Japan passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for the Japan passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Japan passport photo?
A Japanese passport photo is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), with no border. The face measures 34 mm ± 2 mm from the top of the head to the chin, with 4 mm ± 2 mm above the head and 7 mm ± 2 mm below the chin. Use a plain background with no shadows (white is recommended), no hat, and a photo taken within 6 months of applying. Online applications take a JPG instead of a print.
Japanese passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), whose Passport Division sets one photo standard for every channel. In Japan you apply through the passport office of your prefecture; abroad, through a Japanese embassy or consulate. The standard follows recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). MOFA explains why it is strict: the passport is your only proof of identity abroad, some countries check travellers with face recognition at immigration, and an unsuitable photo can cause trouble when you leave or enter a country.
For a paper application you hand in one print, 45 mm high and 35 mm wide, with the application form. Osaka Prefecture asks applicants to bring the print loose rather than paste it onto the form. You can also apply online. In Japan that means Mynaportal with a My Number Card and a smartphone, which every prefecture now accepts. Abroad it means ORR net, the online overseas residence registration, together with a dedicated passport app. Online, you take the photo in the app or upload a saved JPG.
MOFA publishes the rules as a two-page notice on passport photos, last revised in March 2025, with a measured sample and many examples of photos it refuses. If your photo does not meet the standard, you will be asked to have it taken again.
Japan passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), width x height, borderless |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Studio photo uploaded online: 600 x 730 pixels (MOFA layout) |
| Head height | 34 mm ± 2 mm (32 to 36 mm) from the top of the head to the chin |
| Background | Plain, with no objects or shadows; white recommended, pale blue also accepted; no gradient |
| Colour | Colour or black and white (Osaka Prefecture passport office) |
| Photo age | Taken within 6 months before the application date |
| File size | Mynaportal: up to 600 KB (larger files are compressed). ORR net abroad: 20 KB to 2 MB |
| File format | Mynaportal: JPG. ORR net abroad: JPG, JPEG, BMP or PNG |
| Print quality | Paper made for photos, printed sharply: no noise, jagged edges, print dots or ink bleed |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Face 32 to 36 mm, centred
On the 45 mm print the face, measured from the top of the head to the chin, is 34 mm with a tolerance of 2 mm either way. MOFA's diagram leaves 4 mm ± 2 mm above the head and 7 mm ± 2 mm below the chin, at least 2 mm between the side of the head and the edge, and puts the centre line of the face 17 mm ± 2 mm from the left edge. Where keeping the proportions is difficult, MOFA says to give priority to the width.
- Measuring with voluminous hair
If your hair adds a lot of height, do not measure to the top of the hair. Take a distance equal to the span from your eyes to your chin, measure it upwards from the eyes, and treat that point as the top of the head when sizing the photo.
- A clear eye area
Within a box around the eyes there must be no hair, mask, glasses frame, false eyelashes or eyelash extensions, and no shadow cast by any of them. Coloured contact lenses, lenses that enlarge the iris and red eye from a flash all make the photo unsuitable.
- No beautifying, no mirror image
Edits that enlarge the eyes, whiten the skin or correct facial features, moles or wrinkles change your appearance and are refused, as is image processing such as warping or masking. A left-right reversed photo is also unsuitable. Some camera apps flip the image, so check before printing or uploading.
- Background with clear contrast
The background must be plain, with no pattern, textured cloth, objects or shadow, and your head, hair and clothes must stand out clearly against it. White is recommended. MOFA still accepts the traditional pale blue and similar colours, but not a gradient or a dark background.
- Natural look, nothing covering the face
Face the camera with your head level. A tilted head, a face turned to the side, an off-centre position or an expression that makes you look clearly different, such as raised corners of the mouth, are all listed as unsuitable. Turtlenecks, hoods and large accessories must not hide your chin, eyes, ears, nose or lips, and a wig that changes your appearance is not allowed.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Check that the face measures 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin on the print
- Stand in front of a plain white wall with even lighting
- Keep the outline of your face uncovered
- Print on paper made for photos
- Write your name on the back without pressing through to the front
- Check that your camera app has not mirrored the image
Don't
- Do not wear a hat or a hairband that hides your head
- Do not wear coloured or circle contact lenses
- Do not use beauty filters, skin whitening or face-slimming edits
- Do not use a gradient, patterned or dark background
- Do not let your fringe fall over your eyes
- Do not wear a turtleneck or hood that covers your chin
Sample photos
How a Japan passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
MOFA recommends a photo without glasses, because it allows a more reliable identity check. If you wear them, the lenses must not be tinted and must show no glare or shadow, and the frames must not cross your eyes. Sunglasses and non-prescription tinted glasses are unsuitable unless they are medically necessary.
Osaka Prefecture's passport office lists glasses with black or dark lenses, and lenses that reflect light, among photos it will not accept.
Headwear and religious dress
Hats are not allowed, and neither is a hairband or similar item that hides part of the head. The exception is a head covering worn for religious or medical reasons: at your request, the passport rules allow the head to be covered with cloth as long as the outline of the face can be seen.
For online applications, MOFA tells applicants who cannot remove a medical device to submit the photo even if the app flags an error. The passport office or embassy will then ask about the circumstances. Abroad, you also enter the medical reason in the application.
