China visa photo

For the paper photo attached to the application form, 33 mm wide by 48 mm high, with the head 15 to 22 mm wide and 28 to 33 mm tall from chin to crown. For the online form, a JPEG between 354 x 472 and 420 x 560 pixels and between 40 KB and 120 KB.

Yes, unlike a US visa photo. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs specification allows eyeglasses only if the lenses are not tinted, there is no glare, shadow or frame obscuring the eyes, and the frames are not thick. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are refused. If your lenses glare, take them off.

White or close to white, with no borders or edge frame around the image. The specification does not ask for pure white, but its failing examples include shadow across the face, shadow in the background and under- or over-exposure, so light the wall evenly.

Taken within the last 6 months. The service-centre pages and the Ministry's specification all use that window, and the photo must reflect your current appearance. A photo left over from an earlier application is only usable if it is still inside the window and meets the size rules.

Not directly. The paper photo is 33 x 48 mm, a shape of about 11:16, while the online file must be between 354 x 472 and 420 x 560 pixels, a 3:4 shape. Cropping a scan to the wrong shape fails the size check, so make the digital file from the original camera image.

It depends on how your service centre takes the application. The Ministry sheet gives both: the paper photo attached to the application form and the digital photo for the online form. Check the page of the centre or embassy that will receive your application to see which applies.