China Social Security card photo requirements
The 26 × 32 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, via the State Council portal for the China Social Security card, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the China Social Security card photo?
A Chinese social security card photo is a front-facing, bareheaded colour headshot on a white background, 358 x 441 pixels at 350 dpi, which prints at 26 x 32 mm (1.02 x 1.26 in). Local human resources and social security bureaus set the details: Guangzhou and Haikou both publish this size, and Haikou applies the Resident Identity Card standard. Children under 7 can get a card without a photo.
The social security card (社会保障卡) is the card for social insurance and related public services in China, under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS). It is used to prove entitlement to benefits, to pay for medical care under the medical insurance scheme, and as a bank card. According to the ministry, you apply to your local human resources and social security department at a card service outlet or on an online platform, or through your employer, school or the card's service bank.
The ministry sets the process, but the photo rules are published locally. Guangzhou asks for a front-facing, bareheaded colour headshot on a white background, 358 x 441 pixels at 350 DPI, which is approved before the card is made. Haikou in Hainan says its card photo standard is the same as the Resident Identity Card standard, GA 461-2004, and gives the printed size as 32 x 26 mm (height x width).
Since the end of 2021, applying for, activating and replacing a card can be done across provinces, and most regions accept online applications and post the finished card.
China Social Security card photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, via the State Council portal:[1]
| Print size | 26 x 32 mm (1.02 x 1.26 in), width x height, for a printed photo (Haikou) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 358 x 441 pixels (width x height) at 350 dpi |
| Background | White, with no border |
| Colour | Colour headshot, front-facing and bareheaded |
| Print quality | Clear, with natural expression and no visible distortion (Haikou) |
| Pixels when printed | 307 × 378 px at 300 dpi · 614 × 756 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Built on the ID card standard
Haikou's guide states that the social security card photo standard equals GA 461-2004, the standard for Resident Identity Card digital photos. Guangzhou's pixel size, 358 x 441 at 350 DPI, is the same.
- Two thirds head
In Haikou's wording, the photo is a one-inch, front-facing, bareheaded colour headshot in which the head takes up two thirds of the photo.
- Checked before the card is made
In Guangzhou, the card office reviews the uploaded photo within 1 to 5 working days. Once approved, you receive a photo receipt number, and the photo linked to that number is used to make the card.
- Plain clothes, white backdrop
Haikou rules out uniforms and white tops. The background must be white with no border, and the portrait sharp, with good tonal range and a natural expression.
- Update the photo when needed
Guangzhou asks for a new photo and receipt number when you replace a card and want to change the photo, when you look very different from the card, when the date on the card has passed, or when the old card has no photo.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Upload a 358 x 441 pixel colour headshot
- Use a white background with no border
- Keep your usual glasses on, with no reflection
- Wait for approval and note your photo receipt number in Guangzhou
- Replace a child's photo-less card after age 7
Don't
- Do not wear a hat
- Do not wear a uniform or a white top
- Do not use a photo with visible distortion
- Do not apply twice if you already hold a Hainan card
- Do not upload before checking your city's own rules
Sample photos
How a China Social Security card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 26 × 32 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Haikou follows the ID card standard: if you usually wear glasses, wear them for the photo and make sure the lenses do not reflect light. Guangzhou's photo guidance does not mention glasses.
Headwear and religious dress
Both Guangzhou and Haikou ask for a 免冠 photo, which means bareheaded, so take off hats and caps. Neither city's guidance mentions exceptions for religious head coverings.
Babies and children
Children under 7 can be issued a card without a photo. Guangzhou asks that, once the child turns 7, a photo is supplied and the card is replaced with one that shows it. In Haikou, a guardian can choose not to supply a photo for a child under 7, and the card will then have no photo.
For a child under 16, the legal guardian applies, bringing their own identity document and proof of the guardianship, such as the household register or birth certificate.
Printed and digital photos
Guangzhou works only with digital photos. You take or upload the headshot in the 穗好办 (Suihaoban) app or the Guangzhou HRSS WeChat account, and someone else can upload it on your behalf. You then quote the receipt number in an online application or give it to the staff at a bank outlet.
Haikou still takes a printed standard photo for counter applications, along with your identity document and a copy. For instant card issuing in Haikou, bring the photo as a digital file as well.
Where to submit the photo
Apply through your local human resources and social security department. In Guangzhou you can apply online in 粤省事 (Yueshengshi), the Guangdong HRSS app, 穗好办 or the Guangdong government service website, with the card posted to you, or at a card service outlet in person. Some bank outlets make the card while you wait.
