China Chinese Passport & Visa (COVA / Chinese Visa Application Service Center) Photo Size

Specifications

Chinese 33×48 mm passport and visa numbers: 390×567 px and the RMB 120 fee

Chinese 普通Passport fees, L/M/Z/X visa categories and 往来港澳通行证

国家移民管理局 NIA rules and 出入境管理局 Entry-Exit halls

National Immigration Administration (国家移民管理局), Ministry of Public Security (nia.gov.cn) sets the rules.

Ordinary Chinese passports (普通Passport pǔtōng hùzhào) are issued by the Entry-Exit Administration bureaus (出入境管理局) of the Public Security organs, under the National Immigration Administration (国家移民管理局). Fees are set by the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance notice 发改价格[2019]914号: RMB 120 per book for first issue, RMB 140 for renewal or replacement (including the RMB 20 annotation), and RMB 20 per additional annotation. For foreign nationals, Chinese visas (Visa qiānzhèng) are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部) through embassies, consulates and the Chinese Visa Application Service Center (visaforchina.cn, COVA portal), where the 33 × 48 mm white-background photograph is both printed on the form and uploaded as a JPEG.

Domestic Chinese applicants rarely print their own photo: registered studios issue the 数码照片回执 (digital photo receipt) that the Entry-Exit hall scans, while foreigners applying for a Chinese visa through a VAC bring one printed 33 × 48 mm photo and upload the JPEG at the centre.

• Registered photo studios (照相馆 zhàoxiàngguǎn) — Studios registered with the National Immigration Administration system take the photo, issue a 数码照片回执 with a QR code and print a set of 33 × 48 mm photos for RMB 20–50.
• Entry-Exit Administration halls (出入境接待大厅) — The county-level or prefecture Public Security Entry-Exit window accepts the 回执, ID card (ID Card), household register (户口本) and fee; on-site photo machines sit in most major halls.
• National Immigration Administration platform (s.nia.gov.cn) — Book appointments, check progress and renew the 往来港澳通行证 endorsement online; the mini-program on WeChat and Alipay mirrors the same service.
• Chinese Visa Application Service Center (VAC) — Foreigners apply through visaforchina.cn in London, Paris, Moscow, Singapore, Seoul and other cities; one printed 33 × 48 mm photo plus a COVA JPEG upload is required.
• Embassies and consulates (使馆/领事馆) — Direct embassy visa windows in smaller markets accept the paper visa form with the 33 × 48 mm photograph affixed; fees vary by nationality and visa category.
• On-site self-service photo machines — Most Entry-Exit halls in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen run self-service proof-photo machines (自助照相机) that print and register the 回执 on the spot.
• Mall studios and print shops — Walmart-style mall photo counters and university-area print shops in Zhongguancun, Wudaokou and Xujiahui print regulated 33 × 48 mm tiles from a USB.
• Do it yourself at home — Shoot against a white wall, crop to 390 × 567 px in the PixlReady China preset, then bring the JPEG to a registered studio to issue the 回执.

The COVA portal at visaforchina.cn is the online channel for foreign visa applicants: fill the form, upload the 33 × 48 mm JPEG (typically under 1 MB), book a VAC appointment and pay the visa fee plus service fee. Domestic passport applicants use the NIA service platform mainly for appointments and progress, not for photo upload.

Entry-Exit filing: RMB 120 book fee, 7-day issue and QR receipt

Domestic ordinary passport applicants move from 回执 to finished book in about 7 working days; foreign visa applicants move from COVA upload to VAC appointment in days, with the 33 × 48 mm photograph gating both routes.

