Quick answer: A China passport photo must be 33 × 48 mm with plain white background. Head occupies 58–69% of photo height (28–33 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, glasses only if no glare. Last verified .
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| Format | 33 × 48 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 58–69% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 28–33 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | Plain white background. |
| Pose | Full face, looking directly into the camera, head and shoulders fully visible. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible. |
| Glasses | Glasses permitted only if eyes are fully visible and there are no reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Digital resolution | Check the authority portal before digital upload |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | Check the authority portal before upload |
| 10 × 15 cm · 4×6″ | 9 (3 × 3) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
Chinese passport photo verification is run by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) through provincial Public Security Bureau (PSB) Exit-Entry Administration offices. The printed spec comes from PRC consular pages (e.g. the Consulate-General in Christchurch): 33 × 48 mm, head height 28-33 mm from chin to crown, white background.
The NIA page at s.nia.gov.cn also cited by this profile is an online photo-upload guide: it publishes only pixel rules (3:4 crop, width 400-1000 pixels, white or light blue background) and contains no millimetre figures. Applicants apply in person at a PSB Exit-Entry office; the same NIA guide also documents a fully-online submission route piloted in 20 cities.
Glasses are permitted only if the eyes are fully visible: no lens glare, no frames covering the eyes, no tinted lenses. The photo cannot be modified by any software — the NIA guide's first instruction is to switch off beautification, filters and face-slimming.
| Authority | National Immigration Administration of China |
|---|---|
| Source | Guidelines for Travel Documents Photographs (出入境证件相片照相指引), 2011 |
| Verified | |
| Confidence | Official — exact |
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for China passport applications. The final decision always belongs to National Immigration Administration of China, but these are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Upload a portrait — the tool crops, removes the background and checks compliance against the 33 × 48 mm rule automatically.
Use a blank white wall or tape a white bedsheet flat — avoid creases. Stand at least 50 cm from the surface so your shadow does not fall onto it. Patterned wallpaper or any textured surface creates a gradient that fails the automated background check, even if it looks white to the eye.
Face a large window during daylight hours. Even, frontal, diffused natural light produces the cleanest indoor result. Never use on-camera flash — it creates hard shadows on the background and washes out facial geometry. Turn off any coloured indoor light sources.
Extend your chin slightly forward and downward — this elongates the neck and sharpens the jawline. Keep your head level: the camera must be exactly at eye height. Tilting up or down distorts the biometric head-height ratio.
Keep both shoulders square to the camera. Passport standards require a straight-on stance — turned shoulders shift the perceived centre of the face and will cause the automated alignment check to fail.
Glasses permitted only if eyes are fully visible and there are no reflections In practice, the biometric scanner flags even minor glare invisible to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
Look directly into the lens. Keep a completely neutral expression — no smile, raised eyebrows or squinting. Mouth closed and relaxed. Biometric matching calibrates against the neutral reference stored in the passport chip; any muscular movement lowers the match confidence score.
Avoid white or very light tops — they merge with the white background and make the shoulder outline hard to detect. Deep solid tones work best: navy, dark teal, burgundy or charcoal. No uniforms, hats or accessories that cover the face or neck.
Groom your beard one or two days before shooting — a freshly trimmed beard photographs with the cleanest edge definition. If shaving completely, do so the morning of the shoot and apply a calming balm to reduce redness, which can alter the skin-tone map used by background removal.
National Immigration Administration of China publishes the following rejection codes. Knowing the exact code on your notice tells you precisely what to fix in the reshoot.
| Code | Reason | Fix |
|---|---|---|
NIA-Q01 |
Head height outside 28-33mm chin-to-crown | On-site capture only — applicants don't normally see this |
NIA-Q02 |
Background not pure white (off-white, grey, coloured) | On-site studio uses calibrated white backdrop |
NIA-Q03 |
Glasses with thick frames, tint, or anti-reflective glare | Remove or switch to clear thin frames |
NIA-Q04 |
Photo retouched, filtered, or AI-generated | Pure unedited capture only — automated check detects manipulation |
NIA-Q05 |
Non-neutral expression (smile, mouth open) | Mouth fully closed, neutral |
The required background is Plain white background. Even a slightly off-white, grey or cream tone may fail the automated colour check used by passport submission systems. Shadows from the subject onto the wall behind them are the most common cause of this rejection.
The head must be straight and centred. A tilt of even 3–5 degrees is flagged by the ICAO face-alignment algorithm used in China passport biometric verification. Place the camera at exactly eye level and centre your face horizontally.
Both eyes must be fully visible and clearly open. Glasses glare, a fringe across one eye, or a shadow from overhead lighting across the eye area are automatic rejection triggers in the biometric check.
Biometric matching calibrates against a neutral reference stored in the passport chip. A smile or even a slightly parted mouth shifts facial geometry and lowers the match confidence score, causing the application to be returned.
The digital file must be at minimum 600 × 600 px and free of motion blur or JPEG compression artefacts. Overexposed highlights on the forehead or cheeks erase facial geometry the biometric scanner needs to read.
Most passport authorities require a recent photo taken within the last six months. Even if your appearance has not changed, the application is delayed until a new photo is provided.
The head must occupy the specified percentage of the photo height (see the spec table above). Too close (face fills the frame) or too far (head appears small) both fail at the automated dimension check.
The China passport photo must be 33 × 48 mm. The head must occupy 58–69% of the photo height.
Plain white background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat white wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the China biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed — many submission systems check the photo timestamp against the application date.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the China authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Glasses permitted only if eyes are fully visible and there are no reflections. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
Anfas.Pro is an independent tool and is not affiliated with any government authority. The final decision to accept or reject a document photo rests solely with the issuing authority. Requirements change — always verify on the official authority portal before submitting.