In Haikou, apply at a social security card service outlet, such as a district social insurance office or a Hainan Rural Credit branch, many of which issue cards instantly. Employers, schools and community offices can also apply for their members in bulk.
How to get your China Social Security card photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the China Social Security card: 26 × 32 mm print, 358 × 441 px digital file, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: built on the ID card standard; two thirds head; checked before the card is made; plain clothes, white backdrop.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Guangzhou works only with digital photos. You take or upload the headshot in the 穗好办 (Suihaoban) app or the Guangzhou HRSS WeChat account, and someone else can upload it on your behalf.
- Submit the photo with your application. Apply through your local human resources and social security department.
China Social Security card photo FAQ
The digital photo is 358 pixels wide and 441 pixels high at 350 dpi, as published by Guangzhou and Haikou. Haikou gives the printed size as 32 x 26 mm, which is 26 mm wide and 32 mm high.
The standard is the same in Haikou, whose guide says the card photo follows GA 461-2004, the Resident Identity Card photo standard. The size, 358 x 441 pixels, also matches. You still have to supply the photo through the social security channel, for example by uploading it in Guangzhou.
Not under the age of 7. Guangzhou and Haikou both issue cards without a photo to young children. Guangzhou asks for a photo and a replacement card once the child turns 7.
Upload a white-background colour headshot of 358 x 441 pixels in the 穗好办 app or the Guangzhou HRSS WeChat account. The card office reviews it within 1 to 5 working days, and you can check the result and the receipt number in the same upload section.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security runs the card nationally and sets how you apply, but the photo specifications are published by city and provincial bureaus. Guangzhou and Haikou both use 358 x 441 pixels on a white background, so check your own city's guidance before you upload.
In Haikou, yes, if you usually wear them and the lenses do not reflect light, as the ID card standard requires. Guangzhou does not address glasses, so make sure your eyes are clearly visible.
Related photo specifications
Other China documents
- Passport photo 33 × 48 mm
- Visa photo 33 × 48 mm
- Visa (COVA online application digital photo) photo 33 × 48 mm
- ID card photo 26 × 32 mm
- Driving licence photo 520 × 756 px
- Foreign permanent resident ID card photo 33 × 48 mm
- Residence permit for foreigners photo 33 × 48 mm
- APEC business travel card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Exit-Entry permit for travelling to and from hong kong and macao photo 33 × 48 mm
- Travel permit to and from taiwan for mainland residents photo 33 × 48 mm
- National computer rank examination photo 33 × 48 mm
- Putonghua proficiency test photo
Other documents nearby
- India Aadhaar card photo
- India PAN card photo 35 × 45 mm
- India PCC / birth certificate photo 2 × 2 in
- Laos adoption application photo 2 × 2 in
- Oman residence card photo 40 × 60 mm
- Pakistan babies NADRA ID photo
- Pakistan family registration certificate photo
- Pakistan origin card photo
- United Arab Emirates residence card photo 40 × 60 mm
Also 26 × 32 mm
- Spain passport photo 26 × 32 mm
- Spain ID card photo 26 × 32 mm
- Spain driving licence photo 26 × 32 mm
- Spain gun licence photo 26 × 32 mm
- Spain NIE card photo 26 × 32 mm
- Spain TIE card photo 26 × 32 mm
- All China photo specifications
- Other documents: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 26 × 32 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, via the State Council portal. 社保卡你会用吗？使用指南在这里 (How to apply for and use the social security card) app.www.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- National Government Service Platform (service provided by MOHRSS). 社会保障卡申领 (Social security card application, national service) gjzwfw.www.gov.cn. Checked 1 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 1 November 2026.
- Guangzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. 社保卡申领攻略 (Social security card application guide) rsj.gz.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Haikou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, via Qiongshan District Government. 海口市社会保障卡申领指南 (Haikou social security card application guide) qsqzf.haikou.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Guangzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. how to get a photo receipt number rsj.gz.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Guangzhou government. free online photo check and receipt number (2021) gz.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security. materials for a social security card (2026) hrss.sz.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security. social security card guide hrss.sz.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Beijing Human Resources and Social Security. third-generation card online application (2024) rsj.beijing.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Beijing Human Resources and Social Security. changing the card photo (2019) rsj.beijing.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Nanjing Human Resources and Social Security. social security card guide rsj.nanjing.gov.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, via the State Council portal before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"China Social Security card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/china/social-security-card-photo