China Visa Photo Requirements (2026): Exact Specs & Common Rejections

A rejected photo is one of the most common reasons a China visa gets delayed — and the rules, set by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are specific. Here's the exact 2026 specification, the mistakes that get photos rejected, and how we make sure yours passes.

The exact China visa photo spec (2026)

Size & format

• Paper photo: 33 mm (W) × 48 mm (H).

• Digital photo: between 354 × 472 px and 420 × 560 px.

• File: JPEG, RGB 24-bit color, file size 40 KB – 120 KB.

• Background: white or close to white, no borders.

• Recency: taken within the last 6 months.

Your head & face

• Full frontal view; the entire head and face clearly visible, ears showing.

• Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed.

• Head straight — no more than about 20° side tilt or 25° up-and-down tilt.

• Paper-photo head height: 28–33 mm chin to crown; head width 15–22 mm.

• Eyes far enough apart to read clearly (inter-eye distance over 60 px on the digital photo).

• No hands, toys, or other people in the frame.

Glasses, head coverings, jewelry

• Glasses are allowed — but only if the lenses aren't tinted and there's no glare, shadow, or heavy frame covering the eyes. If they cause any reflection, it's safest to take them off.

• Head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons, and they can't hide any facial features.

• Remove jewelry and ornaments — China's official examples reject visible jewelry.

What gets a China visa photo rejected

Straight from China's official photo examples:

• Quality: blurry, over- or under-exposed, hot spots, unnatural skin tone, red-eye, or a shadow across the face or background.

• Framing: too close, too far (eyes too small), off-center, or the top of the head or chin cut off.

• Expression: smiling, mouth open, or eyes closed.

• Pose: head tilted, looking away, a "portrait" angle, or chin tipped up or down.

• Glasses: heavy frames, frames covering the eyes, reflections on the lenses, or tinted lenses.

• Background: any color other than white — or a light shirt that blends into a white background.

• Obscuring: hair over the eyebrows, eyes, or ears; a covered face; stamps or smears on the print.

How we handle it

With Full Service, we format your photo to the exact China specification — correct size, background, and file size — so a photo problem doesn't bounce your visa. It's one of the small, avoidable things we check before submission.

Ready to start your China visa?

Complete the quick intake form at chinavisa.getmypassports.com and choose your service. We'll review it and send you a prepaid FedEx label to ship us your passport — then we submit it in person at the consulate (they don't accept mailed applications — that's what you're hiring us for).