. Many cities use 358 × 441 pixels.
- Take a plain, recent photo. Use a front-facing, bare-headed colour photo on a white background, unless your city allows another colour, with your features uncovered and no glare.
- Get it checked or get a receipt. In Guangzhou, upload it in 穗好办 or 广州人社 and wait 1–5 working days for a receipt number. In Shenzhen, get a receipt from a qualified studio or an approved online platform.
- Apply for the card. Apply online or at a partner bank, quoting your receipt number or uploading the photo, and bring your original ID document.
Resize before you upload
Our linked tool makes a 26 × 32 mm white-background print, and its digital file is 614 × 755 pixels. Guangzhou, Beijing and Nanjing ask for 358 × 441 pixels, so resize the file before you upload it, or use the city app's own camera. Check the file size against your city's limit too.
Social security card photo FAQ
There is no single national size. Guangzhou, Beijing and Nanjing all ask for a digital photo of 358 × 441 pixels. Guangzhou adds 350 DPI. Shenzhen does not publish a pixel size because the photo comes from an approved studio or online platform with a receipt.
White in Guangzhou, and Beijing's earlier rule also asked for white. Nanjing accepts red, blue or white, with no white margin. White is the safe choice unless your city says otherwise.
A photo receipt number. In Guangzhou you upload your photo in the 穗好办 app or the 广州人社 WeChat account. The card agency checks it within 1–5 working days, and if it passes you get a free receipt number to quote when you apply. In Shenzhen the receipt comes from a qualified studio or an online platform and is valid for 180 days.
Not always. Guangzhou issues photo-free cards to children under 7, who should switch to a card with a photo once they turn 7. Nanjing does not take photos from children under 7.
In Guangzhou, yes: 穗好办 and 广州人社 both have a "代他人上传" option to upload a photo for someone else. Bank staff can also help people who cannot pass the real-name login.
It depends on the city. Beijing's 2024 online guide accepts 20 KB to 8.75 MB, and Nanjing 15–100 KB as a JPG. A 2019 Beijing notice said 9–20 KB, but the 2024 guide is the current one. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
Official sources
- Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security: how to get a photo receipt number
- Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security: social security card application guide
- Guangzhou government: free online photo check and receipt number (2021)
- Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security: materials for a social security card (2026)
- Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security: social security card guide
- Beijing Human Resources and Social Security: third-generation card online application (2024)
- Beijing Human Resources and Social Security: changing the card photo (2019)
- Nanjing Human Resources and Social Security: social security card guide
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.