Need a China visa photo online? It is the digital photo you upload in COVA (China Online Visa Application), the online visa system of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It must be a JPEG between 354 × 472 and 420 × 560 pixels, about 40–120 KB, on a white or near-white background. IDPhotoBy turns your recent photo into a 420 × 560 pixel file.
China Visa Photo Online: The Digital Photo for Your COVA Upload
Upload a recent photo and IDPhotoBy crops and resizes it to a 420 × 560 pixel JPEG, checks the white background and keeps the file within 40–117 KB — with China Visa online already selected.
Photo size: 420×560 px · Background: white · Accepted for online submission
Official source: consular.mfa.gov.cn, us.china-embassy.gov.cn, losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn
Specifications verified: September 27, 2026
Our photos meet international government standards.
China online visa photo requirements
| Pixel size | 354 × 472 to 420 × 560 pixels; smaller photos are rejected |
| File | JPEG only, 24-bit RGB colour, about 40–120 KB; files under 40 KB are rejected |
| Background | white or near-white, no border |
| Recency | taken within the last 6 months |
| Head and eyes | on a 354 × 472 example: head centred, face 205 ± 14 pixels wide, top of the head 10–70 pixels below the top edge, eye line at least 256 pixels above the bottom edge (the eye position takes priority; in special cases very high hair may be partly cut off); eyes more than 60 pixels apart |
| Pose | face the camera; head turned no more than 20 degrees left or right, tilted no more than 25 degrees up or down |
| Expression | neutral, eyes open, mouth closed, ears visible |
| Glasses | allowed, but not thick-framed or tinted; no glare, shadows or frames covering the eyes |
| Head covering | only for religious reasons, face uncovered |
How the COVA photo upload and check work
- You upload the photo in the online form.
- The photo must be large enough to crop out a 354 × 472 pixel area around the head, with the head (chin to crown) fitting between the small and large guide ovals shown in COVA’s cropping tool.
- An automatic check flags problems such as “Your photo should have a plain white background” or “the two eyes are too close”.
- A photo that fails the check is not uploaded, and you must then submit a photo that meets the requirements when applying for the visa.
For some cities, COVA redirects you to the China Visa Application Service Center.
Online upload or printed photo?
COVA takes the digital file. The printed photo glued to the visa application form is a different format, 33 × 48 mm — see our China visa photo page. COVA’s materials list also names “one recent one-inch color photo (front-view and bareheaded against a light-color background)”.
How to make a China visa photo online
- Upload a recent photo here — China Visa online is already selected.
- IDPhotoBy crops and resizes it to 420 × 560 pixels, the top of the official range, checks the white background and saves a JPEG within 40–117 KB.
- Download the JPEG and upload it in COVA.
IDPhotoBy does not retouch your face and does not promise acceptance — COVA’s photo check and the embassy or consulate decide. Check the official application portal before submitting.