Get Your Chinese Passport Photo Done Right [In 3 Mins]

It’s now possible to get Chinese passport photos without leaving home—in 3 minutes from start to finish.

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Chinese Passport Photo—Specifications

Size

33x48 mm

Digital dimensions

354x472 px

Head size

15–22 mm in width 28–33 mm in length

Resolution

≥ 300 DPI

Background color

Plain white or light blue

Recency

≤ 6 months

Acceptable Chinese Passport Photo Examples

Background

Appropriate light-blue background with a hue value of 135 and saturation of 240.

Quality

The image is sharp, and the lighting is evenly distributed with no shadows.

Expression

Neutral face expression with a slight smile, eyes fully open, and mouth closed.

Last update: 11/20/2023

Chinese Passport Photo—All You Need to Know

Are you living in the US and need a Chinese passport photo?

Discover everything you need to know about getting Chinese passport photos in the US, including their requirements, finer details (e.g., what clothing men are allowed to wear), and where to source them in person and online.

Understanding Chinese passport photo requirements

Chinese passport photos have requirements that differ from US passport photos.

Readers of Mandarin Chinese can find the official guidelines posted in PDF format and available via the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago.

Here at Passport Photo Online, we’ve done our homework and prepared this detailed guide to show you all the Chinese passport photo requirements so that you can be confident your photo meets all the official requirements mandated by PRC passport agents.

Chinese Passport Photos Explained

Requirement	Physical Prints & Digital Photos
Color	In color and showing natural skin tone
Recency	Taken within the last 6 months
Image clarity	Clear image of the subject’s face, not blurry, grainy, or pixelated. Lighting must be evenly distributed with no shadows present.
Filters	Common social media filters of any kind are strictly prohibited
Background	Solid plain white or if opting for light blue, must have a hue value of 135, saturation of 240 (and similar brightness level)
Size	33mm wide by 48mm in length (1.3” x 1.89”), with the head measuring between 15mm and 22mm in width (0.59”–0.87”) and 28mm to 33mm in length (1.1”–1.3”)
Print Quality	Printed on photo-quality paper
Resolution	Minimum of 300 DPI
Digital Alterations	Strictly prohibited

Note: Digital photos must be JPEG files, 354x472 px in size and between 30–80 KB in size.

The fine details: specifics of Chinese passport photos

Besides the technical details mentioned above, there are also finer details that must be followed in order to achieve a compliant Chinese passport photo.

Check out the following list to make sure your snap doesn’t break the rules:

Smile: Neutral expression with the lips closed. Smiling is prohibited
Eyes: Must be open
Glasses: Thin-rimmed, non-tinted eyewear with non-reflective lenses are permitted. The frame cannot cover the eyes
Headgear: None allowed unless for religious purposes; cannot obscure the face in any way
Attire: Cannot blend with the background; dark colors preferred
Beard: Permitted if worn day-to-day
Head position: Centered and facing the camera. Portrait-style photos or side shots are strictly prohibited
White space: 3mm–5mm (0.12”–0.2”) of plain white space between the top of the subject’s head and the top border of the photo

Important! Chinese passport applications require the submission of two passport photos.

Need to renew your Chinese passport in the US? We have a guide for that.

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Chinese passport photo sizing details

Getting Chinese passport photos in the correct size (33x48 millimeters) is extremely important as most in-store photo centers located in the US only provide US-sized passport photos (51x51mm / 2x2”).

Furthermore, Chinese biometric photographs must be 33mm wide by 48mm in length (1.3” x 1.89”), with the head measuring between 15mm and 22mm in width (0.59”–0.87”) and 28mm to 33mm in length (1.1”–1.3”)

Additionally, there must be 3mm–5mm (0.12”–0.2”) of negative space between the top of the subject’s head and the top border of the photo.

Online services for Chinese passport photos

While some national pharmacy chains such as Walgreens and CVS may offer Chinese passport photos at specific locations, their technicians may not be aware of all the necessary sizing requirements governing Chinese passport photos.

So why risk getting non-compliant passport photos?

Especially when it involves additional travel time and costs $16.99 to boot.

Certainly, there must be an easier and more affordable solution.

Consider online passport photo apps.

They tend to be convenient and cost-effective alternatives for getting quality Chinese passport photos. Let's take a look at some of the features offered by a few of the popular providers.

Provider	User- friendliness	Essential features	Large country database	Compliance guarantee & refund	Printing service	Price
Passport Photo Online	5/5	✅	✅	✅	✅	$13.95–$16.95
Passport Photo & ID Maker	5/5	❌	✅	❌	❌	Free
ID Photo For Passports And IDs	4/5	✅	✅	❌	❌	Free
iVisa Passport Photo	3/5	✅	✅	❌	✅	$8.29–$16.99
Passport Photo-ID Photo	4/5	❌	✅	❌	❌	Free

All it takes is 3 minutes for Passport Photo Online to provide two Chinese passport photos—all via a few taps on your mobile device!

Best of all, every picture comes with our bulletproof acceptance guarantee, so you can relax knowing Chinese passport agents will accept your photos.