China visa photo requirements
As of October 25, 2026, a China visa photo on paper is 33 mm wide and 48 mm tall, with the head 28 to 33 mm from chin to crown, on a white or near-white background (per us.china-embassy.gov.cn, checked on Oct 25, 2026).
A digital China visa photo measures between 354 x 472 pixels and 420 x 560 pixels, width by height.
A China visa photo must be free of damage and of shadow over the face, in natural tone, and not over- or under-exposed, red-eyed or distorted.
On paper, 33 mm wide by 48 mm tall. The head, measured from the base of the chin to the crown, takes 28 to 33 mm of that height and 15 to 22 mm of the width.
Placement is tight: 3 to 5 mm of space above the crown and at least 7 mm below the chin. A square 2 x 2 inch print is a different shape from the 33 x 48 mm format the Chinese missions list.
Sources: us.china-embassy.gov.cn · losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn
A JPEG from 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels (width by height), 40 KB to 120 KB, in 24-bit RGB color. The digital file is 3:4, while the paper photo is 33:48, so each format needs its own crop.
The China Online Visa Application system has drag-and-crop tools and checks the photo on upload. If it keeps failing, the embassy’s guidance is to finish the other sections and bring a standard ID photo when submitting the passport.
White or close to white, with no border around the image and no shadow on the face. The embassy’s examples also reject a colored background and clothing that blends into the background.
Sources: us.china-embassy.gov.cn · losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn
Yes, unless the frames are thick, the lenses are tinted or the glasses reflect glare. Hats and other head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons, with every facial feature left visible.
Not as it is. The Chinese Embassy in the United States lists a paper photo of 33 mm wide by 48 mm tall, a narrow upright shape, while a 2 x 2 inch print is square. Source: official page "Chinese Visa Photo Requirements › poster "Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application"", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Taken within the last 6 months and in color, according to both the embassy’s poster and the consulate in Los Angeles. Source: official pages "Photo Requirements for Visa (Consulate General of China in Los Angeles)" and "Chinese Visa Photo Requirements › poster "Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application"", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
The embassy announced in 2016 that applications with non-compliant photos will not be processed. In the online system, a photo that fails the automatic check can be replaced by a standard ID photo brought along with the passport. Source: official pages "Requirements for Chinese Visa Photos Starting Today" and "Guidelines for China Online VISA Application › 1. Personal Information", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
No. SelfieToPassport is not affiliated with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America or any other government agency. The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America publishes the photo rules for free at us.china-embassy.gov.cn; this page links to each one.
We crop and resize your original photo and never replace or repaint the background. If the wall does not pass the check, the tool asks for a new photo and tells you how to fix the light or the wall.
Ready? Free preview with the measurements drawn on your photo; $6.95 for the digital file and both print sheets.
Make my China visa photoEvery rule on this page comes from a page published by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.
Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.
