China visa photo (COVA) photo requirements

China's online visa application (COVA) is the strictest digital photo check most travellers meet. The photo is 33 mm wide by 48 mm high, the head 28–33 mm high and 15–22 mm wide, the crown 3–5 mm below the top edge, on a pure white background with no glasses, no white clothing and a neutral expression. The upload must be a JPEG between 354×472 and 420×560 pixels and between 40 and 120 kilobytes, and the same photo is printed and attached to the form.

Make and check a China visa COVA photo Free checker; files from A$6.99.

Can I take it myself? Yes

Yes. The visa application centres accept any photo that passes the COVA checker, and most rejections are about the white background and the file limits rather than who took the photo. Because COVA demands pure white and Chinese guidance is explicit that the background must be white rather than light, this tool offers an opt-in white background replacement for this document using the segmentation model, with soft edges. It is labelled as permitted and is never applied without your tick.

How to take the photo

1. Shoot against a white wall or sheet, stand half a metre from it and light it as evenly as your face. Pure white matters more here than for any other document.
2. Wear a dark or coloured top. White, cream or very light clothing is explicitly refused because it merges with the background.
3. Remove glasses entirely; they are not allowed. No headwear except religious coverings that show the whole face, and no visible earrings or necklaces that break the outline.
4. Someone else takes the photo from 1.5 metres at eye level with shoulders in frame and space above the head. The tool positions the crown 3–5 mm from the top.
5. Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open, ears visible if your hair allows, no hair over the eyebrows.
6. Use the COVA preset to export; it lands between 40 and 120 KB at 420×560 px, and the 600 dpi file prints at 33×48 mm.

Why China visa COVA photos get rejected

1. Background not pure white. Retake against white, or tick the permitted white background replacement for this document.
2. File outside 40–120 KB or the pixel range. Use the COVA export here; manual resizing usually lands outside the window.
3. Glasses. Remove them; no exceptions in the COVA guidance.
4. White or light clothing. Change into a darker top.
5. Head size or position outside the bands. Head 28–33 mm high, 15–22 mm wide, crown 3–5 mm from the top. The checker reports all three.
6. Smiling or teeth showing. Neutral expression with the mouth closed.
7. Hair over the eyebrows or ears covered. Tie hair back and tuck it behind the ears.

Infants and children

Lay the baby on a plain white sheet in daylight and photograph from above so the face is level and the background is white. COVA's checker still looks for an open-eyed, clearly visible face, so take several frames and pick one with the eyes open. No hands, dummies or toys may be in the frame, and the same white-clothing rule applies to the baby's top.

Step by step: COVA (China Online Visa Application)

1. Start a new application on COVA and work through the personal, passport and travel sections.
2. At the photo step upload the COVA JPEG from this tool. The system runs an automatic check and rejects files outside the pixel or kilobyte limits, with a dark or coloured background, or with glasses.
3. If the check passes, finish the form, print it, and attach one printed 33×48 mm photo to the form.
4. Book the appointment at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center and bring the printed form, the photo and your passport.

Open COVA (China Online Visa Application)

What it costs

Visa application centres charge A$20–30 or £10–15 for a photo on site. Our Single licence is A$6.99 (charged in your currency) for the COVA file and the print sheet for 30 days; the free checker shows head height, width and top margin before you pay.