Quick answer
Do Chinese citizens need a visa photo to travel abroad?
For the US, Schengen area, UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Vietnam, yes: PRC ordinary passport holders need a visa, and most applications ask for a photo or take one at a visa centre. Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia allow 30-day visa-free visits, so short trips there need no visa photo.
Of the 11 destinations on this site, 8 need a visa on a PRC ordinary passport: the US, Schengen area, UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Vietnam. Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia allow 30-day visa-free visits, so short trips there need no visa photo. Every country sets its own size (外国签证照片尺寸), from a 2 × 2 inch square for the US to 35 × 45 mm for most printed photos, 35 × 50 mm for Malaysia and 4 × 6 cm for Vietnam, and the UK and Canada take your photo at a visa centre.
What you need for a short visit
These are the rules for PRC ordinary passport holders applying from mainland China for a short tourist or business trip. Destinations that need a visa come first.
| Destination | Short visit on a PRC passport | Photo needed |
|---|---|---|
| United States | B1/B2 visa; 10-year visa holders also enrol in EVUS | Photo upload2 × 2 in square in the DS-160 |
| Schengen area | Schengen visa, up to 90 days in any 180 | Printed photo35 × 45 mm glued to the form; fingerprints at the centre |
| United Kingdom | Standard Visitor visa | Taken at the centrePhoto and fingerprints at a visa application centre |
| Japan | Visa through a designated agency; tourist eVISA with a 15- or 30-day stay | Printed photo45 × 35 mm (height × width) on white |
| South Korea | Visa; Jeju visa-free for 30 days | Printed photo35 × 45 mm glued to the form |
| Australia | Visitor visa, applied for online | Photo uploadJPEG, 70 KB–3.5 MB |
| Canada | Visitor visa, applied for online | Biometrics at a visa centreFingerprints and photo after you apply |
| Vietnam | Visa generally required (e-Visa) | Photo upload4 × 6 cm JPG, under 2 MB |
| Singapore | Visa-free up to 30 days | NoneVisa photo only if you need a visa |
| Thailand | Visa-free 30 days per entry, 90 in any 180 | NoneComplete the TDAC arrival card |
| Malaysia | Visa-free 30 days per entry, 90 in any 180 | NoneeVISA photo only for other trips |
Dates and schemes to watch
South Korea's visa-free scheme for groups of 3 or more Chinese tourists on designated agency tours (up to 15 days) ran from 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026; news reports said it would be extended by six months, but we found no official notice, so check with your agency. Korea's group visa fee waiver runs to 31 December 2026. Thailand ended its separate 60-day exemption on 15 September 2026, but the China–Thailand agreement still gives 30 days. Since 10 April 2026, the Schengen area's Entry/Exit System has replaced passport stamps, registering travellers' fingerprints and facial images at the border, while ETIAS is only for visa-exempt nationals and does not apply to PRC passports.
Online arrival cards
Some destinations also ask you to fill in an online arrival card before you land. None of the official pages we checked asks for a photo:
- Singapore: the SG Arrival Card is free and is submitted within 3 days before you arrive.
- Malaysia: the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) asks for passport, travel and accommodation details, with no photo upload.
- Thailand: the Chinese Embassy reminds travellers to complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), and the official website says no fees are required.
- South Korea: the e-Arrival Card is free and can be filled in online from 3 days before you arrive. Korea's K-ETA is only for visa-free nationalities, so it does not apply to PRC passports.
Visa photo sizes compared
If you need a visa, each country sets its own size. Pick a country for the full rules, or make the photo straight away with the photo maker, preset to that country's size.
| Country and photo maker | Print size | Digital and file | Background | Max age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Not needed (online) | 1200 × 1600 px preferredJPEG, 70 KB–3.5 MB | Neutral or light grey | 6 months |
| Canada | 35 × 45 mm (minimum) | Biometrics at a visa centre | White or light | 6 months |
| Japan | 45 × 35 mm (H × W) | eVISA: the agency applies | White | 6 months |
| Malaysia | 35 × 50 mm | MyVISA eVISA uploadNot stated | White | Recent |
| Schengen area | 35 × 45 mm | Printed photo glued to the form | White | 6 months |
| Singapore | 35 × 45 mm | 400 × 514 px (ICA e-services)Up to 8 MB | White | 3 months |
| South Korea | 35 × 45 mm | Paper form at the visa centre | White or off-white | 6 months |
| Thailand | Not needed | e-Visa scanEach file ≤ 3 MB | White | 6 months |
| United Kingdom | Not needed | At least 600 × 750 px if uploadedJPEG, 50 KB–6 MB | Plain, light-coloured | Recent |
| United States | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | Square DS-160 uploadJPEG | White or off-white | 6 months |
| Vietnam | 4 × 6 cm | e-Visa uploadJPG, < 2 MB | White | Recent |
The file limit is shown under the digital size where the country sets one. Click a country for its full rules and official sources, or scroll the table sideways on a phone.