Babies and children
Babies and young children follow the same standard, and only the child may appear. A helper's hand or body in the frame, or closed eyes, makes the photo unsuitable, and movement easily causes blur. A baby who cannot sit up yet may be photographed from directly above while lying on a white sheet.
Osaka Prefecture adds that if a baby's round face does not fit within the width even at the minimum face length of 32 mm, the face may be shorter than 32 mm as long as the whole face, including the ears, is in the photo. Online, a parent or other legal representative submits the application for a child under 15. Applicants aged 15 to 17 may apply themselves with a consent form signed by a legal representative.
Printed and digital photos
For a paper application, bring one borderless print, 45 mm high and 35 mm wide. MOFA asks for paper made for photos and a sharp print, and refuses images with noise from heavy compression, jagged edges, visible print dots or ink bleed, as well as blur, shine or blotches on the face. Write your name on the back so that the writing does not show through on the front.
Online, you can take the photo with the app's camera or upload one taken earlier, for example at a photo studio. MOFA's layout for an uploaded photo is 600 x 730 pixels, with the face 535 ± 35 pixels high, 75 ± 35 pixels above the head and 120 ± 35 pixels below the chin. Mynaportal accepts a JPG of up to 600 KB and compresses larger files itself. ORR net, used abroad, accepts JPG, JPEG, BMP or PNG files from 20 KB to 2 MB and compresses them on upload. In Mynaportal you adjust the face position and size on screen, and the background is automatically turned white, so check the processed image before you submit.
Where to submit the photo
In Japan, apply at the passport counter of the prefecture where you live, or online through Mynaportal; every prefecture accepts online applications, and you collect the new passport in person. Outside Japan, apply at the embassy or consulate covering your area, or online through ORR net once you have registered your residence there and installed the passport app.
After an online application is sent, you cannot replace the photo yourself. If the office decides a new photo is needed, a correction request arrives through Mynaportal in Japan, or from the embassy or consulate abroad.
How to get your Japan passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Japan passport: 35 × 45 mm print, 600 × 730 px digital file, plain background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: face 32 to 36 mm, centred; measuring with voluminous hair; a clear eye area; no beautifying, no mirror image.
- Prepare a print or digital file. For a paper application, bring one borderless print, 45 mm high and 35 mm wide.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Japan, apply at the passport counter of the prefecture where you live, or online through Mynaportal; every prefecture accepts online applications, and you collect the new passport in person.
Japan passport photo FAQ
It is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high (1.38 x 1.77 in), with no border. On that print the face, from the top of the head to the chin, should be 34 mm with a tolerance of 2 mm either way, so 32 to 36 mm. MOFA's diagram also shows 4 mm ± 2 mm above the head and 7 mm ± 2 mm below the chin.
Yes. MOFA recommends white but still accepts the traditional pale blue and similar backgrounds. A gradient is not accepted, and neither is a dark colour, a patterned or textured cloth, or any object behind you. Make sure your hair and clothes stand out clearly from the background.
You may, but MOFA recommends taking them off so that identity checks are more reliable. If you keep them on, use clear lenses with no reflection or shadow, and make sure the frame does not cover your eyes. Sunglasses and tinted glasses without a prescription are refused unless you need them for medical reasons.
For an online application, yes. The Mynaportal app and the passport app used abroad both have a camera, and you can also upload a saved image. Watch out for the front camera's mirror effect, since a reversed photo is unsuitable, and do not use beauty modes. Osaka Prefecture warns that some selfies taken on phones turn out reversed.
No. Osaka Prefecture's passport office accepts colour or black and white, provided the background has no gradient. Whichever you choose, MOFA requires a sharp image in focus, with clear contrast between your face, hair and the background.
Yes. MOFA lists the applicant's name on the back of the photo as one of its required points. Write it lightly so that the pen does not press through and mark the front. Osaka Prefecture also asks you to bring the photo loose instead of pasting it onto the application form.
In Japan, Mynaportal takes a JPG of up to 600 KB and compresses bigger files itself. Abroad, ORR net takes JPG, JPEG, BMP or PNG files between 20 KB and 2 MB, and still compresses them on upload. MOFA's layout for a studio photo uploaded online is 600 x 730 pixels, with the face 535 ± 35 pixels high.
Related photo specifications
Other Japan documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Driving licence photo 24 × 30 mm
- International driving permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Residence card (alien registration) photo 30 × 40 mm
- APEC business travel card photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- China passport photo 33 × 48 mm
- Hong Kong passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Macau passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Mongolia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- South Korea passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Taiwan passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Japan photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Passport photo standards (パスポート申請用写真の規格) mofa.go.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Notice on passport photos (旅券（パスポート）用写真についてのお知らせ, PDF) mofa.go.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Face photos and signature images in online applications mofa.go.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Applying online from within Japan mofa.go.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. FAQ: applying online from within Japan mofa.go.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. FAQ: applying online from outside Japan mofa.go.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Documents needed for passport applications mofa.go.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Osaka Prefectural Government. Passport photos pref.osaka.lg.jp. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Kyoto Prefectural Government. Documents for a new passport application (新規申請に必要な書類) pref.kyoto.jp. Checked 3 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 passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/japan/passport-photo