head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMy Number Card general site, Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS)
Verified
Quick answer: A Japan My Number card photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain background without foreign objects. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain background without foreign objects. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | No headwear. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing, shoulders visible, without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| Digital resolution | 480 × 480 to 6000 × 6000 px |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
For the Japanese My Number Card the application site's «face photo checkpoints» ask for a photo «taken within the last 6 months, front view, no hat, plain background» — black-and-white is acceptable, and «photos processed in a way that hinders face-to-face identity verification» are not. By post the photo is «4.5 cm high × 3.5 cm wide» with the name and the date of birth written on the back; online it is «a JPEG in RGB colour mode (CMYK is not accepted), 20 KB to 7 MB, 480 to 6000 pixels wide and 480 to 6000 pixels high», and images processed with editing software may not be accepted. The card shows the photo reduced to 2.75 cm × 2.20 cm. People who cannot meet the standard for an unavoidable reason write it on the application form or phone the free line; coverings for religion or medical reasons that leave the outline of the face visible (turban, hijab), medical wigs, hats, eye patches, sunglasses and bandages are allowed, and infants and people who cannot sit or stand can lie on a plain light sheet with no helper in the frame. The page lists unacceptable examples — off-centre or turned or tilted faces, a chair or a pattern or shadows in the background, glasses frames over the eyes or glare, a hat or hairband hiding the head, long fringe, red eyes, blur, noise, dots, jagged edges and deformation or masking.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Japan My Number card applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules My Number Card general site, Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo older than six months, or one with a hat or a background that is not plain | A photo from the last six months, front view, no hat, plain background. |
| A face off-centre, turned sideways or tilted | A centred, front-facing, straight face. |
| Glasses or a hairband hiding part of the face, a frame over the eyes, glare in the glasses, sunglasses, a fringe over the eyes | Eyes and the outline of the face fully visible. |
| Red eyes, shadows on the face or the background, blur, camera shake | A sharp, evenly lit photo without shadows or red eyes. |
| Digital noise, dots, jagged edges, deformation or masking | An unprocessed, clean digital image. |
| An online file that is not a JPEG in RGB, is smaller than 20 KB or larger than 7 MB, or is outside 480–6000 pixels | A JPEG in RGB of 20 KB–7 MB, 480–6000 pixels in both directions. |
How to take it
Background: plain, one colour
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A My Number Card is applied for online (a JPEG photo), by post (a 4.5 × 3.5 cm print with the name and the date of birth on the back) or from a photo booth, with the face photo meeting the checkpoints.
kojinbango-card.go.jp — My Number free line 0120-95-0178
Within 6 months, plain background, 4.5 × 3.5 cm by post or a JPEG (RGB, 20 KB–7 MB, 480–6000 px) online.
Authority page| Authority | My Number Card general site, Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS) |
|---|---|
| Source | 顔写真のチェックポイント — Face photo checkpoints |
| Verified |
Questions
By post 4.5 cm high and 3.5 cm wide, with the name and date of birth on the back; online a JPEG in RGB of 20 KB to 7 MB and 480 to 6000 pixels in each direction.
Yes — the page says a black-and-white photo is acceptable, as long as it is not processed in a way that hinders identity verification.
Yes, for religious or medical reasons, as long as the outline of the face is visible.
Write the specific reason in the name box on the application form or phone the My Number free line with the application ID; the municipal counter may ask about it when the card is handed over.
The Japan My Number card photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height. The photo must reflect your current everyday appearance.
Plain background without foreign objects. Identity cards are used frequently in daily life — for banking, age verification and domestic travel — so the photo is scrutinised many times and minor background issues become more visible at print scale.
Yes. Stand against a flat light-coloured wall, face a window for even natural light, and use a phone with a timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and ICAO alignment check automatically.
Identity card photos generally need to reflect your current appearance. Most authorities accept photos taken within the last six months, but significant changes to hair, beard or facial features since the photo was taken may require a new one.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. Removing glasses for the shoot is the safest option, especially given the long validity period of most identity cards. Glare that passes today may fail re-verification at a future biometric checkpoint.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Japan authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.