Japan Passport Photo — at home in 60 seconds
Japanese Passport (旅券)
Take it with your phone against a plain, light wall. We crop it to the exact size (35×45 mm) and check the head size, position and background against the published rules.
Free to try. From $3.99, paid once, only if you like your photo.
Limited time offer then $6.99 from Jan 1, 2027
Your exact local price is shown before you take your photo. Processed on your device. Never uploaded to our servers.
Quick answer
A Japan Passport Photo must be 35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 in) when printed, or a digital file of aspect 35:45 (up to 600 KB, JPEG/BMP/PNG), with the head 32–36 mm from chin to top of head, on a white, light blue, or light grey background, taken within the last 6 months. A photo you take yourself is accepted when it meets these rules.
- Printed photo
- 35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 in)
- Digital file
- aspect 35:45 · up to 600 KB · JPEG, BMP, PNG
Verified October 3, 2026 from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Photo requirements
Summarised from the official sources below.
- Printed photo
- 35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 in)
- Digital file
- aspect 35:45 · up to 600 KB · JPEG, BMP, PNG
- Head size (chin to top of head)
- 32–36 mm
- Space above the head
- 2–6 mm
- Background
- White, light blue, light grey. MOFA: white background recommended; traditional light blue etc. also accepted (sample shows light blue and light grey); no gradient; no patterned/textured backdrop; no dark background; clear contrast between background and head/hair; no shadows.
- Expression
- Applicant alone, facing front, not tilted; expression must not differ markedly from actual appearance (e.g. raised mouth corners/smile rejected); eyes open.
- Glasses
- Removing glasses is recommended. If worn: no tinted lenses, no reflections or shadows, frames must not cover the eyes; sunglasses/non-prescription tinted glasses not acceptable unless medically required. No coloured contacts or circle lenses; no red-eye.
- Head covering
- No hat. Head covering by cloth only for religious or medical reasons, on request, and only if the face outline is visible. No hats/hairbands hiding the head; no clothing (turtleneck, hood) covering the chin; no wigs that change appearance.
- Babies and children
- Infants who cannot sit may be photographed lying on a white sheet from directly above. No part of a helper may appear; eyes must be open; beware of motion blur.
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- Online application
- Mynaportal online application (domestic, with My Number Card) and ORR-net (overseas). Photo can be taken in the app or a studio photo uploaded.
More rules (7)
- Borderless; frame dimensions (mm): 35 wide x 45 high; head 34±2; top of head to top edge 4±2; chin to bottom edge 7±2; face centre 17±2 from the left edge; at least 2 mm between face side and photo edge
- If keeping the aspect ratio is difficult, prioritise the width
- Eye area (box around eyes) must be free of hair, mask, glasses frame, false eyelashes/eyelash extensions and their shadows
- No retouching: no eye enlargement, skin whitening, removal of moles/wrinkles, deformation or masking; no mirror-flipped images (some camera apps flip)
- No noise, jaggies, print dots or ink bleeding from over-compression/printing; print on photo paper
- No large accessories covering eyes, ears, nose or lips
- Write applicant's name on the back of printed photos
Print at home or at a kiosk
Print the sheet at 100% (Actual size), never “Fit to page”, on photo paper. Each sheet has a 50 mm ruler so you can check the size.
How to take it at home
- Stand about half a metre in front of a plain, light wall, facing a window.
- Hold the phone at arm’s length or ask someone to help. The live guide checks distance, light and head position.
- Get your digital file and print sheet. Print at 100% or upload the file.
Price
Free to try. From $3.99, paid once, only if you like your photo.
Limited time offer then $6.99 from Jan 1, 2027
Your exact local price is shown before you take your photo.
Photo Acceptance Guarantee — rejected for a technical reason we check? We refund you.
Why people choose Ovalight
Made for the moment you need a photo that just works.
- Money back if it’s rejected Rejected for a technical reason we check? We refund you.
- Free to try Take and check your photo for free. You pay once, only when you like the result.
- Your photo stays on your phone Processed on your device. Never uploaded to our servers.
- Checked against the official rules Every rule comes from the issuing authority’s own website, last verified on October 3, 2026.
- Free retakes for 24 hours Not happy with it? Retake the same document up to 3 times within 24 hours.
- Secure payment, no subscription Pay once through Stripe. We never see your card details.
Official sources
Verified on October 3, 2026
- パスポート申請用写真の規格（令和7年3月3日更新） (archived copy: http://web.archive.org/web/20260924171837/https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/passport/ic_photo.html) — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- 旅券（パスポート）用写真についてのお知らせ (PDF, 令和7年3月) — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Consular Affairs Bureau Passport Division
- オンライン申請における顔写真および自署画像の注意点 (令和8年8月28日; archived copy via web.archive.org 2026-09-09) — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Questions
What size is a Japan Passport Photo?
Printed: 35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 in). Digital: aspect 35:45 · up to 600 KB · JPEG, BMP, PNG.
Can I take my Japan Passport Photo at home?
Yes. The photo is not taken at the office and no registered photographer is required, so a photo you take yourself is accepted when it meets the rules on this page.
What background is required?
White, light blue, light grey. MOFA: white background recommended; traditional light blue etc. also accepted (sample shows light blue and light grey); no gradient; no patterned/textured backdrop; no dark background; clear contrast between background and head/hair; no shadows.
Can I smile?
Applicant alone, facing front, not tilted; expression must not differ markedly from actual appearance (e.g. raised mouth corners/smile rejected); eyes open.
Can I wear glasses?
Removing glasses is recommended. If worn: no tinted lenses, no reflections or shadows, frames must not cover the eyes; sunglasses/non-prescription tinted glasses not acceptable unless medically required. No coloured contacts or circle lenses; no red-eye.
Can I wear a head covering?
No hat. Head covering by cloth only for religious or medical reasons, on request, and only if the face outline is visible. No hats/hairbands hiding the head; no clothing (turtleneck, hood) covering the chin; no wigs that change appearance.
How recent must the photo be?
Taken within the last 6 months.
What about babies and children?
Infants who cannot sit may be photographed lying on a white sheet from directly above. No part of a helper may appear; eyes must be open; beware of motion blur.
Can I print the photo at home?
Yes. Print the sheet at 100% (Actual size) on photo paper, at home or at a pharmacy or kiosk, and check the size with the 50 mm ruler.
More Japan documents
Other documents that use 35×45 mm
Ovalight is an independent service. Only the authority that issues your document decides whether to accept a photo.