head 71–80 %no glasses
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) and Japanese embassies and consulates
Verified
Quick answer: A Japan passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. White or light uniform background. Head occupies 71–80% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, better without glasses. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 71–80% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | White or light uniform background. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses are not formally prohibited, but since 2024 the authority has strongly recommended removing them: in practice, glare causes a high rejection rate. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; face and shoulder line must be clearly defined. |
| 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 |
The Japanese passport photo is set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) «on the recommendation of ICAO», and MOFA warns that an unsuitable photo can cause disadvantage at immigration, because some countries use face recognition at entry. The size is 45 mm high × 35 mm wide (35 × 45 mm), without a frame, with the distance from the top of the head to the jaw 34 ± 2 mm (the Consulate-General in Vancouver writes 3.2–3.6 cm) on a light-coloured plain background «without anything in the back», no shadows, taken not more than six months before the application, facing the camera squarely, no hat, mask or sunglasses.
The Embassy in the Philippines adds that «computer enhanced images are not accepted» and the face must be centred; you also write your name on the back of the photo, lightly, so that the pen pressure does not show on the front. For an online application you can take the photo in the application itself or upload a studio photo: applying in Japan a jpg up to 600 kB, applying abroad a jpg, jpeg, bmp or png of 20 kB to 2 MB — and because the file is compressed on upload, one whose compressed size falls outside the range gives an error.
The MOFA drawing with the exact margins is a PDF that could not be opened here, so check it before you print.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Japan passport applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) and Japanese embassies and consulates publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A head outside 34 ± 2 mm from crown to jaw, a photo that is not 35 × 45 mm, or a frame around the photo | Print 35 × 45 mm without a border with the crown-to-jaw distance 32–36 mm, and centre the face. |
| A photo older than six months, or a computer-enhanced image | Take a new unretouched photo within six months before applying. |
| A hat, mask or sunglasses, a head that is not squarely facing the camera, shadows or objects in the background | Face the camera squarely, bare head, plain light background with no shadows. |
| An online file in the wrong format or outside the size range, or one that exceeds it after compression | Use a jpg up to 600 kB inside Japan, or a jpg, jpeg, bmp or png of 20 kB to 2 MB abroad, with some margin for compression. |
How to take it
Background: white or light
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: 71–80 % of the photo height (32–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Better without glasses
Take them off before the shot.
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 glassesTake your glasses off — this document's rules require it.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 Japanese passport is applied for at a prefectural passport office or a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad, on paper with a print or online with a photo taken in the application or uploaded from a studio.
mofa.go.jp — passport (the standard, the online rules); the consular page of the embassy for your country
35 × 45 mm without a border, crown to jaw 34 ± 2 mm, within six months; online jpg up to 600 kB (Japan) or 20 kB–2 MB (abroad).
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) and Japanese embassies and consulates |
|---|---|
| Source | Japan passport application photo standard |
| Verified |
Questions
45 mm high × 35 mm wide without a frame, crown to jaw 34 ± 2 mm, a light-coloured plain background with no shadows, taken within six months, facing the camera squarely with no hat, mask or sunglasses, not computer-enhanced.
35 mm wide × 45 mm high (written 45 mm × 35 mm as height × width on Japanese notices), without a border.
Applying in Japan: jpg up to 600 kB. Applying abroad: jpg, jpeg, bmp or png of 20 kB to 2 MB; the file is compressed on upload and an error occurs if the compressed size is outside the range.
The Embassy in Nigeria asks for a light-coloured background without anything in the back and the Vancouver consulate for a plain background with no shadows; neither writes «white» as the only colour.
The Japan passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 71–80% of the photo height.
White or light uniform background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat, plain wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the Japan biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the Japan authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Glasses are not formally prohibited, but since 2024 the authority has strongly recommended removing them: in practice, glare causes a high rejection rate. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
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.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.