China Visa · COVA

COVA photo check failed? It's strict — and sometimes it's just wrong.

COVA — China's online visa application — runs an automated check before it accepts your photo, and it is stricter than any other portal we build for. It also has a documented habit of rejecting photos that meet the published spec. Both problems have fixes; here they are in order.

Fix it automatically — see the result free

See your finished photo free · download it for Was $9.99, now $4.99 · refunded if the government rejects it

Why this happens

What the COVA check measures — and its one known flaw.

  • The file-size window. Most portals only cap file size; the China spec also sets a floor: 40–120 KB. Phone originals fail high, over-compressed exports fail low — this is the rule home-made photos miss most.
  • Dimensions and format. A JPEG, sized 354×472 to 420×560 pixels.
  • Composition. Head at 58–69% of the photo's height; eyes at least 54% up from the bottom of the photo; head tilt 20° or less; background: Plain white.
  • Nothing at all. The check has documented false rejections — photos that meet the published spec still fail sometimes. If yours truly measures in spec, the problem may be the check, not you.

The fix

Work through it in order.

  1. Land the file inside the window: 40–120 KB. Adjust the export quality until it fits — from above or below.
  2. Match the dimensions and format: 354×472 to 420×560 pixels, saved as JPEG.
  3. Check the composition: head at 58–69% of the photo's height, eyes at least 54% up from the bottom of the photo, tilt 20° or less, background: Plain white.
  4. If it measures right and still fails: retry. The check is known to reject compliant photos, and resubmitting the same file sometimes goes through.
  5. If it keeps failing, stop fighting the portal: the standard fallback is to bring a compliant printed photo to your visa-center appointment.

We build the file to the published spec — background replaced, head at 58–69% of the photo's height, exported as 354×472 to 420×560 JPEG · 40–120 KB · pure white background — and show you every measurement free. If the portal still balks after that, you will know it isn't your photo.

Fix it automatically →

Pass here, rejected there? Instant refund.

Tap the refund link in your receipt, tell us it was rejected — refunded on the spot. No screenshots, no forms, no waiting.

30 DAYS FROM PURCHASE · NO PROOF UPLOADS · A DRUGSTORE COUNTER CHARGES $15–25 AND GUARANTEES NOTHING

Questions

Fair questions, straight answers.

Why did COVA reject my photo?

The most common cause is the file-size window: the spec wants 40–120 KB, and both phone originals and over-compressed exports land outside it. After that come dimensions, format, head size, tilt, and background. And sometimes nothing is wrong — the check has documented false rejections.

My photo meets the spec and COVA still fails it. Now what?

Retry first — resubmitting a compliant photo sometimes goes through. If it keeps failing, bring a compliant printed photo to your visa-center appointment; that is the standard fallback when the online check will not accept a compliant file.

What size does a China visa photo need to be?

Sized 354×472 to 420×560 pixels, as a JPEG, with the file at 40–120 KB. Head at 58–69% of the photo's height, eyes at least 54% up from the bottom of the photo, tilt 20° or less. Background: Plain white.

What if my application is rejected over the photo after I pay?

Open the refund link in your receipt and tell us it was rejected — the money goes back to your card on the spot, no screenshots, no forms. Covers thirty days from purchase.

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