China visa photo size — 33×48 mm

China visa photo requirements at a glance

Photo size

33 × 48 mm

In inches

1.3 × 1.9 in

Pixels at 300 DPI

354 × 472 px

Pixels at 600 DPI

780×1134 px

Shape

Portrait, about 1.5:1

Head height

28 – 33 mm (crown to chin)

Background

White

File size limit

1 MB

Copies per 4×6 in print

9

These figures were checked against an official or widely-cited source. Portals occasionally change their rules, so confirm on the page where you submit.

Getting the head size right

Head height is the measurement most photos fail on, and it is not the same as “how much of the frame your face fills”. It runs from the top of the head — the crown, not the top of your hair if it stands up — down to the bottom of the chin. For China visa that is 28 to 33 mm on a 48 mm tall photo, leaving the rest as space above the head and below the chin. The maker draws that band on screen while you position the photo, so you can see whether you are inside it before you export, and keeps the exported file under 1 MB.

Printing a China visa photo at home

At 33×48 mm you get 9 copies on a single 4×6 in (10×15 cm) print, which is the cheapest size at almost every print counter and photo kiosk. Export at 300 DPI (354×472 px) for printing; some portals accept or prefer 600 DPI (780×1134 px) for digital submission. Cut along the guides with a straight edge rather than scissors — a crooked border is a surprisingly common reason for a photo to be handed back.