What the China visa photo online upload is
Every application for a Chinese visa is filed through the COVA online portal, and the form asks you to upload a digital photo. The Chinese Embassy in the US explains that the portal has a drag-and-crop editing tool that validates your photo automatically right after the upload. A photo that fails this check blocks the form before any consular officer sees your China visa application, so the digital photo is the first thing to get right.
This page makes the digital visa photo for that upload. It is a photo file, not a print: the size is set in pixels, and the file size has to stay small. If you also need a printed photo for the passport handover, see the section on the printed photo below.
China visa photo size in pixels
For the online upload, the China visa photo size is at least 354×472 pixels and at most 420×560 pixels. Both sizes have the same 3:4 shape, so the photo is a portrait rectangle, not a square. In our template the head size is about 356 pixels from the chin to the top of the hair, with about 25 pixels of white space above the hair. The photo file must not be larger than 120 KB. A photo straight from a phone camera is usually several megabytes and thousands of pixels wide, so it needs to be cropped, resized and compressed before the portal will accept it.
The printed Chinese visa photo has a different size: 33 mm wide by 48 mm tall, with the head 15–22 mm wide and 28–33 mm from chin to crown. Only a printed photo is measured in millimetres. No official Chinese government source sets a DPI for the digital photo, so the online photo is checked only by its pixel size and file size.
Why a US or European photo size fails
The Chinese visa photo size matches no common Western format. A US passport photo of 2×2 inches (51×51 mm) is square, and a 35×45 mm European photo has a different shape and head size. A photo made for another document puts the head at the wrong size in the frame, and a face that is too small or too large fails the head-proportion check even when the outer size is right. Make a photo in the China visa size from the start instead of reusing an old passport photo.
Background, face and expression
The official photo requirements for a Chinese visa ask for a full colour photo taken within the last 6 months, on a white or close-to-white background with no edge frame. No shadow, stain or pattern may appear on the face or the background. Your expression must be neutral, with eyes open, lips closed and both ears visible. The skin tone should look natural: the photo must not be overexposed, underexposed, red-eyed or distorted.
Keep your head straight. The rules allow no more than 20° of tilt to the left or right and no more than 25° up or down, and the online portal checks this automatically. Plain glasses with clear lenses are allowed if the frames are not thick and there is no glare on the lenses; tinted or thick-rimmed glasses are not. Head coverings are allowed for religious reasons only, and the whole face, from forehead to chin, must stay visible.
How to upload the photo to COVA
The COVA online form has nine sections, from personal information and the type of visa to your travel plans and the declaration. The photo step accepts image files only; a PDF or any other format is rejected. After the upload, use the drag-and-crop tool to place your face in the frame, and the portal runs its photo check. The system accepts applications only for travel within the next 90 days, and once you submit the form you cannot change it, so check your visa photo before you finish.
If your photo fails the check after several attempts, the Embassy's guidance is to complete the other sections of the online form anyway and bring a standard physical ID photo to the in-person passport submission at the Embassy or Consulate-General.
The printed photo for the passport handover
After the online application, you hand in your passport in person. If you bring a printed Chinese visa photo for this step, it must be 33×48 mm and printed on glossy photo paper; matte paper and plain paper are not accepted, so a home or office printer usually fails. The print must have no creases, scratches or stains. This page makes the digital photo file; for a print in the 33×48 mm size, use a printable visa photo template instead.
China visa photo checklist
- Photo size between 354×472 and 420×560 pixels, 3:4 portrait shape.
- File size under 120 KB, saved as an image file, not a PDF.
- White or close-to-white background with no frame or shadows.
- Neutral face, eyes open, lips closed, both ears visible.
- Head straight, centred, and filling most of the photo.
- Full colour photo taken within the last 6 months, no filters.
Before you apply: other China visa rules
For applicants in the United States, the Chinese Embassy updated its visa requirements in September 2025. Your passport needs more than 6 months of validity and at least 2 blank visa pages. Since January 1, 2024, tourist (L) visa applicants no longer need to show air tickets, hotel bookings or an itinerary. Regular service takes 4 business days and express service 3 business days, counted from the date you hand in your passport. Most US citizens may apply for a 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa.
UK nationals can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days until December 31, 2026 for tourism, business, visits or transit. A Chinese visa is still needed for paid work, study, journalism or a stay longer than 30 days. UK applicants aged 14 to 70 apply online and then visit a Visa for China application centre for fingerprints; the same visa photo rules apply on every route.
Getting the visa photo right the first time
The portal checks the visa photo by machine, so small details matter. Before you upload, open the photo on a large screen and zoom in. Look for a shadow behind your head or under the chin, glare on glasses, a blink, a half smile or hair that hides an ear. Check that the visa photo shows your whole head with a little white space above the hair, centred in the frame. If anything looks wrong, retake the photo: it is quicker than repeating the upload and the crop step several times.
Take several photos in one session so you can pick the best one. A second person holding the phone keeps the angle steady; if you are alone, put the phone on a shelf at eye level and use the self-timer. Do not edit the visa photo with beauty filters or face retouching apps, which change your features and can make the photo fail the check.
Visa photo with glasses or a head covering
Glasses are a common reason for a rejected visa photo. Clear lenses in thin frames are allowed only if no light reflects on the lenses, and the automatic photo check is strict about glare. The simplest way to avoid the problem is to take the photo without glasses. A head covering worn for religious reasons is allowed, but the full face, including the forehead, cheeks and chin, must be visible in the photo. Hats, caps and other coverings worn for fashion are not allowed.
Applying through the Los Angeles Consulate
The Consulate in Los Angeles takes visa applications from residents of Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. No appointment is needed to hand in documents, and the office is open on weekdays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Regular service takes 4 business days and express service 2–3 business days after you hand in the documents. Your visa photo is uploaded with the form before this visit, so have the photo file ready when you start the form. Payment at US visa offices is accepted by Mastercard or Visa card, money order or cashier's check.
After you arrive
A visa photo is only one step of the trip. Once you are in the country, every visitor must register within 24 hours of arrival at the hotel or the place where they stay.
Related China documents
Need a photo for another Chinese document? See our China passport online photo, China Resident ID card photo, China Green Card photo and China driving license photo pages.