One photo will not fit every visa
A Chinese passport photo is 33 × 48 mm, and none of these 11 countries uses that size. The US wants a 2 × 2 inch square with no glasses, Malaysia a taller 35 × 50 mm and Vietnam 4 × 6 cm, and most printed visa photos are 35 × 45 mm. Make a separate copy for each application from the original photo rather than stretching one image. Compare every size in the photo size chart.
Visa centres and biometrics
Many countries ask you to visit a visa centre in China, and some take your photo there:
- United Kingdom: apply online, then give your fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre. You do not need to bring a photo.
- Canada: apply online and pay CAD 85 for biometrics, then give your fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre after you receive your instruction letter.
- Schengen area: Germany's visa centres, run by VFS Global in 15 cities, take the fingerprints of everyone aged 12 or over, but you still glue a 35 × 45 mm photo to the printed form.
- South Korea: applications go through a Korea Visa Application Centre, where the Beijing centre also takes photos at the Korean size for 40 yuan for 6.
- United States: upload your photo in the DS-160, then attend an interview at the embassy or a consulate. Children under 14 now attend with a parent.
- Australia: most visas are applied for online with a photo upload. Frequent Traveller applicants give biometrics, which within the PRC are collected only in Hong Kong.
How to get the right photo for your trip
- Check whether you need a visa. Use the first table to see whether a short visit on a PRC ordinary passport needs a visa, and whether the photo is uploaded, printed or taken at a visa centre.
- Look up that country's photo size. The second table lists each country's print size, digital size, file limit, background and how recent the photo must be.
- Make a separate photo for each application. Crop a new copy from the original photo for each size, such as a square for the US or a taller shape for Malaysia and Vietnam. Take a new photo without glasses for the US or Vietnam.
- Apply through the official channel. Upload or print the photo for the official application, or bring it to the visa centre or agency your destination uses.
Visa photo FAQ for Chinese citizens
Of the 11 destinations on this site, Singapore (up to 30 days), Thailand and Malaysia (30 days per entry and 90 days in any 180) are visa-free on a PRC ordinary passport for short visits, so you need no visa photo. Korea's Jeju Island also allows 30-day visa-free visits. The US, Schengen area, UK, Japan, the rest of South Korea, Australia, Canada and Vietnam need a visa.
Usually not as it is. A Chinese passport photo is 33 × 48 mm, and none of these 11 countries uses that size. The US wants a 2 × 2 inch square, most others 35 × 45 mm, Malaysia 35 × 50 mm and Vietnam 4 × 6 cm. Crop a new copy from the original photo for each application, and take one without glasses for the US or Vietnam.
35 × 45 mm, sometimes written 45 × 35 mm or 4.5 × 3.5 cm with the height first. The Schengen area (Germany), Japan, South Korea, Canada (as a minimum) and Singapore use it. The US uses a 2 × 2 inch square, Malaysia 35 × 50 mm and Vietnam 4 × 6 cm.
For a UK visitor visa, your fingerprints and photo are taken at the visa application centre, so you need no photo in advance. For a Canada visitor visa, you apply online and then give your fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre. Schengen applicants give fingerprints at the centre but still glue a printed photo to the form.
Not for the US or Vietnam, which do not allow glasses. The UK and Australia ask you to take them off unless you need them. Canada allows clear prescription glasses if your eyes are clearly visible. Japan, Korea and the German Schengen rules do not say, so taking glasses off is the safest choice.
Official sources
- U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China: Nonimmigrant visas
- German Embassy in Beijing: Schengen visa (申根签证)
- GOV.UK: Visitor visa: national list
- GOV.UK: Apply for a Standard Visitor visa
- Embassy of Korea in China: 签证申请表 (visa application form)
- Ministry of Justice (Korea): Group visa fee waiver extension
- Department of Home Affairs (Australia): Photo requirements
- IRCC: Apply for a visitor visa
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (Singapore): Mutual 30-day visa exemption with the PRC
- Chinese Embassy in Thailand: 关于泰国调整免签政策的领事提醒
- Chinese Embassy in Malaysia: 中马互免签证协定常见问题
- Vietnam Immigration Department: e-Visa portal
- China Consular Service: Mutual visa exemption list
- European Commission: Entry/Exit System
- Korea e-Arrival Card
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.