🇨🇳 China Visa Photo Maker
Free China visa photo maker: upload any portrait and get a 33 × 48 mm visa size photo with a plain white or near-white background, checked against the China rules and ready to print. Runs in your browser — your photo is never uploaded.
1Choose the document
- Photo size
- 33 × 48 mm
- Head height
- 28–33 mm
- Background
- Plain white or near-white
- Output
- 780 × 1134 px · 600 dpi
Official requirements
- Colour photo, 33 × 48 mm (1.3 × 1.89 in)
- Head from top of hair to chin: 28–33 mm
- Plain white or near-white background
- Ears visible; no edge frame, no creases; glossy paper for the print
- Full face, front view, looking straight at the camera
- Eyes open, level and clearly visible — no hair across the eyes
- Natural expression with the mouth closed
- Even lighting — no shadows on the face or the background
- Colour photo, sharp, printed on photo paper with no retouching
- Glasses: allowed if not thick-rimmed, tinted or reflecting — the COVA photo check often fails with glasses, so safest without
- Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons, with the full face visible from chin to forehead
- Taken within the last 6 months
2Upload your photo
3Compliance check & download
Upload a photo and it will be cropped to the exact size, then checked against every measurable rule for the document you chose.
China visa photo requirements
The tool measures the first four rules for you and checks lighting, pose, expression, sharpness and background automatically. The rest are listed so you can check them by eye.
- ✓Colour photo, 33 × 48 mm (1.3 × 1.89 in)
- ✓Head from top of hair to chin: 28–33 mm
- ✓Plain white or near-white background
- ✓Ears visible; no edge frame, no creases; glossy paper for the print
- ✓Full face, front view, looking straight at the camera
- ✓Eyes open, level and clearly visible — no hair across the eyes
- ✓Natural expression with the mouth closed
- ✓Even lighting — no shadows on the face or the background
- ✓Colour photo, sharp, printed on photo paper with no retouching
- ✓Glasses: allowed if not thick-rimmed, tinted or reflecting — the COVA photo check often fails with glasses, so safest without
- ✓Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons, with the full face visible from chin to forehead
- ✓Taken within the last 6 months
Specific to China
- Online / digital submission: COVA upload: JPEG, 354–420 px wide and 472–560 px high (ratio 33 : 48), 40–120 KB, white background. Files outside these bounds are rejected automatically — if this tool's file comes out under 40 KB, use the larger 'single photo' file resized by the portal, or re-export at higher quality.
- Printed copies: 1 print pasted on the printed COVA form (some centres ask for 2)
- Head width 15–22 mm; tilt limits 20° left/right and 25° up/down.
Source: Chinese Visa Application Service Center – Photo requirements FAQ. Last reviewed 2026-09-20. Always confirm against your application form — the issuing authority has the final say.
How to make a China visa photo at home
- 1
Take the photo
Stand 0.5–1 m in front of a plain light wall, face a window, camera at eye level 1.5–2 m away. Neutral expression, mouth closed.
- 2
Upload it here
The face is detected, the head is levelled and the crop is set so the head measures 30.5 mm — inside the 28–33 mm range.
- 3
Fix anything flagged
Each check tells you what is wrong in millimetres — zoom, move, or retake. The background is replaced with the required colour.
- 4
Download & print
Save the single photo, the file for online forms or the 4 × 6 sheet (9 photos) and print at 100% on photo paper.
Full details in the photo-taking guide and the accepted vs rejected examples.
China visa photo — questions
What size is a China visa photo?＋
33 × 48 mm (1.3 × 1.89 in). The head, measured from the top of the hair to the chin, must be 28–33 mm.
What is the China visa photo size in pixels?＋
At 300 dpi a 33 × 48 mm photo is 390 × 567 px; at 600 dpi it is 780 × 1134 px. This tool exports at 600 dpi. For online submission: COVA upload: JPEG, 354–420 px wide and 472–560 px high (ratio 33 : 48), 40–120 KB, white background. Files outside these bounds are rejected automatically — if this tool's file comes out under 40 KB, use the larger 'single photo' file resized by the portal, or re-export at higher quality.
What background colour is required?＋
Plain white or near-white. The tool replaces your background with the required colour automatically, or you can switch that off and it will check your real background instead.
Can I wear glasses in a China visa photo?＋
Allowed if not thick-rimmed, tinted or reflecting — the COVA photo check often fails with glasses, so safest without.
Are head coverings allowed?＋
Only for religious or medical reasons, with the full face visible from chin to forehead.
How do I print China visa photos at home?＋
Download the 4 × 6 inch sheet — it holds 9 photos with cut lines — and print it at 100% / actual size on photo paper, then cut along the grey lines. The file carries 600 dpi so it prints at the true size.
Related photo sizes
Ready? Make your China visa photo now — free, in your browser.
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