China visa photo requirements — CVASC and Embassy rules

CVASC and COVA portal spec

Mainland China visa applications outside of Hong Kong and Macau are processed by the Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) for paper submissions, or through the COVA online portal at cova.cs.mfa.gov.cn for digital pre-applications. Both enforce the same photo standard.

The 33×48 mm portrait format is one of the most distinctive in international visa work — slightly narrower and taller than the European 35×45 mm. A 2×2 inch or 35×45 mm photo will be rejected at the embassy.

Background, lighting and head clearance

Background must be plain white, uniform across the entire frame. No props, no other people, no visible furniture. Shadows behind the head are an automatic rejection from the CVASC reviewer.

The head must be centered horizontally with at least 3 mm clearance from the top of the frame — this is unique to the Chinese visa spec and a common rejection point for selfie-based submissions where the head is cropped too tight.

Expression, glasses and accessories

Expression must be neutral with the mouth closed. Eyes open, looking directly at the camera. The CVASC checker rejects any visible teeth or asymmetric mouth.

Glasses are not permitted under any circumstances. Hats, caps and headphones are banned. Hearing aids and small earrings are accepted. Heavy makeup that alters facial geometry is flagged for manual review.

Digital editing and recency

Photo must be taken within the last 6 months and reflect current appearance. The CVASC reviewer compares against prior visa or passport records.

Digital editing is limited to crop, brightness, contrast and resize. Background removal with replacement is permitted if the result is uniform and natural. Beauty filters, skin smoothing and AI face modification cause rejection — the COVA portal runs an automated AI-detection check on every upload.

Children and religious head coverings

Children of all ages must follow the same 33×48 mm format with the 3 mm head clearance rule. For infants, expression rules are eased — eyes may be partly closed. The child must be alone in the frame.

Religious head coverings are accepted only if the face from chin to forehead is fully visible and not shadowed. The Embassy of China does not require a supporting letter for daily religious use.

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