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China Visa and Passport Photo at Home: 33 × 48 mm, Step by Step
A photo for a Chinese visa, a Chinese passport or a Chinese travel document uses one size: 33 × 48 mm, on a white background. You can take it with a phone at home in a few minutes. This guide lists what the photo needs and how to get it right the first time.
Requirements change and can differ between consulates and visa centers. Please check the latest official requirements before you submit.
The requirements at a glance
| Photo size | 33 mm wide × 48 mm high |
|---|---|
| Head height | 28–33 mm, from the chin to the top of the head |
| Head width | 15–22 mm |
| Space above the head | 3–5 mm to the top edge |
| Space below the chin | at least 7 mm to the bottom edge |
| Background | white, no shadows, nothing else in the picture |
| Color and age | color photo, taken within the last 6 months |
How to take the photo with a phone
- Stand in front of a plain white wall, about one meter away from it, so your shadow does not fall on the wall.
- Light your face evenly. Face a window in daylight; avoid a single ceiling light, which leaves shadows under the eyes and nose.
- Hold the phone at eye level, about 1.5 meters away, or ask someone to take it. A selfie at arm's length makes the face look too large.
- Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed, head not tilted.
- Keep your eyebrows, eyes and ears visible. Tie long hair back.
- No hat or headscarf (unless worn for religious reasons, with the whole face visible) and no tinted glasses. Clear glasses are allowed if the frames do not cover the eyes and there is no glare.
The digital photo for the online visa application
The Chinese online visa application (COVA) asks for a digital photo as well. Its instructions give a size of 354 × 472 to 420 × 560 pixels, a JPEG of about 40–120 KB. In our own test in October 2026, a 390 × 567 pixel photo (33 × 48 mm at 300 dpi) uploaded without a problem; the system crops it itself.
Printing the photo
A paper application needs printed photos. Print them on photo paper at a photo shop or a pharmacy photo counter, and choose 100 % / actual size, never "fit to page", or the photo will not be 33 × 48 mm. A 4 × 6 inch print with several photos on it is the cheapest way to get them.
Common reasons a photo is refused
- The head is too large or too small, or too close to the top edge.
- Shadows on the face or on the background, or a background that is not white.
- Hair covering the eyebrows, eyes or ears.
- Eyes closed, head turned or tilted, an unnatural expression.
- Tinted glasses, glare on the lenses, a hat.
- A blurry, dark or edited photo.
Making it with SmartIDPhoto
SmartIDPhoto turns a phone photo into a 33 × 48 mm photo: it places the head at the required size and position, sets a white background, and gives you the digital file (390 × 567 px, within 40–120 KB) and a print sheet for 4 × 6 in, 5 × 7 in, Letter or A4 paper. Before it makes the photo, it checks for closed eyes, a turned head, hands near the face, sunglasses and headwear.
One thing to know: replacing the background is a digital change to the photo, and official rules may not accept altered photos. Taking the photo against a plain white wall keeps the result closest to the original.
Make a China visa or passport photo (33 × 48 mm)
Make the photo