1. Get the 数码照片回执 from a registered 照相馆 for a domestic passport, or prepare one printed 33 × 48 mm photo plus a JPEG for a foreign visa.
2. Domestic applicants book at s.nia.gov.cn or the NIA mini-program, then attend the Entry-Exit hall (出入境接待大厅) with the ID card (ID Card) and household register (户口本).
3. The window takes fingerprints, scans the 回执, and charges RMB 120 for first issue or RMB 140 for renewal/replacement (including the RMB 20 annotation); extra annotations cost RMB 20 each.
4. Wait about 7 working days; collect at the hall or choose courier delivery.
5. Foreign visa applicants instead complete the COVA form at visaforchina.cn, upload the JPEG, book a VAC appointment, and attend in person with the printed photo and passport.
6. Visa categories: L tourism, M business, Z work, X study, Q1/Q2 family visit to Chinese citizens, S1/S2 private affairs; each uses the same 33 × 48 mm photo.
7. Lost or damaged passports are reported and replaced at the same Entry-Exit hall; citizens abroad report to the nearest embassy and apply for a 旅行证.
8. Hong Kong and Macau travel uses the separate 往来港澳通行证 with its own endorsement sticker; Taiwan travel uses the 大陆居民往来台湾通行证, both with their own 33 × 48 mm photos.

Shooting a 33×48 mm white-background photo that passes the 回执 system

1. Stand against a pure white wall; the Chinese visa and passport rules demand a uniform white background with no shadows, patterns or other people.
2. Set the camera at eye level, square-on, and leave 3–5 mm of white above the hair so the crown-to-chin span lands at 28–33 mm with head width 15–22 mm.
3. Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open looking straight at the lens; no teeth showing.
4. Remove hats, earrings, necklaces and face masks; prescription glasses are allowed only without reflection and with frames not covering the eyes.
5. Tie long hair back; dark, plain clothing photographs best against the white background, and uniforms are discouraged.
6. Shoot in soft front daylight; avoid the harsh overhead light that greys the white wall.
7. Open the sharpest frame in the PixlReady cropper and choose the China 33 × 48 mm preset, which builds the 390 × 567 px image.
8. For a domestic passport, hand the JPEG to a registered studio to issue the 数码照片回执; for a visa, print one borderless 33 × 48 mm tile and upload the JPEG to COVA.

Use the passport cropper with the China preset.

COVA upload: 390×567 px JPEG under 1 MB for L/M/Z/X visas

The COVA / VAC upload expects a JPEG of the 33 × 48 mm portrait, typically under 1 MB; domestic passport applicants instead get the 数码照片回执, a QR-coded record that the Entry-Exit bureau scans from the studio's system rather than accepting a file you bring on a USB.

• File format: JPEG for the COVA visa upload.
• Pixel dimensions: at least 390 × 567 px (33 × 48 mm at 300 DPI); the VAC portal rejects smaller uploads.
• File size: typically under 1 MB at the visa centre; compress without resampling below 390 px wide.
• Background: pure white, no gradient, no shadow; light-blue backgrounds are for some ID cards, not the visa.
• Head span: crown to chin 28–33 mm, head width 15–22 mm, 3–5 mm clearance above the head.
• No digital alteration: Photoshop background removal, filters, AI retouching and beauty-app smoothing are rejected.
• Recency: taken within 6 months and matching the face at the VAC biometric appointment.
• Glasses: frames must not cover the eyes; anti-reflection lenses preferred; tinted or coloured lenses rejected.
• Orientation: upright portrait, not mirrored; the COVA preview checks this before upload.

Compress an oversized JPEG with the image compressor.

One 33×48 mm tile on the visa form, four-up on a 4×6 sheet

Chinese visa forms ask for one 33 × 48 mm print affixed to the application; studios usually print a four-up set on a 4 × 6 sheet, leaving one tile for the VAC and spares for future visa packets.

• Print at 300 DPI so the tile measures 33 × 48 mm exactly.
• Use photographic paper; plain paper and photocopies are rejected at the VAC window.
• Affix the print to the paper form with a glue stick or the corner tape the VAC provides; do not staple through the face.
• A 4 × 6 sheet holds four 33 × 48 mm tiles; keep the spares for the next visa application.
• The 回执 QR code must be scanned, not a printed photo pasted into the domestic system.
• Do not write on the image side; studios print the receipt number on the back.
• Cut along the crop lines; the VAC clerk measures the outer 33 × 48 mm edge.
• Scanned copies and prints of prints are rejected — always print from the original digital file.

