Independent guide to official photo rules

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China Visa Photo Requirements

The 33 × 48 mm print and the digital photo rules for Chinese visa applications, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs online visa system (COVA) and Chinese visa centres.

Based on official sources · last checked

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Quick answer

What size is a China visa photo?

A China visa photo is 33 mm wide and 48 mm high, in colour on a white or near-white background, taken within 6 months, with the head 15–22 mm wide and 28–33 mm high. The digital photo for the online form is a JPEG of 354–420 × 472–560 pixels and 40–120 KB.

A China visa photo (签证照片) is 33 mm wide and 48 mm high, in colour on a white or near-white background with no border, and taken within the last 6 months. Your head must be 15–22 mm wide and 28–33 mm from chin to crown. For the online application form you also upload a JPEG of 354–420 × 472–560 pixels and 40–120 KB.

Most visa applications now start in COVA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' China Online Visa Application system. COVA publishes its photo rules as two illustrated requirement sheets, and Chinese visa application service centres repeat the print rules in their FAQs. This guide follows both.

China visa photo size and print rules

Photo size 33 mm wide × 48 mm high
Head width 15–22 mm
Head height 28–33 mm, from chin to crown
Above the head 3–5 mm from the crown to the top edge
Below the chin At least 7 mm to the bottom edge
Background White or close to white, with no border
Photo age Taken within the last 6 months
Paper Glossy photo paper, not matte or plain paper, with no stains, scratches or creases

Make China visa photo

China visa photo size diagram: 33 mm wide by 48 mm high, head 28 to 33 mm high and 15 to 22 mm wide, 3 to 5 mm above the crown, at least 7 mm below the chin
China visa and consular passport photos share the same 33 × 48 mm layout.

One printed photo or two?

Visa centres do not agree. The Sydney Chinese Visa Application Service Centre's FAQ (February 2025) says to submit one photo, while a Melbourne centre notice, reposted on its website in August 2026, says applicants must submit two paper photos. Check the checklist of the centre or embassy you are applying to, and bring a second identical print just in case.

Digital photo for the online form

COVA asks for a colour JPEG of 354–420 pixels wide and 472–560 pixels high, 40–120 KB, in 24-bit RGB. It has a built-in crop tool, so you can upload a larger original and crop it in the form. The face-position rules in pixels, and fixes for failed uploads, are on our COVA photo upload page.

Older upload limits

A 2023 visa centre FAQ said the online photo "cannot exceed 354 × 472" pixels. That was the older system. Current COVA requirement sheets give a range of 354–420 × 472–560 pixels, so follow those.

COVA photo requirements: a digital photo template 354–420 pixels wide and 472–560 pixels high with the face 191–251 pixels wide and the eye line at least 256 pixels above the bottom edge; a 33 × 48 mm paper photo template with the head 15–22 mm wide and 28–33 mm high, 3–5 mm above the crown and at least 7 mm below the chin; and the general requirements for template, dimensions, colour space, JPEG compression and 40–120 KB file size, face, head coverings, photo quality, head size and position, background and borders, and a photo taken within 6 months
COVA's photo requirement sheet: the digital and paper photo templates and the general rules Image: China Online Visa Application (COVA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China · View the original

Pose, expression, glasses and head coverings

  • Face the camera with your whole head and face in the frame and your head centred. COVA allows no more than 20° of turn or tilt to either side and 25° up or down.
  • Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed and both ears visible.
  • Glasses are allowed if the lenses are not tinted, there is no glare or shadow, and the frames do not hide your eyes. Visa centres add: no thick-rimmed frames.
  • Head coverings are allowed for religious reasons only, with your face fully visible.
  • No jewellery or ornaments, and no hands, toys or other people in the photo.
  • Natural skin tone and even light: no shadows on your face or the background, no red-eye and no over- or under-exposure.
Correct photo example
Correct
Correct photo example: clear glasses
Clear glasses
Rejected photo example: tinted lenses
Tinted lenses
Rejected photo example: heavy frames
Heavy frames
Rejected photo example: white top on white
White top on white
Rejected photo example: ears covered
Ears covered
Rejected photo example: earrings
Earrings
Rejected photo example: shadow on face
Shadow on face
COVA photo examples, each group starting with an accepted photo: photo quality (low contrast or blurred, under-exposed, over-exposed or hot spots, unnatural skin tone, shadow across the face, shadow in the background, damaged or smeared, distorted or fish-eye, red-eye); head position (too close, too far away with the eyes less than 60 pixels apart, not centred, facial features incomplete); expression (mouth wide open, eyes closed, unnatural expression or crying); pose (head tilted, head not centred or looking away, portrait style, head lowered or raised); eyeglasses (heavy frames, frames covering the eyes or reflections, tinted lenses); ornaments and background (jewellery, a hand, toy or another person, background colour, garment the same colour as the background); and obscuring (stamp or smears, hair over the eyebrows, eyes or ears, face covered), with a religious head covering shown as accepted
COVA's accepted and rejected photo examples Image: China Online Visa Application (COVA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China · View the original

