Chinese Visa Photo for COVA Online Application (digital upload): size and requirements
The Chinese Visa Photo for COVA Online Application size is 420 x 560 pixels for online upload (minimum 354 x 472, maximum 420 x 560), file under 120 KB. White or close to white with no borders around the edge of the image; head 58 to 69 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (via the Chinese Embassy in the United States).
For the JPEG uploaded to the China Online Visa Application (COVA) form before an embassy, consulate or visa centre appointment. Not for the printed photo glued to the form, and not for a Chinese passport renewal upload, which uses a different frame.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 420 x 560 pixels for online upload (minimum 354 x 472, maximum 420 x 560), file under 120 KB
- Head height
- Head 58 to 69 percent of the photo height (face width 205 pixels ± 14 pixels on a 354 x 472 image; crown 10-70 pixels from the upper edge; eye line more than 256 pixels from the bottom edge (no head height is stated for the digital photo; the paper rule of 28-33 mm on 48 mm is applied))
- Background
- white or close to white with no borders around the edge of the image
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Allowed without glare or tint
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 420 x 560 px , under 120 KB, plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckThe upload must be between 354 x 472 and 420 x 560 pixels and 40 to 120 KB. A full-size phone photo is far too large and a 600 x 600 US-style square is the wrong shape.
- CheckThe MFA measures the digital photo by face WIDTH (205 ± 14 px on a 354-wide image) and by eye position (at least 256 px from the bottom), not by chin-to-crown height. Our crop follows the paper proportions, which keeps both inside range.
- CheckThe inter-eye distance must be more than 60 px; a photo taken from too far away fails on that even if the head looks fine.
- CheckThe head may tilt at most 20° left or right and 25° up or down; the poster rejects 'Head tilted' and 'Head lowering down or holding up'.
Known portal issues
- Note
COVA automatic photo check refuses the file
Re-crop so the face size is right even if that trims some hair at the top; the MFA says the voluminous hair can be trimmed off. Read the fix
Source and verification
Read from the official page. Last checked 2026-10-07 at Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (via the Chinese Embassy in the United States).
The digital photo should be between 354 pixels (width) × 472 pixels (height) and 420 pixels (width) × 560 pixels (height).
JPEG and the image file size: 40 KB - 120 KB.
the head should be horizontally centered in the image with the face width at 205 pixels ± 14 pixels.
The space from the upper edge of the image to the crown of the head should be 10 - 70 pixels.
The vertical distance from the bottom edge of the image to the horizontal line through the centre of the eyes should be > 256 pixels.
The inter-eye distance should be > 60 pixels.
The head position: ≤ 20° for left or right tilt (Yaw and Roll) and ≤ 25° for up or down tilt (Pitch).
Same MFA 2016 poster as cn/visa, transcribed in sources/cn/mfa-visa-photo-requirements-transcription.txt. The poster gives face width, crown margin and eye position for the digital photo but no chin-to-crown height, so the head fraction here is carried over from the paper rule (28-33 mm of 48 mm) and flagged in statedAs; no eye-line fraction is set because only a minimum (256 px) is published. 420 x 560 px is the published maximum and our rendering choice.
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.
Frequently asked questions
