China visa photo rejected – the head size and file rules that catch people
Updated 17 October 2026
A China visa photo is 33 mm wide by 48 mm high, in colour, on a white background, taken in the last 6 months, with your head (chin to crown) 28–33 mm tall. For the online application, the digital file is 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 pixels and 40–120 KB. These rules are stricter than most countries’, and a standard passport photo usually fails them.
The China visa photo rules
From the Chinese Visa Application Service Center:
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Printed size | 33 mm wide x 48 mm high |
| Digital size | 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 px |
| File | JPEG, 40–120 KB |
| Head | 28–33 mm from chin to crown |
| Space above head | 3–5 mm |
| Space below chin | At least 7 mm |
| Background | White or near-white, no border |
| Pose | Bare head, full face, colour |
| Age of photo | Taken in the last 6 months |
Why China visa photos get rejected
Most rejections come from the size and position rules, which are tighter than for other visas:
- A 35 x 45 mm photo. This is the passport size in the UK, EU, India and many other countries. China’s 33 x 48 mm is narrower and taller, so the head ends up the wrong size or in the wrong place.
- Head too small or too big. The head must take up 28–33 mm of the 48 mm height, about 58–69%. Photos framed from the waist up have a head that is too small.
- Not enough space below the chin. At least 7 mm is needed, so a photo cropped tightly at the chin fails.
- File outside 40–120 KB. A file that is too small fails as well as one that is too big. A heavily compressed 20 KB JPEG is refused.
- Background not white. Grey walls, shadows behind the head and patterned backgrounds all count against it.
- Head covered or face partly hidden. The rules ask for a bare head and a full face.
Taking a photo that passes
- Stand about 50 cm in front of a plain white wall, facing a window in daylight so there are no shadows behind you.
- Take off hats and headbands, push hair away from the face and keep both ears visible.
- Ask someone to take the photo from 1–2 m away at eye level, framed from the chest up, so there is room to crop.
- Upload it to the China visa photo tool. It crops to 33 x 48 mm proportions with the head 28–33 mm tall and the right space above and below, and saves the file between 40 and 120 KB.
Check an existing photo with the free photo checker. The visa centre or embassy makes the final decision, and some centres take your photo on site.
Common questions
What size is a China visa photo?
The printed photo is 33 mm wide and 48 mm high. The digital photo for the online form is 354 x 472 to 420 x 560 px, a JPEG of 40–120 KB.
How big should the head be in a China visa photo?
From chin to the top of the head, 28–33 mm of the 48 mm height, with 3–5 mm of space above the head and at least 7 mm below the chin.
Can I use my 35 x 45 mm passport photo for a China visa?
Not as it is. China asks for 33 x 48 mm, a narrower and taller photo, so a standard 35 x 45 mm photo has the wrong proportions and usually the wrong head size.
What background does a China visa photo need?
White or near-white, with no border.