All the faults COVA lists, and how to fix them

Is a China visa photo 2 × 2 inches?

Not according to any current official source we could find. COVA, the Sydney and Melbourne visa centres and the Chinese Embassy in the US all point to the same 33 × 48 mm rules. An older New York consulate FAQ appears in search results describing a 2 × 2 inch photo, but that page would not load and we could not confirm it. A square 2 × 2 inch photo is the US visa size.

Only use 2 × 2 inch if you are asked

If the embassy, consulate or visa centre handling your application specifically asks for 2 × 2 inches, our linked tool has a square preset. Otherwise use 33 × 48 mm.

Make 2 × 2 inch photo

Visas and permits issued inside China

If you extend a visa or apply for a residence permit at a public security exit-entry office in China, the photo follows NIA's exit-entry photo standard instead. It uses the same 33 × 48 mm print, but also accepts a light grey or light blue background and a 20–80 KB JPEG. The details are in the Chinese passport photo guide.

Applying for a China visa

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' visa instructions (August 2026) list the basic documents: the online application form, your passport, a photo, proof of legal stay or residence, and any previous Chinese passport or visa, as your local embassy or consulate requires. You fill in the form and upload documents in COVA, then submit your passport at the embassy, consulate or visa centre when asked. The Chinese Embassy in the US moved to the new COVA system on 30 September 2025.

Holders of D, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entering China. Many travellers need no visa at all: see China visa-free entry.

How to get your China visa photo right

  1. Check whether you need a visa. Ordinary passport holders from 50 countries can visit for up to 30 days visa-free, mostly until 31 December 2026, and 240-hour transit covers 55 nationalities.
  2. Take the photo on a white background. Face the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed and both ears visible, in even light with no shadows, wearing a dark top.
  3. Crop it to 33 × 48 mm. Keep your head 28–33 mm from chin to crown and 15–22 mm wide, with 3–5 mm above the crown and at least 7 mm below the chin.
  4. Save the digital copy for COVA. Upload a JPEG of 354–420 × 472–560 pixels and 40–120 KB, or upload a larger original and use the COVA crop tool. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
  5. Print it on glossy paper. Bring the number of prints your visa centre asks for, on glossy photo paper with no stains or creases.

China visa photo FAQ

33 mm wide and 48 mm high, in colour on a white or near-white background, with the head 15–22 mm wide and 28–33 mm from chin to crown. The digital photo for the online form is a JPEG of 354–420 × 472–560 pixels and 40–120 KB.

Not according to any current official source we found. COVA, the visa centres and Chinese embassies all give 33 × 48 mm. A 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) photo is the US visa size; use it for a China visa only if the office handling your application asks for it.

It depends on the visa centre. The Sydney centre's FAQ says one photo, while a Melbourne centre notice (reposted on its website in 2026) says two paper photos. Check your centre's checklist, and bring a spare.

Yes, if the lenses are not tinted, there is no glare or shadow and the frames do not hide your eyes. Visa centres also say no thick-rimmed frames.

No. Keep a neutral expression with your eyes open and mouth closed, and make sure both ears are visible.

Maybe not. Ordinary passport holders from 50 countries can stay up to 30 days visa-free, mostly until 31 December 2026, and 55 nationalities can use 240-hour visa-free transit. See visa-free entry.

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Official sources

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.