JapanMy Number Card Photo: 4.5 x 3.5 cm by Post, JPEG 20 KB–7 MB and 480–6000 px Online
My Number Card: a photo under 6 months old, front view, no hat, plain background. By post 4.5 x 3.5 cm; online a JPEG of 20 KB–7 MB, 480–6000 px.
Key points
5 points- J-LIS: taken within the last 6 months, front view, no hat, plain background; black and white is acceptable.
- By post: 4.5 cm high x 3.5 cm wide, with your name and date of birth written on the back.
- Online: JPEG, RGB colour, 20 KB to 7 MB, width and height 480–6000 pixels.
- Recommended layout: face height 34 ± 2 mm, top of head 4 ± 2 mm below the top edge.
- Wrong size by mistake? If the photo can be trimmed, J-LIS says it is not treated as incomplete — but this is not guaranteed.
The photo for Japan’s My Number Card (Individual Number Card) is described on the “Face photo checkpoints” page of the official My Number Card site run by J-LIS. The basics: taken within the last 6 months, front view, no hat, plain background. A black-and-white photo is acceptable; a photo processed so much that face-to-face identity checks are hindered is not. On the card the photo is reduced to 2.75 cm x 2.20 cm.
By post or online
| How you apply | Photo |
|---|---|
| By post (paper form) | 4.5 cm high x 3.5 cm wide; write your name and date of birth on the back |
| Online | JPEG, RGB colour (CMYK not accepted), 20 KB to 7 MB, width and height each 480–6000 pixels; images processed with image-editing software may not be accepted |
Katsushika City’s page on renewing the card of someone who applied as a minor asks for the same thing in short: a 4.5 x 3.5 cm face photo, taken within the last 6 months, front view, no hat, plain background.
Recommended layout
- Photo 45 mm high, 35 mm wide.
- Centre of the face 17 ± 2 mm from either side edge.
- Face height 34 ± 2 mm.
- Top of the head 4 ± 2 mm below the top edge.
Common reasons a photo fails
- Face off-centre, turned sideways or tilted; a chair, shadow or pattern in the background.
- Glasses or a hairband hiding part of the face, a frame over the eyes, a very thick frame, light reflected in the lenses; sunglasses.
- A fringe too long to show the eyes, or hair making the face look small.
- Red eyes from flash, a shadow on the face, blur or camera shake, digital noise or deformation from image processing.
Exceptions and the wrong size
- Religious or medical head coverings (turban, hijab) are fine if the outline of the face is visible; so are a medical eye patch or sunglasses, or bandages.
- Infants and people who cannot stay upright may be photographed face-on lying on a plain light sheet; a helper must not appear in the picture.
- Sent a photo of the wrong size by mistake? The J-LIS FAQ says that if it can be trimmed, it is not treated as incomplete and issuance goes ahead — but not in every case, so use the specified size.
Get the 4.5 x 3.5 cm crop on our My Number Card photo page.
05Questions
5 answers01What size is the My Number Card photo?
By post: 4.5 cm high x 3.5 cm wide. Online: a JPEG of 20 KB to 7 MB, 480–6000 pixels in width and height.
02How old can the photo be?
Taken within the last 6 months.
03Is a black-and-white photo accepted?
Yes, J-LIS says a black-and-white photo is acceptable.
04Which file format for an online application?
A JPEG in RGB colour; CMYK and other colour modes are not accepted.
05What if my photo is the wrong size?
If it can be trimmed, J-LIS does not treat it as incomplete — but this is not guaranteed, so use 4.5 x 3.5 cm.
06Official sources
- J-LIS My Number Card site — Face photo checkpoints (顔写真のチェックポイント)
kojinbango-card.go.jp - J-LIS FAQ — Will the card be issued if the photo is the wrong size?
kojinbango-card.go.jp - Katsushika City — Renewing the My Number Card of a person who applied as a minor
city.katsushika.lg.jp
Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .
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