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Hong Kong visa photo requirements

The 40 × 50 mm photo rules set by Immigration Department, HKSAR Government for the Hong Kong visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 11 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Hong Kong visa photo?

For a Hong Kong visa or entry permit, the Immigration Department asks for one recent photograph per applicant. On the paper forms it must be no smaller than 40 x 50 mm and no larger than 45 x 55 mm, fixed in the photo box. Online, upload one file in JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG or TIF of up to 5 MB. ImmD publishes no background colour or head size for visa photos.

Visas and entry permits for Hong Kong are issued by the Immigration Department (ImmD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Anyone without the right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong needs one to work, study, train, invest or live there: for example a professional under the General Employment Policy, a student, or a dependant joining a family member. Whether a short visit needs a visa depends on your nationality and travel document.

Most applications now go through ImmD's online services on GovHK, where every applicant and every dependant uploads one recent photograph; employment applications under the General Employment Policy and dependant applications are made online. Study and visit applications can also be made on paper, on forms ID 995A and ID 1003A, with a print fixed in the box on the form. An application approved by ImmD is issued as an e-Visa that you download or print yourself, while a visa issued through a Chinese mission abroad is a label in your passport.

Hong Kong visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration Department, HKSAR Government:[1]

Print sizePaper forms: 40 x 50 mm to 45 x 55 mm (width x height)
Digital sizeNo pixel size published for the online upload
BackgroundNot published for visa and entry permit photos
ColourColour (online scans of documents with photos)
Photo ageRecent; no age limit in months is published
File sizeOnline: 5 MB or below per file
File formatOnline: JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG or TIF
Print qualityOne print fixed in the photo box of ID 1003A or ID 995A
Pixels when printed472 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm50 mm
40 × 50 mm photo drawn to scale.

Key requirements

  • One photo for each person

    Every applicant and every accompanying dependant supplies their own recent photograph. Online it is a single upload per person; on the study form ID 995A each dependant's photo goes on page 2 with their Part B.

  • Size set by the photo box

    Forms ID 1003A (visit or transit) and ID 995A (study) both limit the print to no more than 55 x 45 mm and no less than 50 x 40 mm. Those figures give the height first, so the photo is 40 to 45 mm wide and 50 to 55 mm tall.

  • Online file rules

    The GovHK upload takes JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG or TIF, no larger than 5 MB per file, and asks for colour scans of anything that contains a photo.

  • A fax does not replace the original

    Faxing the forms and documents to ImmD first can shorten processing, but the signed original form and the photo must then go by air mail. No visa or entry permit is issued until the original form has arrived.

  • Mission lists can add rules

    Chinese missions that take Hong Kong visa applications publish their own photo lists. The Consulate-General in Edinburgh, for example, wants two recent full-face colour photos without head covering, within the same size limits, one of them attached to the form.

  • Not the passport photo standard

    ImmD's white-background standard with a 32 to 36 mm head is written for HKSAR passports and Documents of Identity, not for visas. No visa page or form gives a background colour or a head size.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Fix one photo inside the box on page 1 of form ID 1003A
  • Keep the print between 40 x 50 mm and 45 x 55 mm
  • Upload one photo file for each applicant and dependant
  • Save the online file as JPEG, PNG or PDF of 5 MB or less
  • Check the photo list of any Chinese mission you apply through
  • Air-mail the original form and photo if you fax the application

Don't

  • Do not send a print larger than 45 x 55 mm
  • Do not upload a file over 5 MB
  • Do not rely on a faxed copy of the form and photo alone
  • Do not cover your head at a Chinese mission unless it allows religious or medical coverings

Sample photos

How a Hong Kong visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 50 mm 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.

Headwear and religious dress

ImmD sets no headwear rule for visa and entry permit photos. Chinese missions that handle Hong Kong visas do: the Consulate-General in Edinburgh asks for bare-headed photos, and the Consulate-General in Sydney for no head covering unless it is worn for religious or medical reasons. If you apply through a mission, follow its own list.

Babies and children

Children who come with a parent admitted to work or study apply as dependants, and each one needs a photo. In the online systems, every dependant uploads their own recent photograph; on the study form ID 995A, each dependant completes Part B and their photo is fixed on page 2.

