Chinese Visa Photo (paper, 33 x 48 mm): size and requirements
The Chinese Visa Photo size is 33 x 48 mm (1.3 x 1.89 inches). 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 printed photo glued to the Chinese visa application form at an embassy, consulate or Chinese Visa Application Service Center. Not for the COVA online upload, which has its own pixel rules, and not for a Chinese passport (different head measurements).
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 33 x 48 mm (1.3 x 1.89 inches)
- Head height
- Head 58 to 69 percent of the photo height (head height, measured from the base of the chin to the crown of the head, between 28 mm and 33 mm; head width 15 mm to 22 mm; crown 3 mm to 5 mm from the upper edge; chin at least 7 mm from the bottom edge)
- 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
- 390 x 567 px (300 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckThe visa photo is 33 x 48 mm like the passport photo, but the head is smaller: 28 to 33 mm against 30 to 34 mm for the passport, with the crown 3 to 5 mm below the top edge. A passport-sized head can fail the visa template.
- CheckEars must be visible and the MFA lists jewellery and ornaments among its rejected examples, so take off earrings and keep hair off the ears.
- CheckClothing the same colour as the background is a listed rejection (Garment identical to background); avoid white tops.
- CheckHead coverings are allowed only for religious reasons and only if no facial feature is hidden; hats are refused.
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 paper photo should be 33 mm (width) × 48 mm (height).
The head width should be between 15 mm and 22 mm and the head height, measured from the base of the chin to the crown of the head, should be between 28 mm and 33 mm.
The space between the crown and the upper edge of the photo should be between 3 mm and 5 mm. The space between the chin and the bottom edge of the photo should be ≥7 mm.
The background of the photo should be white or close to white with no borders around the edge of the image.
Hats or other head coverings are only allowed if worn for religious reasons and if they do not obscure any facial features.
Eyeglasses are allowed in the photo only if the lenses are not tinted and there is no glare, shadows, or frames obscuring the eyes.
The photo should be recent, taken within 6 months.
The embassy page at source.url carries the MFA's 2016 poster 'Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application' as a single image; it was downloaded and transcribed by hand (sources/cn/mfa-visa-photo-requirements-transcription.txt). The MFA's own COVA portal (cova.mfa.gov.cn) returned HTTP 502 on 2026-10-07, so the embassy copy is used. The poster does not say how many prints to bring, so printsRequired is left undefined; the visa form carries one photo. Head coverings: the poster names religious reasons only (our type has no religious-only value).
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
