Quick answer
What photo do Chinese applicants need for a US visa?
The DS-160 needs a square colour photo, 2 × 2 inches, taken within the last 6 months on a plain white or off-white background, with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches high and no glasses. Holders of 10-year B1/B2 visas in PRC passports must also enrol in EVUS before they travel.
PRC ordinary passport holders need a visa to visit the United States, applied for with the online DS-160 form and an interview at the US Embassy in Beijing or a US Consulate General. The US visa photo (美国签证照片) is a square colour photo, 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), taken within the last 6 months on a plain white or off-white background, with your head 1 to 1 3/8 inches high and no glasses. If you hold a 10-year B1/B2 visa in a PRC passport, you must also enrol in EVUS before you travel and update the enrolment every two years.
United States visa photo size and requirements
| Photo size | 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), square |
|---|---|
| Head height | 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, or 50–69% of the image height |
| Digital file | Square JPEG, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels, 240 KB or less (see the note below) |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Colour | In colour |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 6 months, showing how you look now |
| Pose and expression | Full face, directly facing the camera, neutral expression, both eyes open |
| Glasses | Not allowed in new visa photos |
| Head coverings | Only if worn daily for religious reasons, with your full face visible and no shadows on it |
Two notes on the numbers. The head size is 1 to 1 3/8 inches. One US embassy page converts this as "22 mm and 35 mm", but 1 inch is 25.4 mm, so aim for 25–35 mm, which meets both. The pixel and file-size limits are from the State Department's photo page, which blocked our checks in October 2026 (we saw the figures only in search results), so read the DS-160 photo tool's message when you upload.
EVUS for 10-year visa holders
Every traveller with a PRC passport and a 10-year B1/B2, B1 or B2 visa must enrol in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) at evus.gov before travelling to the US, and update the enrolment every two years. The US Embassy in China says a fee of $30.00 has been charged for each new enrolment since 30 September 2025, but a search result for evus.gov showed $31.75, so check the amount on evus.gov when you pay. An older CBP FAQ says EVUS does not ask for a photo or fingerprints.
Applying for a US visa in China
Fill in the DS-160 online and upload your digital photo, then book and attend an interview at the US Embassy in Beijing or a US Consulate General in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang or Wuhan. The appointment service handles bookings and requests for disability accommodations (support-china@usvisascheduling.com). The embassy warns that, because it has not been allowed to hire new local staff since November 2021, processing and waiting times are longer than before.
The DS-160 system accepting your photo does not guarantee the consular section can use it, so check it against the rules above. US embassy pages also recommend bringing one printed photo that meets the requirements to your interview.
Children under 14
Since the embassy's update of 3 February 2026, applicants under 14 applying in China must schedule an interview and attend with at least one parent: they can no longer use the interview waiver process. Bring the originals of the child's birth certificate, the household registration book (户口本) if you have one, at least one parent's ID (passport or 身份证, ideally both parents' current and former passports) and the parents' marriage certificate if applicable. The child's photo follows the same rules, including no glasses.
Can you reuse your Chinese passport photo?
No. A Chinese passport photo is a 33 × 48 mm rectangle and may show clear glasses, while the US photo is a 2 × 2 inch square with no glasses at all. Start from the original photo and crop a new square copy, or take a new photo without glasses. Compare sizes in the photo size chart.
How to get your US visa photo right
- Check what you need. A short visit for tourism or business needs a B1/B2 visa, applied for with the DS-160. If you already hold a 10-year B1/B2 visa, enrol in EVUS before you travel instead.
- Take the photo without glasses. Stand in front of a plain white or off-white background, face the camera with a neutral expression and both eyes open, and take off your glasses and any hat not worn daily for religious reasons.
- Crop it to a 2 × 2 inch square. Keep your head 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from chin to top of head, and save a square JPEG of at least 600 × 600 pixels. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
- Upload it in the DS-160. Add the photo when the form asks for it, then print one copy to take to your interview at the embassy or consulate.
Sample photos
Samples show pose, lighting and background. Crop your own photo to the United States visa size.
United States visa photo FAQ
A square colour photo, 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from chin to top of head, on a plain white or off-white background and taken within the last 6 months.
No. Glasses are not allowed in new US visa photos. Take them off before the photo is taken.
The State Department's photo page, seen in search results because it blocked our checks, lists a square JPEG of 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels and 240 KB or less. Check the message in the DS-160 photo tool when you upload.
Yes, if you hold a 10-year B1/B2, B1 or B2 visa in a PRC passport. Enrol at evus.gov before you travel and update it every two years. The US Embassy in China quotes a $30.00 fee, while a search result for evus.gov showed $31.75, so check before you pay. An older CBP FAQ says EVUS needs no photo.
Yes. Since February 2026, children under 14 applying in China must attend an interview with at least one parent and can no longer use the interview waiver process.
No. The Chinese passport photo is 33 × 48 mm and may show glasses. The US photo is a 2 × 2 inch square with no glasses, so make a new square photo.
Official sources
- U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China: Visas
- U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China: Nonimmigrant visas (EVUS, interviews for minors)
- U.S. Department of State: Photo requirements
- U.S. Embassy in Poland: Visa photo requirements
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection: EVUS FAQ (Chinese)
- EVUS: official enrolment website
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.