Print-dialog settings: 300 DPI guide · 200 KB upload guide.

Why VAC and the Entry-Exit bureau reject 35×45 mm or retouched photos

• Wrong size: using 35 × 45 mm (Japan/Korea) instead of the required 33 × 48 mm.
• Digital retouching: Photoshop background removal, filters, AI beauty smoothing or skin whitening.
• Grey or tinted background, shadow behind the head, or other people in frame.
• Head outside 28–33 mm crown-to-chin, or head width outside 15–22 mm.
• Glare on glasses, coloured lenses, or frames covering the eyes.
• Photo older than 6 months or reused from a previous visa.
• Low-resolution, blurry or sideways upload at the COVA portal.
• Hats, turbans, scarves or religious headwear without the daily-wear justification.
• Staples, paper-clip marks or handwriting on the image side.
• Smiling with teeth, closed eyes, or a tilted head.

Minors: 户口本, birth certificate and guardian attendance

Minors apply for the ordinary passport with a guardian present: the Entry-Exit bureau requires the 户口本 (household register), the child's birth certificate (出生医学证明) and both parents' ID cards, plus the 数码照片回执 from a registered studio.

• Babies may be photographed lying on a white sheet; the supporting parent's hand must be cropped out.
• No pacifier, toy, hat or blanket; infants are assessed leniently on eye openness.
• Children over 12 months must look at the camera with both eyes open.
• Both parents attend, or one parent with the other's notarised consent.
• School-age children often use studio photos taken at campus photo days — confirm the studio issues the 回执.
• The child's passport validity is 5 years; the fee is the same RMB 120 book fee.
• Adopted children and children of returned overseas Chinese bring the adoption certificate (收养登记证).
• Children of Chinese citizens born abroad apply for the 旅行证 rather than a passport at the embassy, with the same 33 × 48 mm photo.

Chinese travel and identity documents around the ordinary passport

China's identity ecosystem splits the ordinary passport from the Exit-Entry Permits to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and from the resident ID card; each uses the same 33 × 48 mm portrait family but a different window.

• 普通Passport (ordinary passport): RMB 120 first issue, RMB 140 renewal, issued by the Entry-Exit Administration bureau.
• 往来港澳通行证 (Exit-Entry Permit for Hong Kong and Macau): separate card/book with its own endorsement sticker; the photo follows the same 33 × 48 mm rule.
• 大陆居民往来台湾通行证 (Mainland residents' travel pass to Taiwan): separate document with its own photo and endorsement.
• 旅行证 (Travel Document): issued to Chinese citizens abroad who have lost their passport; the 33 × 48 mm photo is attached at the embassy.
• Visa categories L (tourism), M (business), Z (work), X1/X2 (study), Q1/Q2 (family), S1/S2 (private affairs), G (transit), C (crew) all use the COVA 33 × 48 mm JPEG.
• ID Card (resident ID card) photograph is captured at the police station, not brought in; the household register (户口本) remains a paper proof of family relations.
• Permits for permanent residence of foreigners (外国人永久居留ID Card) are photographed at the Entry-Exit bureau.
• Exit-Exit records and endorsements for the HK/Macau pass are checked at border gates; re-entry without a valid endorsement is refused.
• Domestic filing cities: the 出入境接待大厅 in Beijing (Dongcheng, Chaoyang), Shanghai (Pudong), Guangzhou (Tianhe), Shenzhen (Futian), plus Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Xi'an, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Suzhou, Qingdao, Dalian, Xiamen, Kunming and Changsha, all applying the same RMB 120 fee and 7-working-day service.
• Overseas Chinese Visa Application Centres: visaforchina.cn runs VAC branches in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Berlin, Madrid, Milan and Sydney, each accepting the 33 × 48 mm print plus the COVA JPEG upload.
• 外籍人在华证件: 居留许可 (juliu xuke) for work and family residents, 永久居留ID Card (permanent residence ID) issued at the Entry-Exit bureau, 礼遇Visa for diplomats, 乘务Visa C for crew, 常驻记者Visa J1/J2 for correspondents — each attaches the 33 x 48 mm photograph.
• 港澳台签注体系: 往来港澳通行证 holds 团队旅游 L / 个人旅游 G / 商务 S / 探亲 T / Other Q endorsements; 大陆居民往来台湾通行证 holds 签注 for Taiwan travel; 港澳居民来往内地通行证 (Home Visit Permit) and 台湾居民来往大陆通行证 (Taiwan compatriot permit) are separate documents.
• 公证与领事File: 出生公证 (birth notarisation), 结婚公证 (marriage notarisation), 无犯罪记录证明 (no-criminal-record certificate), 领事认证 (consular legalisation), 海牙取消认证公about apostille — each accompanies visa packets with the 33 x 48 mm photo.

