Crop a photo to 33 × 48 mm — China residence permit

Exact numbers for this document

How to crop it, in three steps

1. 01

   Upload a photo taken face-on, in even light

2. 02

   The tool finds the face and aligns the frame itself — check that the head lands in 63–71%

3. 03

   Save the 33 × 48 mm result — print it or attach it to the application

What we fix for free, and what AI fixes

Glare on the lenses. Take the glasses off or turn away from the light source and shoot again.

Why these photos get rejected — and how to fix each one

China-specific things to know

• China gives the residence permit photo as a 33 × 48 mm print with an effective area 30 mm wide and 40 mm high — a face of 16–24 mm and a head of 30–34 mm — and, for a digital file, as a JPEG of 20–80 KB.
• The Ministry of Commerce guide names a white background, while the Ministry of Public Security guideline allows white, light grey or light blue; the guideline is a picture on the NIA site, so it cannot be searched as text.
• Dark collared clothes are advised, a uniform is not allowed, glasses are allowed unless tinted, thick-framed or reflecting, and free photography is offered at the exit-entry office.

Printing on a single sheet

Where these numbers come from

Source: Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration of China (exit-entry administration). Last checked against the official page on 1 Oct 2026.

What the source confirms

• Hunan Provincial Government, quoting the Ministry of Commerce guide (2026): the documents for a residence permit application are a valid passport or other international travel document; a completed visa application form and a 33 mm × 48 mm bareheaded colour ID photo taken recently against a white background (free on-site photography is available); supporting documents concerning the reason for the application; supporting documents for other related procedures; the requirements for the photos are in the Guidelines for Travel Documents Photographs of the National Immigration Administration; applicants, family members or specialised agencies may submit the application.
• Ministry of Public Security, Guidelines for Travel Documents Photographs (2011; translated from the Chinese): based on ICAO Doc 9303 and valid for every entry-exit document, visas and residence permits included; a recent colour photo (within six months); a background of an even white, light grey (hue and saturation 0, brightness not below 198) or light blue (hue 135, saturation 240, brightness not below 167); sharp focus, clear gradations and true colours; no technical processing of features such as scars, moles or hairstyle; printed on photographic paper without stains, creases, scratches or a border.
• Same guideline, dimensions: the printed photo is 33 × 48 mm with an effective area 30 mm wide and 40 mm high; for adults and children the face is 16–24 mm wide and the head 30–34 mm high, with 1–3 mm above the head; the digital photo is 354–480 pixels wide and 472–640 pixels high in the ratio 3:4, the hairline 12–35 pixels from the upper edge, the eyes at least 0.3 and at most 0.5 of the height (0.6 for children) from the upper edge, the pupil distance 82–118 pixels; the file is a JPEG of 24-bit RGB colour, 20 KB to 80 KB, and a scan of a printed photo is made at not less than 300 DPI.
• Same guideline, pose and appearance: sit upright, shoulders level, look straight at the camera; a natural expression, eyes naturally open, hair not covering the eyes, no heavy make-up; dark clothes with a collar, not a uniform; no tinted lenses except for illness, no thick frames, the frames not covering the eyes, no reflection on the lenses; no head covering — religious, medical and cultural needs excepted, when it must not cover the face or cause a shadow — and no non-permanent ornaments covering the face; even lighting, no shadow or hot spot on the face; for children no props, a natural expression and a level posture up to the age of 4 and, up to the age of 1, no requirement that the eyes be open.
• Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration, permanent residence for foreigners (another procedure): two recent 2-inch photographs, full-face, bareheaded, in colour with a white background, 48 mm × 33 mm, the face at least 18 mm ± 1 mm wide, the hairline 1.5–2.5 mm from the upper edge and ideally the shirt collar tips or collarbone visible below; the applicant has a digital photograph taken at a designated photo station within the service site and provides the receipt, valid for 3 months.

Guidelines for Travel Documents Photographs (出入境证件相片照相指引), 2011 ↗

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