Official size: 45 mm × 35 mm
The photo box on Japan's visa application form is marked 45 mm high × 35 mm wide, and every language version of the form says the same (the English form adds "2 in × 1.4 in"):
Source: visa application forms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (photo box on page 1). The Spanish and Portuguese versions also say "approx. 45 mm × 35 mm". Every version is on our forms page.
- Height 45 mm × width 35 mm — the size printed on the form
- Head size: 27 ± 2 mm, measured from the top of the head (including hair) to the chin
- Space above the head: 7 ± 2 mm
Some missions set their own size
The embassy or consulate you apply to has the final say, and a few publish a size of their own:
- Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai: 45 mm high, any width from 35 to 45 mm
- Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai (India): 45 × 45 mm
- Embassy of Japan in the Philippines: 4.5 × 3.5 cm; black-and-white is also accepted; write your full name and date of birth on the back
Other requirements
- A photo of the applicant taken within the last 6 months
- Colour (some missions also accept black-and-white), plain white background, no shadows on the face or background
- Front-facing, no hat, clearly identifiable — no sunglasses, no glare on glasses, hair not covering the eyes
- No border, and no editing that changes your appearance; it should look like you do now
- How many: 1, pasted in the photo box on the form, with your name written on the back
Not the same as a residence-procedure photo
Japan uses different photo sizes for different procedures — don't reuse one for another:
- Visa application (embassy / consulate): 45 mm high × 35 mm wide
- Residence procedures filed with Immigration (Certificate of Eligibility, change of status, extension of stay, etc.): 4 cm high × 3 cm wide
- JAPAN eVISA: a digital photo uploaded online — follow the system's on-screen specification
Common mistakes
- Using a 4×3 cm residence-procedure photo for a visa application — smaller than the photo box
- A square 45×45 mm print when your mission doesn't list that size — wider than the 35 mm box
- Head too small or too large — crown to chin should be 27 ± 2 mm
- Coloured, patterned or shadowed background
- Selfies, beauty filters or retouching
- A photo older than 6 months
- A hat or wide headband covering the head, or hair covering the eyes
Quick checklist
- 45 mm high × 35 mm wide (or the size your mission specifies)
- 27 ± 2 mm from crown to chin
- Taken within 6 months
- Plain white background, no shadows
- Front-facing, no hat, no border
- One photo in the form's photo box, name on the back