China photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 13 documents issued in China, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Chinese passport and visa photos are 33 x 48 mm on paper, and the visa form takes a 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixel upload. The Resident Identity Card and the social security card use a 26 x 32 mm image of 358 x 441 pixels. The APEC Business Travel Card takes a 3:4 photo of up to 600 x 800 pixels, the National Computer Rank Examination at least 144 x 192 pixels, and the Putonghua Proficiency Test 390 x 567 pixels.
Overview
A Chinese passport or visa photo is 33 x 48 mm (1.30 x 1.89 in) on a white background with no shadows and a head of 28 to 33 mm from chin to crown; online, the visa form takes a JPEG of 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels and 40 to 120 KB, while the China Consular app used for passports abroad publishes no pixel size.
Chinese photo rules come from several authorities. The National Immigration Administration issues passports in mainland China, while embassies and consulates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle passports for citizens abroad and visas for foreigners; both documents use a 33 x 48 mm photo, uploaded through apps or online forms. The police issue the Resident Identity Card from a 358 x 441 pixel image, taken free at police counters or through checked official apps, and local human resources and social security bureaus use the same image size for the social security card.
Three more documents take an uploaded file. APEC Business Travel Card applications go through provincial and city foreign affairs offices, which ask for a white-background JPEG in a 3:4 shape. The National Computer Rank Examination, run by the National Education Examinations Authority, takes a JPG of at least 144 x 192 pixels and 20 to 200 KB at online registration. For the Putonghua Proficiency Test, local test centres registering candidates on the national online system ask for 390 x 567 pixels; the Hebei and Shanxi notices read for this page require a white background.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 33 × 48 mm | — | White, with no shadows |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 33 × 48 mm | 420 × 560 px | White or close to white, with no border |
| Visa (COVA online application digital photo) | 33 × 48 mm | — | White or near-white, no border |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 26 × 32 mm | 358 × 441 px | White, with no border |
Driving licences
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving licence | 520 × 756 px | 520 × 756 px | White |
Residence and work permits
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign permanent resident ID card | 33 × 48 mm | — | White, light grey or light blue |
| Residence permit for foreigners | 33 × 48 mm | — | Uniform white, light grey or light blue, with… |
Travel documents
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| APEC business travel card | 30 × 40 mm | 600 × 800 px | White, with no border on the digital file |
| Exit-Entry permit for travelling to and from hong kong and macao | 33 × 48 mm | — | Even white, light grey or light blue, with no… |
| Travel permit to and from taiwan for mainland residents | 33 × 48 mm | — | Even white, light grey or light blue, with no… |
Exam and application photos
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| National computer rank examination | 33 × 48 mm | 144 × 192 px | No colour stated in the Guangdong, Shenzhen or… |
| Putonghua proficiency test | — | 390 × 567 px | White |
Other documents
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social security card | 26 × 32 mm | 358 × 441 px | White, with no border |
Frequently asked questions
Yes on paper: both are 33 x 48 mm, with the head 28 to 33 mm from chin to crown. The difference is in the digital file. The visa form asks for 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels, while the China Consular app for passports publishes no pixel size.
Passport photos from missions abroad, visa photos, the Resident Identity Card and the social security card all ask for white. For online passport renewal inside China, the National Immigration Administration also accepts light blue. Recent Putonghua test notices from Hebei and Shanxi ask for white as well.
No. Police counters take the ID card photo free of charge. Some cities, such as Guangzhou, and provinces such as Anhui and Liaoning also let you take it in an official app, where it is checked before the card is made.
A recent front-facing colour ID photo without a hat, uploaded at registration as a JPG of 20 to 200 KB, at least 144 pixels wide and 192 pixels high. The head should take up about 7/10 of the height, with about 1/10 of space above it.
A front-facing colour JPEG on a white background with no border, in a 3:4 shape between 50 x 50 and 600 x 800 pixels. Beijing suggests 300 x 400 pixels and Weihai 550 x 733. A printed photo also goes on the paper application form.
Yes. The visa photo sheet of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets no studio rule and no editing ban. It asks for a JPEG of 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels and 40 to 120 KB on a white or near-white background, and the online form lets you crop the image and checks it automatically. If uploads keep failing, bring a 33 x 48 mm print when you hand in your passport.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Eastern Asia:
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Consular Service. 护照/旅行证 (Passports and travel documents) cs.mfa.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. 关于护照人像照片规格要求 (Passport photo specifications) us.china-embassy.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. 中国领事APP护照旅行证业务常见问题与解答 (China Consular app passport FAQ) us.china-embassy.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Cambodia. 关于护照/旅行证人像照片规格要求 (Passport and travel document photo specifications) kh.china-embassy.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States. Chinese Visa Photo Requirements us.china-embassy.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. 【户政业务】居民身份证照片标准？ (Resident ID card photo standard) gaj.beijing.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Guangzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. 办理社会保障卡时怎么提供相片？ (How to supply the social security card photo) rsj.gz.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Foreign Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal Government. 办理APEC卡所需材料 (APEC card application materials) wb.beijing.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Weihai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. 申办APEC商务旅行卡所需材料要求及模板 (APEC card materials and templates) wb.weihai.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- National Education Examinations Authority (NCRE). 考生须知 (Candidate instructions) ncre.neea.edu.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau, Admissions and Examinations Office. NCRE registration notice, annex 3: 考生上传电子照片信息标准 (Photo upload standard) szeb.sz.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Xiong'an New Area Education Bureau. 雄安新区2026年（下半年度）社会人员普通话水平测试公告 (Putonghua test notice) xiongan.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Jincheng Municipal Education Bureau. 晋城市2026年下半年普通话水平等级测试报名通知 (Putonghua test registration notice) xxgk.jcgov.gov.cn. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"China photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/china