Japan passport photo rules and common mistakes
Updated: June 11, 2026
Japan's passport application photos have detailed rules, and a photo that misses them is a common reason applications get sent back. This guide covers the basics and the most frequent mistakes. Final acceptance is always at the discretion of the receiving authority; check MOFA's latest guidance.
The basic spec
- ・Size: 45 mm tall x 35 mm wide, borderless
- ・Face height (top of head to chin): around 34 mm, plus or minus 2 mm
- ・Taken within the last 6 months
- ・Facing forward, no hat, plain light background with no shadows
- ・Natural expression, mouth closed, eyes clearly visible
Common rejection reasons
- ・Big smile or open mouth (keep it close to neutral)
- ・Bangs over the eyes, or hair hiding the face outline
- ・Glare on glasses, or frames crossing the eyes (no sunglasses)
- ・Shadows on the face or background
- ・Furniture or patterns visible in the background
- ・Blur or low image quality
- ・Too much space above the head, or the head cut off
Online application data rules
Online applications submit the photo as an image file, with separate rules for format and file size. See the Mynaportal photo upload guide for the steps and common errors.
The hard part is the framing
Taking the photo is easy; sizing the head and cleaning the background to spec is the tedious part. Passpo-chan's free preview adjusts a phone photo to a white background and the right framing automatically, and you can check the result for free.