Quick answer
What photo do I need for a Hong Kong and Macau permit?
The Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau uses the same NIA exit-entry photo standard as the passport: a recent 33 × 48 mm colour photo, or a 354–480 × 472–640 pixel JPEG of 20–80 KB. The permit costs 60 yuan and lasts 10 years from age 16.
The Hong Kong and Macau permit photo (港澳通行证照片) follows the same NIA exit-entry photo standard as a Chinese passport. It is a 33 × 48 mm colour photo taken within 6 months, on a white, light grey or light blue background. The digital file is a 354–480 × 472–640 pixel JPEG of 20–80 KB. The permit costs 60 yuan and is valid for 10 years from age 16, or 5 years for under-16s.
Mainland residents apply for the 往来港澳通行证 at a county-level or higher public security exit-entry office, or online in pilot cities. The photo rules are the same as for the Chinese passport photo, which covers the head size and digital rules in full. This page summarises them and adds the permit's own fees, endorsements and timing from NIA's service guide.
Photo requirements
| Standard | 《出入境证件相片照相指引》, NIA's exit-entry photo guide |
|---|---|
| Print size | 33 × 48 mm, with a 30 × 40 mm effective area |
| Face and head | Face 16–24 mm wide, head 30–34 mm high, 1–3 mm above the crown |
| Background | Even white, light grey or light blue, with no gradient |
| Digital file | 354–480 × 472–640 px (3:4), JPEG, 24-bit colour, 20–80 KB |
| Taken within | 6 months |
| Clothing | Dark clothes with a collar, no uniform |
Most offices use a photo receipt
Exit-entry offices in China usually work from a digital photo captured by an approved studio or a police photo point, which gives you a photo receipt (回执). Check what your office accepts before you have the photo taken.
Sample photos
See all correct and incorrect sample photos
Applying: what to bring and how long it takes
| Where | A county-level or higher public security exit-entry office, in person |
|---|---|
| What to bring | The 《中国公民出入境证件申请表》 form, a photo to the NIA standard and your resident ID card (under-16s may show the household register, 户口簿) |
| Fingerprints | Given or checked as required |
| Under 16 | Accompanied by a guardian, or someone the guardian authorises, with proof of guardianship |
| Processing | 7 working days; up to 20 working days in remote areas; 20 days if you apply outside your household registration area |
| Validity | 10 years from age 16; 5 years under 16 |
You can renew or replace the permit if it is damaged, lost or stolen, has less than 6 months left, or will expire before the endorsement you want.
Fees and endorsements
| Permit | 60 yuan |
|---|---|
| One-trip endorsement | 15 yuan |
| Two-trip endorsement | 30 yuan |
| Multiple, up to 1 year | 80 yuan |
| Multiple, over 1 and up to 2 years | 120 yuan |
| Multiple, over 2 and under 3 years | 160 yuan |
| Multiple, 3 years or more | 240 yuan |
| Endorsement | For | Stay per visit |
|---|---|---|
| T (探亲) | Visiting relatives | 14 days for siblings, grandparents and grandchildren; up to 90 days from first entry for spouses, parents and children |
| S (商务) | Business | Up to 14 days |
| L (团队旅游) | Group tours | Up to 7 days |
| G (个人旅游) | Individual travel, for residents of listed cities | Up to 7 days |
| D (逗留) | Work, study, residence and similar stays approved in Hong Kong or Macau | As approved there |
| R (人才) | Six categories of mainland talent | Up to 30 days |
| Q (其他) | Other reasons, such as medical treatment, funerals or exams | Up to 14 days |
From NIA's service guide. Since May 2024 business endorsements can be applied for at any exit-entry window in China. Since 5 November 2025 the talent endorsement is also open to people working anywhere in the Yangtze River Delta, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and all free trade zones. Since 20 November 2025, holders of family-visit endorsements can renew them in Hong Kong or Macau through 香港中旅集团 or 澳门中国旅行社.
Renewing online (全程网办)
Since 20 November 2025, residents aged 16 or over in 50 pilot cities can renew or replace an ordinary passport, a Hong Kong and Macau permit or a Taiwan travel permit on the NIA government service platform. Registered state functionaries and serving military personnel are excluded. Guangzhou police explain the steps: open "证件换补发网上申请", fill in your details, and upload a photo for the document (制证照片), a handwritten signature and both sides of your ID card. After approval you pay online. In Guangzhou the document is then made within 3 working days and posted, with postage paid on delivery, or you can collect it. Your location must be inside China when you apply. Read more about photos for online renewal.
How to get a Hong Kong and Macau permit photo
- Check what your office accepts. Most exit-entry offices want a photo receipt from an approved studio or police photo point. For online renewal you upload a digital photo yourself.
- Dress and pose for the NIA standard. Wear dark clothes with a collar, keep your hair off your eyes and eyebrows, face the camera with your mouth closed, and avoid tinted lenses and thick frames.
- Use a plain light background. White, light grey or light blue, evenly lit, with no shadows on your face or the background.
- Check the size. A 33 × 48 mm print, or a 354–480 × 472–640 pixel JPEG of 20–80 KB, taken within 6 months. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
- Apply for the permit. Bring the form, your ID card and the photo or receipt to the exit-entry office, or upload the photo in the NIA platform if your city offers online renewal.
Hong Kong and Macau permit photo FAQ
Yes. NIA's service guide asks for a photo that meets 《出入境证件相片照相指引》, the exit-entry photo standard used for Chinese passports issued in China. It is 33 × 48 mm, in colour, taken within 6 months, on a white, light grey or light blue background.
60 yuan for the permit. Endorsements are extra: 15 yuan for one trip, 30 yuan for two, and 80–240 yuan for multiple-entry endorsements depending on how long they last.
10 years if you are 16 or over when you apply, and 5 years if you are under 16.
In 50 pilot cities, yes. Residents aged 16 or over with household registration there can apply to renew or replace the permit on the NIA government service platform, uploading a digital photo, a handwritten signature and their ID card, without visiting a window. Registered state functionaries and serving military personnel must still apply in person.
The guide lists the photo among the materials for the permit itself. For an endorsement alone you give the application form and your valid permit, plus the documents for your reason for travel.
Sometimes. In Shanghai, a photo taken at a police photo point can be reused for exit-entry documents within 1 year. Guangzhou's photo receipts are valid for 1 year, or 180 days for under-16s. See photo receipts.
Official sources
- National Immigration Administration: 往来港澳通行证和签注签发服务指南 (permit and endorsement guide)
- National Immigration Administration: 出入境证件相片照相指引 (exit-entry photo guide)
- National Immigration Administration: online renewal and business endorsement measures (April 2024)
- National Immigration Administration: Notice No. 4 of 2025 (50 pilot cities, talent endorsements)
- Guangzhou Public Security Bureau: online renewal of exit-entry documents
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.