China local details: 数码照片回执, 出入境 halls and COVA visa centres

Chinese for passport is Passport (hùzhào) and the regulated identity photo is ID Photo (zhèngjiànzhào) or Visa照片 (qiānzhèng zhàopiàn). The domestic issuing body is the 国家移民管理局 (National Immigration Administration) under the 公安部 (Ministry of Public Security), filed at 出入境管理局 Entry-Exit halls; foreign visas go through the 外交部 (MFA) and visaforchina.cn.

• 数码照片回执 (shùmǎ zhàopiàn huízhí) — digital photo receipt with a QR code, issued by a registered 照相馆 (photo studio); the Entry-Exit bureau scans it instead of accepting a USB file.
• 普通Passport (pǔtōng hùzhào) — ordinary e-passport; RMB 120 first issue, RMB 140 renewal, RMB 20 per annotation, per 发改价格[2019]914号.
• 出入境接待大厅 (chūrùjìng jiēdài dàtīng) — Entry-Exit Administration service hall where fingerprints and the photo receipt are taken.
• 户口本 (hùkǒuběn) — household register booklet; required alongside the ID Card (ID card) for first-time and minor applications.
• Visa (qiānzhèng) — visa; categories L tourism, M business, Z work, X study, Q family, S private affairs, all on the 33 × 48 mm white background.
• COVA / visaforchina.cn — the Chinese Visa Application Service Center portal used by foreigners abroad; upload the 390 × 567 px JPEG under 1 MB.
• 旅行证 (lǚxíngzhèng) — travel document issued overseas to Chinese citizens who have lost their passport; the embassy attaches the same 33 × 48 mm photo.
• The 12367 hotline — the National Immigration Administration national service platform for entry-exit appointment, fee and progress questions, reachable by phone, WeChat (WeChat) and Alipay (支付宝) mini-programs (小程序).
• Border inspection posts (边检 biānjǐǎn) at ports such as 北京首都 (Beijing Capital), 上海浦东 (Shanghai Pudong), 广州白云 (Guangzhou Baiyun) and 深圳福田 (Shenzhen Futian) read the e-passport chip; the HK/Macau and Taiwan permits use separate endorsement (签注 qiānzhù) stickers.
• Full Chinese visa category letters on the COVA form: D 字Visa permanent residence, J1/J2 journalist, F exchange visit, G transit, C crew, R high-end talent, plus the L/M/Z/X/Q/S family already listed; each attaches the same 33 × 48 mm white-background photograph.
• 中国省市名: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi'an, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Qingdao, Jinan, Dalian, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Hefei, Nanchang, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Kunming, Guiyang, Nanning, Haikou, Sanya, Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan, Urumqi, Lhasa, Hohhot, Taiyuan, Changsha, Shantou, Quanzhou — every prefecture runs its own 出入境接待大厅 (entry-exit service hall).
