China visa photo size
A China visa photo upload is a JPEG between 354 by 472 and 420 by 560 pixels, 40 to 120 KB, on a white or near white background. A printed photo is 33 by 48 mm, a different shape. This tool opens at 354 by 472, which every official reading accepts.
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What the authority specifies
Online form
- Photo size
- 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels
- Background
- white or close to white, with no border
- File size
- 40 KB to 120 KB
- Read strictly
- 40,960 to 120,000 bytes, which your computer shows as 40.0 KB to 117.2 KB
- Source
- us.china-embassy.gov.cn
- Read at the source on
Paper photo
- Photo size
- 48 mm by 33 mm
- Pixels at 300 DPI
- 390 x 567
- Background
- white or close to white, with no border
- File size
- No limit published
- Source
- us.china-embassy.gov.cn
- Read at the source on
Each size on this page was read at the issuing authority's own website, not copied from another converter or from a search result.
The page it came from and the date it was read are printed above, so you can check the same source in one click.
Why this size?
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes one poster with two photos on it. The digital photo for the online form is 354 by 472 to 420 by 560 pixels. The paper photo is 33 by 48 mm.
Both ends of the digital range are exactly 3 by 4. The paper photo is narrower than that, so the switcher makes each one from your original photo rather than cutting one down into the other.
The Embassy's online system lets you drag and crop the photo, then checks it. If it keeps failing, the Embassy says to bring a standard ID photo when you hand in your passport.
Where the pixel figure comes from
Passport offices publish millimetres, not pixels, because the photograph is printed. Turning millimetres into pixels needs a resolution, and most authorities do not name one.
This one publishes pixels directly, because the photo is uploaded rather than printed, so no resolution was needed and the pixel figure above is the authority's own.
That matters if you are uploading rather than printing.
An online form usually states its own pixel size or file size limit, and where an authority publishes one this page uses that instead of converting anything.
Check before you submit
Requirements change, and the only version that counts is the one on the authority's own page on the day you apply.
Every size here links to the page it came from and shows the date it was read. If that date looks old, spend a minute at the source before you print anything.
What happens to your photo?
Your selected photo is processed in your browser, without an image upload to a server. The page may download code and codecs needed for editing.
Save your result before closing the tab; unsaved edits are kept in memory rather than in an online account.
Common questions
Is a China visa photo 33 x 48 mm or 2 x 2 inches?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' poster says a paper photo is 33 mm wide by 48 mm high. It does not mention 2 by 2 inches.
If a visa agency asks you for another size, that is the agency's request. The size China publishes is 33 by 48.
Is 354 x 472 the minimum or the maximum?
The poster says the digital photo should be between 354 by 472 and 420 by 560 pixels, so 354 by 472 is the smallest.
The visa centre in Manchester reads it the other way: its FAQ says the photo "cannot exceed 354*472". A photo of exactly 354 by 472 meets both, which is why this tool opens there.
Why is the upload a different shape from the print?
Because China publishes them separately. 354 by 472 and 420 by 560 are both exactly 3 by 4, while 33 by 48 mm is narrower.
A scan of the print at 300 DPI comes out 390 by 567 pixels, taller than the 560 the upload allows. Make each one from the original photo instead.
Do I need a printed photo if I upload one?
The Embassy's guide to its online system says the system checks your photo as you upload it. If it still fails after several tries, you can finish the form and bring a standard ID photo when you hand in your passport.
The guide mentions a printed photo only for that case. Switch to Paper photo to make the 33 by 48 mm file. China names no print resolution, so its 390 by 567 pixels are this tool's 300 DPI.
Can I wear glasses in a China visa photo?
Yes, if the lenses are not tinted and there is no glare, shadow or frame covering your eyes. The poster's examples reject heavy frames and tinted lenses.
Hats and other head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons, and must not hide any part of your face.
How big should my head be in the photo?
On the paper photo, 15 to 22 mm wide and 28 to 33 mm from chin to crown, with 3 to 5 mm above your head and at least 7 mm below your chin.
On a 354 by 472 digital photo, the poster puts your face at 205 pixels wide, give or take 14, with your eyes more than 256 pixels above the bottom edge.
Its text allows 10 to 70 pixels above your head, though its diagram says 10 to 85.
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