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Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for the Japan APEC Business Travel Card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 4 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo?

Japan's APEC Business Travel Card takes no printed photo. You upload a JPG of up to 10 MB in MOFA's online application, about 600 x 800 pixels with a height-to-width ratio of roughly 4:3. It must meet the Japanese passport photo standard, be taken within 6 months and have a plain background, white if possible. Colour and black and white are both accepted.

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) lets business people make short trips to participating APEC economies without a separate visa once each economy has pre-cleared them, and lets them use dedicated or priority lanes at immigration (the United States and Canada offer only the lanes, not visa-free entry). In Japan it is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), through the APEC office of its Economic Affairs Bureau. Applicants need a valid Japanese passport, no criminal record and a role covered by MOFA's criteria, such as running or working for a company with trade or investment links abroad.

Since 1 April 2024 applications are made online only; postal applications are no longer accepted. Japan now issues a virtual ABTC, shown in an app on a smart device, in place of the old plastic card. The photo is therefore a file uploaded with the online form, alongside a copy of your passport and a certificate of employment. The only paper step is the fee form, which you print, stamp with revenue stamps, sign and post to MOFA.

MOFA does not publish a separate ABTC photo layout. It asks for a photo meeting the same standard as a Japanese passport photo, with one relaxation: the image is acceptable if its height-to-width ratio is roughly 4:3.

Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan:[1]

Print sizeNo print: upload a JPG about 600 x 800 pixels (upright 4:3) that meets the 35 x 45 mm passport photo standard
Digital sizeAbout 600 x 800 pixels; any size is accepted if height to width is roughly 4:3
BackgroundPlain, and white as far as possible
ColourColour or black and white
Photo ageTaken within 6 months
File sizeUp to 10 MB
File formatJPG
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: plain.

Key requirements

  • Passport standard, flexible shape

    MOFA asks for a photo of the same standard as its passport photo notice, but says the size is fine as long as the image is roughly 4:3. That means the passport rules on the face, background and editing still apply even though the file is not 35 x 45 mm.

  • One JPG of up to 10 MB

    The ABTC document list gives the face photo as a JPG of up to 10 MB, listed at 800 x 600 pixels with a 4:3 ratio. Read with the 4:3 height-to-width ratio, that is an upright image about 600 pixels wide and 800 high.

  • Face size from the passport notice

    The passport notice MOFA links to sets a face length of 34 mm ± 2 mm on a 45 mm print, measured from the top of the head to the chin, with the face centred and nothing hiding the eye area. Keep the same proportions in the upload.

  • Plain background, ideally white

    MOFA asks for a plain background and, as far as possible, a white one. Avoid patterns, objects and shadows behind you, and keep clear contrast between your hair and the background.

  • Colour or black and white

    Either is accepted, provided the photo was taken within six months. A sharp, evenly lit image works best for both.

  • Your signature goes on the card

    The signature you write on the printed fee form is transferred onto the ABTC, so sign it the same way as in your passport.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Upload a JPG with an upright, roughly 4:3 shape
  • Keep the file under 10 MB
  • Use a plain background, white if possible
  • Follow MOFA's passport photo notice for face size and position
  • Use a photo taken within the last 6 months
  • Upload a clear copy of your passport photo page as a separate file

Don't

  • Do not post printed photos to MOFA
  • Do not send a square or landscape image
  • Do not use a patterned or shadowed background
  • Do not retouch your face or mirror the image
  • Do not wear a hat or tinted glasses
  • Do not submit a PDF in the photo field

Sample photos

How a Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Because the ABTC uses the passport photo standard, MOFA's advice for passports applies: it recommends removing glasses. If you keep them on, the lenses must be clear, free of reflections and shadows, and the frame must stay off your eyes. Sunglasses and non-prescription tinted lenses are only acceptable for a medical need.

Headwear and religious dress

The passport standard requires a bare head. The exception is cloth worn over the head for religious or medical reasons, which is accepted when the outline of the face remains visible. Hairbands, hats and hoods that hide part of the head or chin are not accepted.

There is nothing to print for the photo. Since April 2024 Japan issues the ABTC as a virtual card in an app, and the whole application, including the photo, is submitted online. Postal applications are no longer accepted.

Prepare a JPG of up to 10 MB with an upright 4:3 shape, such as 600 pixels wide by 800 pixels high. A passport-style photo taken at home or in a studio can be cropped to that shape, as long as it stays within the passport rules on face size, background and editing. The passport copy you upload separately may be a JPG or PDF of up to 10 MB and must clearly show your photo and personal details.

Where to submit the photo

Apply through MOFA's ABTC online application system, open around the clock except during maintenance. After submitting, print the fee form from the completion screen, attach revenue stamps for the full fee, sign it with the same signature as in your passport and post it to the ABTC team at MOFA's APEC office in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo.

If the card is refused, MOFA tells you by email and does not return the documents. There is no limit on the number of applications, so you can apply again.

How to get your Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Japan APEC Business Travel Card: 35 × 45 mm print, 600 × 800 px digital file, plain background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: passport standard, flexible shape; one JPG of up to 10 MB; face size from the passport notice; plain background, ideally white.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. There is nothing to print for the photo. Since April 2024 Japan issues the ABTC as a virtual card in an app, and the whole application, including the photo, is submitted online. Postal applications are no longer accepted.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply through MOFA's ABTC online application system, open around the clock except during maintenance.

Make this photo online

Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo FAQ

A JPG of up to 10 MB, listed by MOFA at 800 x 600 pixels with a 4:3 ratio, which means an upright image about 600 pixels wide and 800 high. It must meet the Japanese passport photo standard, but any size is accepted if the ratio is roughly 4:3.

No. Since 1 April 2024 Japan accepts ABTC applications online only, and the photo is uploaded as a file. The only document you post is the printed fee form with revenue stamps attached and your signature.

You can use a photo of the same standard, provided it was taken within the last 6 months. MOFA asks for a photo matching its passport photo notice, with a roughly 4:3 height-to-width shape, so a digital passport photo can be cropped slightly to fit.

Yes. MOFA accepts colour or black and white for the ABTC photo, as long as it was taken within six months. The background must be plain, and white as far as possible.

No. Japan began issuing the virtual ABTC on 1 April 2024, shown in an app on a smart device, and no longer issues plastic cards for applications received from that date. Applications are online only, and the virtual card replaces the plastic one.

You submit it through MOFA's online application system. Afterwards you post only the signed fee form with revenue stamps to the ABTC team at the APEC office of MOFA's Economic Affairs Bureau in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo.

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. APEC Business Travel Card: application overview mofa.go.jp. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) mofa.go.jp. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. What is the ABTC? mofa.go.jp. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Notice on passport photos (PDF) mofa.go.jp. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/japan/apec-business-travel-card-photo

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