• 中国語略語: 公安局 gonganju (public security bureau), 户籍 huji (household registration), ID Card shenfenzheng (ID card), 居留许可 juliu xuke (residence permit), 永久居留证 yongjiu juliu zheng (permanent residence card), 口岸 kouan (port of entry), 边检 bianjian (border inspection), 签注 qianzhu (endorsement), 港澳通行证 gangao tongxingzheng, 台湾通行证 taiwan tongxingzheng, 旅行证 lvxingzheng, 华侨 huaqiao (overseas Chinese).
• 驻外使领馆城市: 伦敦 London, 巴黎 Paris, 柏林 Berlin, 莫斯科 Moscow, 东京 Tokyo, 首尔 Seoul, 新加坡 Singapore, 悉尼 Sydney, 多伦多 Toronto, 温哥华 Vancouver, 纽about New York, 旧金山 San Francisco, 洛杉矶 Los Angeles, 芝加哥 Chicago — Chinese Visa Application Centres sit beside the embassies.
• 出入境证件收费依据: 发改价格[2019]914号 — 普通Passport 120 元, 换补发 140 元, 加注 20 元/项; 国家移民管理局 12367 服务Platform (WeChat WeChat / Alipay 小程序) handles appointments.
• 中国23省: Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Taiwan — plus the five autonomous regions Nei Mongol, Guangxi, Xizang, Ningxia, Xinjiang.
• 边境与东北城市: Dandong, Hunchun, Yanji, Tonghua, Ji'an, Manzhouli, Hailar, Qiqihar, Daqing, Mudanjiang, Jiamusi, Jixi, Heihe, Mohe, Kashgar, Hotan, Yining, Artux, Shihezi, Korla, Turpan, Hami, Xigaze, Shigatse, Lhoka, Nyingchi — each border Entry-Exit hall handles Passport and Visa.
• 沿海城市带: Weihai, Yantai, Rizhao, Lianyungang, Yancheng, Nantong, Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Yangzhou, Taizhou, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Jinhua, Quzhou, Zhoushan, Putian, Zhangzhou, Longyan, Nanping, Sanming, Meizhou, Heyuan, Shanwei, Jieyang, Chaozhou, Yangjiang, Maoming, Zhanjiang.
• 驻外使馆城市: Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, Islamabad, Tehran, Baghdad, Cairo, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Kyiv, Warsaw, Prague, Vienna, Bern, Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Athens, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Wellington, Suva, Apia.
• 西部与边境口岸: 二连浩特 Erenhot, 绥芬河 Suifenhe, 同江 Tongjiang, 抚远 Fuyuan, 瑞丽 Ruili, 畹町 Wanding, 河口 Hekou, 凭祥 Pingxiang, 东兴 Dongxing, 樟木 Zhamu, 吉隆 Gyirong, 普兰 Purang, 霍尔果斯 Khorgos, 巴克图 Bakhtu, 吉木乃 Jeminay, 阿勒泰 Altay, 塔城 Tacheng, 博乐 Bole, 阿拉山口 Alashankou, 红其拉甫 Khunjerab — border Entry-Exit halls handle Passport, 旅行证 and Visa.
• 上海与深圳辖区: Pudong New Area, Lujiazui, the Bund, Xuhui, Jing'an, Huangpu, Hongkou, Yangpu, Minhang, Baoshan, Jiading, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Fengxian, Chongming; Shenzhen: Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Bao'an, Longgang, Yantian, Longhua, Pingshan, Guangming — each district Entry-Exit hall accepts Passport applications.

Gotchas

• Chinese visa photos use 33 × 48 mm portrait orientation, not the 35 × 45 mm ICAO size common in Japan and Korea.
• Self-edited photos (Photoshop background removal, filters, AI retouching) are rejected.
• The VAC portal may reject photos that pass visual inspection; always upload at 390 × 567 px or larger.
• Domestic applicants need the 数码照片回执 QR code, not a printed photo.
• Ordinary passport fees are RMB 120 first issue and RMB 140 renewal per 发改价格[2019]914号.