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China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo requirements

The 33 × 48 mm photo rules set by National Immigration Administration (NIA) via public security exit-entry offices for the China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 5 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo?

The Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao uses the same NIA exit-entry photo standard as the Chinese passport: a 33 x 48 mm colour photo taken within 6 months, or a 354–480 x 472–640 pixel JPEG of 20–80 KB. The permit costs 60 yuan and is valid for 10 years from age 16.

The Hong Kong and Macao permit photo (港澳通行证照片) follows the same NIA exit-entry photo standard as a Chinese passport. It is a 33 x 48 mm colour photo taken within 6 months, on a white, light grey or light blue background. The digital file is a 354–480 x 472–640 pixel JPEG of 20–80 KB.

Mainland residents apply for the 往来港澳通行证 at a county-level or higher public security exit-entry office, or online in pilot cities. The permit costs 60 yuan and is valid for 10 years from age 16, or 5 years for under-16s.

China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by National Immigration Administration (NIA) via public security exit-entry offices:[1]

Print size33 x 48 mm, with a 30 x 40 mm effective area
Digital size354–480 x 472–640 pixels (3:4)
Head heightHead 30–34 mm high, face 16–24 mm wide, 1–3 mm above the crown
BackgroundEven white, light grey or light blue, with no gradient
ColourColour; dark clothes with a collar, no uniform
Photo ageTaken within 6 months
File size20–80 KB
File formatJPEG, 24-bit colour
Pixels when printed390 × 567 px at 300 dpi · 780 × 1134 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
33 mm48 mm30–34 mm
33 × 48 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 30–34 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: even white.

Key requirements

  • Standard used

    NIA's 《出入境证件相片照相指引》 exit-entry photo guide, the same standard used for Chinese passports issued in China.

  • Photo receipts

    Exit-entry offices in China usually work from a digital photo captured by an approved studio or a police photo point, which gives a photo receipt (回执). For online renewal the applicant uploads a digital photo. Applicants should check what the office accepts before the photo is taken.

  • Fees and endorsements

    Permit 60 yuan. Endorsements: one trip 15 yuan; two trips 30 yuan; multiple up to 1 year 80 yuan; over 1 and up to 2 years 120 yuan; over 2 and under 3 years 160 yuan; 3 years or more 240 yuan.

  • Endorsement types

    T (family visits): 14 days for siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, up to 90 days from first entry for spouses, parents and children. S (business): up to 14 days. L (group tours): up to 7 days. G (individual travel, for residents of listed cities): up to 7 days. D (stays approved in Hong Kong or Macao): as approved there. R (talent): up to 30 days. Q (other reasons such as medical treatment, funerals or exams): up to 14 days.

  • Validity and processing

    Valid for 10 years from age 16 and 5 years under 16. Processing takes 7 working days, up to 20 working days in remote areas, and 20 days if applying outside the household registration area.

  • Renewal

    The permit can be renewed or replaced if it is damaged, lost or stolen, has less than 6 months left, or will expire before the endorsement wanted.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Wear dark clothes with a collar
  • Keep hair off the eyes and eyebrows
  • Face the camera with the mouth closed
  • Use an evenly lit, plain white, light grey or light blue background with no shadows on the face or background

Don't

  • Wear a uniform
  • Wear tinted lenses or thick frames
  • Have shadows on the face or the background

Sample photos

How a China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 33 × 48 mm, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Avoid tinted lenses and thick frames.

Babies and children

Under-16s are accompanied by a guardian, or someone the guardian authorises, with proof of guardianship. Under-16s may show the household register (户口簿) in place of an ID card. The permit is valid for 5 years for under-16s.

A 33 x 48 mm print, or a 354–480 x 472–640 pixel JPEG of 20–80 KB (24-bit colour), taken within 6 months. Online renewal uses an uploaded digital photo for the document (制证照片), a handwritten signature and both sides of the ID card.

Where to submit the photo

In person at a county-level or higher public security exit-entry office, bringing the 《中国公民出入境证件申请表》 form, a photo to the NIA standard (or photo receipt) and the resident ID card. Fingerprints are given or checked as required. Since 20 November 2025, residents aged 16 or over in 50 pilot cities can renew or replace the permit online on the NIA government service platform; registered state functionaries and serving military personnel are excluded and must apply in person. The applicant's location must be inside China when applying online.

How to get your China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao: 33 × 48 mm print, even white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: standard used; photo receipts; fees and endorsements; endorsement types.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. A 33 x 48 mm print, or a 354–480 x 472–640 pixel JPEG of 20–80 KB (24-bit colour), taken within 6 months. Online renewal uses an uploaded digital photo for the document (制证照片), a handwritten signature and both sides of the ID card.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In person at a county-level or higher public security exit-entry office, bringing the 《中国公民出入境证件申请表》 form, a photo to the NIA standard (or photo receipt) and the resident ID card. Fingerprints are given or checked as required.

China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo FAQ

Yes. NIA's service guide asks for a photo that meets 《出入境证件相片照相指引》, the exit-entry photo standard used for Chinese passports issued in China. It is 33 x 48 mm, in colour, taken within 6 months, on a white, light grey or light blue background.

60 yuan for the permit. Endorsements are extra: 15 yuan for one trip, 30 yuan for two, and 80–240 yuan for multiple-entry endorsements depending on how long they last.

10 years if the applicant is 16 or over, and 5 years if under 16.

In 50 pilot cities, yes. Residents aged 16 or over with household registration there can apply to renew or replace the permit on the NIA government service platform, uploading a digital photo, a handwritten signature and their ID card, without visiting a window. Registered state functionaries and serving military personnel must still apply in person.

The guide lists the photo among the materials for the permit itself. For an endorsement alone the applicant gives the application form and the valid permit, plus the documents for the reason for travel.

Sometimes. In Shanghai, a photo taken at a police photo point can be reused for exit-entry documents within 1 year. Guangzhou's photo receipts are valid for 1 year, or 180 days for under-16s.

Related photo specifications

Other China documents

Travel documents nearby

Also 33 × 48 mm

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Official sources

  1. National Immigration Administration. 往来港澳通行证和签注签发服务指南 (permit and endorsement guide) nia.gov.cn. Checked 29 October 2026.
  2. National Immigration Administration. 出入境证件相片照相指引 (exit-entry photo guide) nia.gov.cn. Checked 29 October 2026.
  3. National Immigration Administration. Online renewal and business endorsement measures (April 2024) nia.gov.cn. Checked 29 October 2026.
  4. National Immigration Administration. Notice No. 4 of 2025 (50 pilot cities, talent endorsements) nia.gov.cn. Checked 29 October 2026.
  5. Guangzhou Public Security Bureau. Online renewal of exit-entry documents gaj.gz.gov.cn. Checked 29 October 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with National Immigration Administration (NIA) via public security exit-entry offices before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/china/hong-kong-macao-travel-permit-photo

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