Japan Visa Photo Guide
Japanese visa photos follow a strict three-number geometry: 45 mm long × 35 mm wide, a head of 27±2 mm and a top margin of 7±2 mm. This guide sets out the official figures, the background and pose rules, and the printed-and-glued requirement. Verified against the Embassy of Japan photo guidance, October 2026.
The 15-second answer
The photo is 45 mm long × 35 mm wide. From the top of your head to your jaw must be 27±2 mm, and the top margin from the head to the edge of the photo must be between 7±2 mm. It must be on a white background, taken within the last six months, and physically printed and glued to the form.
Size and head proportions
The official guidance gives three measurements, and all three are checked:
| Measurement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 45 mm long × 35 mm wide |
| Head height (top of head to jaw) | 27±2 mm |
| Top margin (head to photo edge) | between 7±2 mm |
Those figures are printed on the official sample photo, so the proportions matter as much as the outer size: a correctly sized photo with the head in the wrong place still fails.
Background and lighting
- A white background, without anything in the back.
- No shadows on the face or the background.
- The standards document adds that the background must be white or a single colour, without shadows, texture or lines.
Recency and pose
- Taken not more than six months before the application date.
- You must look squarely at the camera, with a front-facing, full-face view and the head neither tilted nor rotated.
- You should be alone in the frame.
What not to wear
- No glasses with thick frames, and no sunglasses.
- No hairbands, hats or anything that makes identification difficult — a head covering is permitted only for religious purposes.
- There must be no frame around the photo.
Printed and glued — the digital ban
This is the rule that catches people out: the photo must be physically printed and glued to the designated space on the application form. A photo that is digitally pasted to the form will not be accepted. Write your name on the back of the picture. If the photo does not meet the standards and criteria, the application form will not be considered relevant for the visa application procedure.
In practice, that means you can generate and trim a compliant image with a tool, but you still print it and glue it on by hand — see the Japan visa photo maker for the 35 × 45 mm crop and the free passport photo checker to confirm the background and framing.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Japan visa photo?
45 mm long by 35 mm wide. Unlike the rectangular passport photo, the Japanese visa photo is a 35 x 45 mm portrait frame, and the head must fill it precisely.
How big should the head be?
From the top of the head to the jaw must be 27±2 mm, and the top margin — from the top of the head to the edge of the photo — must be between 7±2 mm. The official sample photo prints those figures on the diagram.
What background and lighting are required?
A white background without anything in the back, and no shadows on the face or background. The standards document phrases it as a white or single-colour background, without shadows, texture or lines.
Can I paste a digital photo onto the form?
No. The photo must be physically printed and glued to the designated space on the application form, and a photo that is digitally pasted to the form will not be accepted. Write your name on the back of the picture.
What should I wear or avoid?
Do not wear glasses with thick frames, sunglasses, hairbands or hats (a head covering is allowed only for religious purposes). There must be no frame around the photo.
How recent must the photo be?
It must have been taken not more than six months before the application date.
Japan visa photo maker → Photo size chart →
Browse all passport guides or the photo size chart.
Source note: the 45 mm × 35 mm size, the 27±2 mm head height, the 7±2 mm top margin, the white background without anything in the back, the six-month recency, the look-squarely pose, the no-frame rule and the no-hat/head-covering-except-religious rule are from the Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan photo guidance PDF (ng.emb-japan.go.jp); the white-or-single-colour background without shadows/texture/lines, the ban on thick-framed glasses, sunglasses, hairbands and hats, the physically printed and glued requirement, the digitally pasted rejection and the application-form consequence are from the Embassy of Japan standards document (yu.emb-japan.go.jp). Both checked October 2026.