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Regulations· 8 min read· Ramune Editorial

China Visa Online Application Photo (COVA): the 354–420×472–560px + 40–120KB Double Trap

The China visa online application (COVA) photo has a double range trap: width 354–420px, height 472–560px, 40–120KB. Miss one and it’s rejected; fail 3 times and you go to the center in person. Official sources, plus how residents in Japan shoot on a phone and get both the COVA upload data and a 33×48mm print for ¥200.

Contents
  1. 01The pixel-and-byte double trap
  2. 02Fail 3 times and you go in person
  3. 03The full spec
  4. 04Doing it on your phone in Japan
  5. 05FAQ

If you live in Japan and need a China visa — for business, a family visit, or travel — you most likely apply through the online system (COVA). The step that trips people up most is uploading the photo. Many people try several times, get an “invalid” message each time, and can’t tell what’s wrong.

The reason is that the China visa online photo has a double range requirement — on both pixels and file size — with upper limits. “Bigger and higher-resolution” is not better here. This article lays out the spec using the official sources, and shows how to get it right in one shot from a phone in Japan.

The pixel-and-byte double trap

The usual instinct for an ID photo is “the higher the resolution and the bigger the file, the clearer it is.” The China visa online photo is the opposite: width, height, and file size each have both a lower and an upper bound, and if any one of them falls outside its range the system rejects the photo.

China visa online application (COVA) digital photo spec
Width354 to 420 px
Height472 to 560 px
File size40 to 120 KB
File formatJPEG
Color24-bit RGB full color

Fail three times and you go to the center in person

Failing online isn’t just a “try again” nuisance. The Chinese Visa Application Service Center says so plainly in its official FAQ (original text in Chinese):

In other words, three failed online uploads means going to the center in person with a printed photo, for a staff member to upload. The Tokyo and Osaka visa centers are often crowded even on weekdays, and a round trip for one photo is worth avoiding. Preparing a photo that’s inside the spec beforehand is the reliable route.

Ramune exports a JPEG that lands inside 354–420×472–560px and 40–120KB. Preview the result before you pay — free.

Make a China visa photo (¥200)

The full spec

The data you upload online and the printed photo you may need when submitting at the center are different specs. Both are listed below.

Online data vs. printed photo
Online (COVA)Width 354–420 × height 472–560 px, 40–120KB, JPEG
Printed photo (counter)33×48mm small 2-inch, white background, no hat
Head sizeCrown to chin 28–33mm (print basis)

Ramune’s digital data is exported at 385×560px — the maximum resolution inside the window — with the file size auto-tuned into 40–120KB, so it uploads straight to COVA. The 33×48mm print for counter submission is prepared at the same time. The spec details are gathered on the China visa photo spec page.

The Ramune adjustment screen: the background is replaced with white and, using guidelines (red = hairline, green = chin, cyan = face width), the face position and size are matched to the China visa spec to 0.1mm precision
Ramune replaces the background with the required white and matches the face position with red = hairline, green = chin, cyan = face width guidelines. It exports two files: the 385×560px JPEG (40–120KB) for the COVA online upload, and a 33×48mm print file for counter submission.

Doing it on your phone in Japan, in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Shoot against a white wall on your phone (no hat or sunglasses)

    In a bright room, shoot from the front against a plain white wall. No hat, neutral expression, eyes on the lens. Reshoot until you’re happy with it.
  2. 2

    AI removes the background and fits the China spec (preview free)

    Upload to Ramune and the AI replaces the background with white and adjusts the face position and size to the China visa spec. You can preview the result on screen before paying.
  3. 3

    If you like it, ¥200 — COVA data and a print QR code together

    After payment you get a 385×560px JPEG within the 40–120KB range, ready to upload to COVA, plus a QR code for convenience-store printing. When you need a print for counter submission, print from ¥30 for L-size at 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart and others.

For ¥200, get both the COVA data and the printed China visa photo at once

AI removes the background and matches the face position to the CVASC spec. Preview before you pay. The online upload data (385×560px, 40–120KB) and the 33×48mm print arrive together, with a refund if it doesn’t meet spec.

Create now (¥200)

FAQ

What are the photo requirements for the China visa online application (COVA)?
The photo must be a JPEG on a white background, taken within the last 6 months, front-facing and without a hat. On pixels, the width must fall between 354 and 420px and the height between 472 and 560px; the file size must fall between 40 and 120KB. If the width, height, or file size falls outside its range, the photo is rejected. This is the opposite of the usual instinct that "bigger and higher-resolution is better" — there are firm upper limits.
What happens if my photo keeps failing to upload?
The Chinese Visa Application Service Center states in its official FAQ that if you fail to upload a photo three times, the system will tell you to bring a compliant photo when you submit your application, and staff at the center counter will upload it for you. In other words, three failed online attempts means going to the center in person with a printed photo. Preparing a compliant photo in advance avoids that round trip.
Can I upload a screenshot or a normal phone photo directly?
Usually not. A phone’s original photo is typically several MB and far larger than 420×560px, exceeding the upper limits; a screenshot or an over-compressed image falls below the 354×472px or 40KB lower limits. Because both pixels and file size have lower and upper bounds, ordinary photo tools rarely land inside both ranges at once — which is the most common cause of upload failure.
Can I reuse my Japanese passport photo for a China visa?
Not directly. The printed China visa photo is 33×48mm (small 2-inch), a different size from the Japanese passport photo (35×45mm), and the online submission uses the pixel/byte ranges above. A Japanese passport photo will be rejected. Ramune can produce both the China visa print size and the online upload data from the same source image.
Can I wear glasses in the photo?
Clear prescription glasses are fine, but the lenses must not reflect. Sunglasses and tinted or colored lenses are not allowed. You also need to be bare-headed, front-facing, with a neutral expression and a white background.

Don’t wait until three failed uploads to prepare a photo

Uploading and checking the AI result is free. If you like it, ¥200 gets you data you can upload straight to COVA and a QR code for a convenience-store print.

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Ramune Editorial ・ Published: July 2, 2026

Facts in this article are verified against primary official sources before publication.

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China Visa Online Application Photo (COVA): the 354–420×472–560px + 40–120KB Double Trap | Ramune AI ID Photo