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Guide

China visa photo rejected online? What to check and how to fix it

As of October 25, 2026, the Chinese Embassy in the United States sets the digital China visa photo at 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels (width by height), a JPEG of 40 KB to 120 KB, in color and taken in the last 6 months, with the whole head and face toward the camera on a white or near-white background with no border. The China Online Visa Application system lets you crop the photo and checks it automatically on upload, and the embassy says applications with non-compliant photos will not be processed. SelfieToPassport turns a phone photo into a 420 x 560 pixel JPEG between 40 KB and 120 KB, with a free preview and $6.95 for the file.

Updated Rules checked against the official pages listed belowHow we check

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The short version

  1. SelfieToPassport: a 420 x 560 px China visa JPEG between 40 KB and 120 KB from a phone photo, free preview, $6.95.
  2. Size the digital photo between 354 x 472 and 420 x 560 pixels, width by height.
  3. Save it as a JPEG between 40 KB and 120 KB, in 24-bit RGB color.
  4. Use a white or near-white background with no border and no shadow on the face.
  5. Show the whole head and face toward the camera, eyes open, lips closed, ears visible.
  6. Glasses only if they are not thick-rimmed, tinted or reflecting glare.
  7. Use a color photo taken in the last 6 months.
  8. If the upload keeps failing, finish the other sections and bring a standard ID photo when you submit the passport.

The digital photo rules for the China online visa form

The digital photo has its own size, separate from the paper photo: between 354 x 472 and 420 x 560 pixels, a JPEG of 40 KB to 120 KB. A full-size phone photo is far over 120 KB, and a file compressed too hard can drop under 40 KB.

The digital file is 3:4, while the paper photo is 33 x 48 mm, so each one needs its own crop.

The rules

  • A digital China visa photo measures between 354 x 472 pixels and 420 x 560 pixels, width by height. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • The Chinese Embassy’s photo rules call for a JPEG of 40 KB to 120 KB in 24-bit RGB color. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • The Chinese Embassy in the United States sets the paper photo for a China visa application at 33 mm wide by 48 mm tall. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • A China visa photo must be in color and taken within the last 6 months. losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn

The automatic check in the online form

When you upload the photo, the China Online Visa Application system lets you drag and crop it and decides on its own whether it meets the requirements.

If it fails after several tries, you can still fill in the other sections; bring a standard ID photo when you hand in the passport at the Embassy or Consulate-General.

The rules

  • The China Online Visa Application system lets applicants drag and crop the photo while uploading it, and checks automatically whether it meets the requirements. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • If the photo keeps failing the online check, China visa applicants can still complete the other sections and should bring a standard ID photo when they hand in the passport. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • Since December 5, 2016, the Chinese Embassy in the United States has said that visa applications with non-compliant photos will not be processed. us.china-embassy.gov.cn

Head size, background and glasses

On the paper photo, the head from the base of the chin to the crown is 28 to 33 mm tall, with 3 to 5 mm above the crown and at least 7 mm below the chin. The background is white or close to white, with no border.

Face the camera with the head straight, eyes open, lips closed and ears visible. Glasses are fine unless they are thick-rimmed, tinted or reflect glare.

The rules

  • The Chinese Embassy measures the head in a China visa photo from the base of the chin to the crown, and leaves 3 to 5 mm between the crown and the top edge. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • Below the chin, a China visa photo keeps at least 7 mm of space before the bottom edge of the print. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • The background of a China visa photo must be white or close to white, with no border around the image. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • A China visa photo shows the whole head and face toward the camera, with a neutral expression, eyes open, lips closed and ears visible. losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn
  • For a China visa photo the head may tilt no more than 20 degrees left or right and no more than 25 degrees up or down. losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn
  • Glasses are allowed in a China visa photo, except thick-rimmed, tinted or glare glasses, per the consulate in Los Angeles. losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn
  • A hat or other headwear is accepted in a China visa photo only for religious reasons, and it may not hide any facial feature. losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn
  • No hand, toy or other person may be visible in a China visa photo, according to the Chinese Embassy’s poster. us.china-embassy.gov.cn

Common problems in China visa photos

The embassy’s examples mark a colored background and clothing that matches the background as unacceptable. Damage, shadows on the face, over- or under-exposure, red eye and distortion are ruled out too.

The rules

  • Among the Chinese Embassy’s photo examples, a background in another color and a garment the same color as the background are both marked as unacceptable. us.china-embassy.gov.cn
  • 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. losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn

How to fix the photo

SelfieToPassport crops, resizes and compresses the photo in your browser. It does not retouch the face or replace the background, so take the photo against a white wall. The order includes the 420 x 560 pixel file for the online form and the 33 x 48 mm photo to print, with a free preview before you pay $6.95.

  1. Retake the photo if needed: plain white wall, even light, no shadow on the face, no glare on glasses.
  2. Crop to 3:4 with the whole head and both ears in the frame.
  3. Resize to 420 x 560 pixels and save as a JPEG.
  4. Check that the file is between 40 KB and 120 KB.
  5. Upload it in the online visa form and let the system check it; if it keeps failing, bring a printed standard ID photo when you submit the passport.

FAQ

What size is the digital China visa photo?

Between 354 x 472 and 420 x 560 pixels (width by height), as a JPEG of 40 KB to 120 KB. Source: official page "Chinese Visa Photo Requirements › poster "Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application"", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

What if my photo keeps failing the China online visa check?

You can keep filling in the other sections of the form. Bring a standard ID photo when you submit your passport to the Embassy or Consulate-General. Source: official page "Guidelines for China Online VISA Application › 1. Personal Information", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Can I wear glasses in a China visa photo?

Yes, unless they are thick-rimmed, tinted or reflect glare, according to the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles. Source: official page "Photo Requirements for Visa (Consulate General of China in Los Angeles)", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Is the digital China visa photo the same shape as the paper one?

No. The digital file is 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels, a 3:4 shape, while the paper photo is 33 mm wide by 48 mm tall. Source: official page "Chinese Visa Photo Requirements › poster "Photo Requirements for Chinese Visa Application"", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, 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.