For an applicant under 16, a parent or legal guardian signs the paper form or the online application form. ImmD publishes no separate photo rule for babies or young children.

Online applications through GovHK take the photo as an uploaded file in JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG or TIF, up to 5 MB, scanned in colour. ImmD publishes no pixel dimensions for this upload.

Paper applications sent to ImmD by post, through a local sponsor in Hong Kong, or lodged at a Chinese mission need a print fixed in the box on the form, from 40 x 50 mm up to 45 x 55 mm. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and trimmed to fit.

Where to submit the photo

Apply online through GovHK, or send paper forms ID 1003A and ID 1003B (visit or transit) or ID 995A and ID 995B (study) to ImmD by post, directly or through a local sponsor in Hong Kong. Residents of overseas countries can lodge visit applications in person at the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission, and some missions pass applications from ordinary foreign passport holders to a Chinese Visa Application Service Center.

Foreign passport holders living in the Mainland can use the Immigration Division of the HKSAR Government Office in Beijing or of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai. Indian nationals send visit visa applications to ImmD direct.

How to get your Hong Kong visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Hong Kong visa: 40 × 50 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one photo for each person; size set by the photo box; online file rules; a fax does not replace the original.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Online applications through GovHK take the photo as an uploaded file in JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG or TIF, up to 5 MB, scanned in colour. ImmD publishes no pixel dimensions for this upload.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply online through GovHK, or send paper forms ID 1003A and ID 1003B (visit or transit) or ID 995A and ID 995B (study) to ImmD by post, directly or through a local sponsor in Hong Kong.

Make this photo online

Hong Kong visa photo FAQ

On the paper forms ID 1003A and ID 995A the photo must be at least 40 x 50 mm and at most 45 x 55 mm; the forms write these limits height first, as 50 x 40 mm and 55 x 45 mm. Online, ImmD sets no pixel size, only a limit of 5 MB per file.

ImmD does not state one for visa and entry permit photos. Its white-background rule is published for HKSAR passports and Documents of Identity for Visa Purposes. If you apply through a Chinese mission, read that mission's photo list, as some set their own requirements.

Yes. Visit, study, employment and dependant applications can be made through ImmD's online services on GovHK, where each applicant uploads one recent photograph. Accepted formats are JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG and TIF, at up to 5 MB per file.

The photo is submitted with the application. Once ImmD approves it and the issuance fee is paid, you download or print the e-Visa yourself and show it on arrival with your travel document, either on a mobile device or printed on a sheet of white A4 paper.

It depends on the mission. The Consulate-General in Edinburgh asks for two photos, one attached to the form, while the Consulate-General in Sydney asks for one. Missions also word their size and headwear rules differently, so check the page of the one you will use.

You can fax the forms and supporting documents to ImmD first to shorten processing, but the original completed form and the photo must then be sent by air mail. ImmD issues a visa or entry permit only after it receives the original form.

Related photo specifications

Other Hong Kong documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 40 × 50 mm

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Official sources

  1. Immigration Department, HKSAR Government. Visit Visa / Entry Permit Requirements for the HKSAR immd.gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Immigration Department, HKSAR Government. Application for Entry for Visit/Transit in Hong Kong, form ID 1003A (PDF) immd.gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Immigration Department, HKSAR Government. Guidebook for Entry for Visit/Transit in Hong Kong, ID(E) 1004 (PDF) immd.gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. GovHK. Online Application for Entry for Visit/Transit in Hong Kong gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. GovHK. Online Application for Entry for Employment as Professionals in Hong Kong gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Immigration Department, HKSAR Government. General Employment Policy (GEP) immd.gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Immigration Department, HKSAR Government. Entry for Study in Hong Kong immd.gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Immigration Department, HKSAR Government. Application for Entry for Study in Hong Kong, form ID 995A (PDF) immd.gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Immigration Department, HKSAR Government. Guidebook for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong, ID(E) 998 (PDF) immd.gov.hk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Edinburgh. Part Four: Visa for Hong Kong SAR of China edinburgh.china-consulate.gov.cn. Checked 2 November 2026.
  11. Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Sydney. Apply for Visa for Hong Kong SAR of China sydney.china-consulate.gov.cn. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration Department, HKSAR Government before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Hong Kong visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/hong-kong/visa-photo

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