Chinese Passport Photo Requirements 2026: How to Create a Compliant Photo Online

It's not 35×45mm. It's not 2×2 inches. China uses a size almost nobody outside China has heard of — and most overseas photo counters don't know it either.

Quick answer: A Chinese passport photo must be 33mm × 48mm, color, pure white background, taken within the last 6 months, with no glasses (banned since a 2023–2024 rule change) and a neutral expression. This is neither the 35×45mm size used across most of Europe and Asia, nor the 2×2 inch (51×51mm) US standard — it's a size unique to China, and it's the single biggest reason overseas applicants get their photo rejected: the pharmacy or photo booth they used defaulted to a size that's wrong for this specific document.

Why this size trips up more people than any other requirement

Walk into a CVS, Walgreens, or a photo booth outside China and ask for a "Chinese passport photo," and there's a real chance staff hand you a standard 2×2 inch US-format print, because that's the only preset their machine has memorized. The dimensions look plausible — it's still a small, square-ish, white-background headshot — and it's genuinely easy not to notice the size is off until the consulate sends the application back. China's 33×48mm format is narrower and taller than both of the world's two most common standards, and unless you specifically confirm "33 by 48 millimeters" with whoever is taking the photo, there's a good chance you'll walk away with the wrong one.

The full spec

Passport photo vs. visa photo vs. ID card photo: three different documents, two different specs

China is one of the few countries where the passport photo and the visa photo use the identical spec — both are 33×48mm with a white background, which is one less thing to worry about if you need both. Where it gets confusing is the domestic Chinese ID card (居民身份证), which uses a light blue background instead of white. If you've recently had ID card photos taken and you try to reuse one for a passport or visa application, it will be rejected — the background color alone disqualifies it, even though the photo otherwise looks similar in size and framing.

Digital upload specs, if you're applying through COVA or a consular portal

Since China's online visa system (COVA) and various consular digital submission portals became standard, a second layer of requirements applies on top of the print spec:

• Pixel dimensions: roughly 354×472 to 420×560 pixels
• File size: 40–120 KB — notably narrow; many phone photos default well above this and need compression
• Format: JPEG only — most portals reject PNG
• DPI: 300 recommended, 290 as an effective floor

The file-size window is worth flagging specifically, because it's unusually tight compared to other countries' portals. A photo exported at typical smartphone resolution will often exceed 120KB and get auto-rejected by the upload form, even if every other spec is correct — it needs deliberate compression to fit the band.

Getting it right without guessing at millimeters

Because China's spec is genuinely unique — not a variant of a standard other countries share — the safest approach is a tool with a dedicated China preset rather than a generic "passport photo" cropper defaulting to 35×45mm or 2×2 inches. PhotoOmni's country-specific photo tool is built around exact, country-matched dimensions rather than a one-size-fits-all crop, which is exactly the failure mode that catches people out here — worth checking that the preset you use is explicitly labeled for China's 33×48mm format before you submit, rather than assuming any "passport photo" tool defaults correctly.

FAQ

Is a Chinese passport photo the same size as a standard passport photo? No. Most countries use 35×45mm, and the US uses 2×2 inches (51×51mm). China's 33×48mm is a distinct third size, narrower and taller than both, and it's the most common source of overseas rejections.

Can I wear glasses in a Chinese passport photo? No — glasses were banned in a 2023–2024 rule change, including prescription glasses. This is a more recent and stricter rule than many other countries currently apply.

Is the Chinese visa photo different from the passport photo? No — both use the identical 33×48mm size and white background, which is unusual internationally. Where the specs genuinely diverge is the domestic ID card, which uses a light blue background instead.

Why did my photo get rejected even though it looked correct? The two most common causes are size (many overseas studios default to 35×45mm or 2×2 inches instead of China's 33×48mm) and file size on digital uploads (COVA's 40–120KB window is tighter than most other countries' portals, and unoptimized smartphone photos often exceed it).

Where can I make a compliant Chinese passport photo without visiting a studio?A tool with a dedicated China preset that exports directly to 33×48mm avoids the size-default problem entirely — confirm the preset specifically states China's dimensions rather than a generic passport-photo crop.

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Chinese consular requirements are updated periodically — always confirm current specs with your nearest Chinese embassy, consulate, or the COVA portal before submitting.