Japan Visa Photo Requirements

The official Japanese visa application form specifies one thing about your photograph: its size. The form reads “45mm ×35mm” and, in the same box, “or 2in x 1.4in”, beside the instruction “(Paste photo here)”. Those are the only photo measurements the form itself publishes. Everything else — background colour, how much of the frame the face should fill — is not published on the form, so this page states the size and is explicit about what it does not know. Verified against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa application form, 2026-09-30.

The requirement at a glance

What the form actually says

The wording is short and worth reading exactly. Next to the photo box the form prints (Paste photo here), then 45mm ×35mm, then or 2in x 1.4in. The two figures are the same rectangle in metric and imperial units, and the word “or” tells you either may be used. There is no further text about the photograph in that part of the form: no colour instruction, no expression rule and no proportion of the frame for the head.

That matters because a great deal of advice about “Japan visa photos” online repeats rules from other countries or from passport requirements rather than from this form. If a page tells you the background must be a particular colour, or that your head must occupy an exact percentage of the image, that rule is not coming from the application form. It may still come from an individual embassy or consulate, which is why the honest answer is to read the instructions published by the office you are applying through — but the form alone gives the size.

Getting 45 mm × 35 mm right

The practical difficulty is not knowing the size — it is producing it. Photo booths and print services rarely offer a 45 × 35 mm preset, so the surest route is to set the dimensions yourself. In a photo editor, crop to an aspect ratio of 45 to 35, or 9:7, and then set the print or export size to 45 mm wide by 35 mm high. When you print, print at 100% and switch off any “scale to fit” or “fit to page” option; those settings quietly re-scale the image and a photo that measures correctly on screen can come off the printer a millimetre or two out, which is enough to be noticed at the counter.

Measure the printed rectangle before you paste it down. The metric figure is the one to trust if there is any doubt, because it is the first one printed on the form and it corresponds to a clean physical measurement: 45 millimetres across and 35 millimetres high. Keep a second copy with you as well, since a photo that is handled or glued carelessly cannot be reused.

Pasting the photo onto the form

The form asks you to paste the photo into the marked box, so the physical copy is what matters: it should sit neatly inside the box without covering the guide text and without extending past the printed edge. Use a thin, even layer of glue or a photo-safe adhesive strip rather than tape across the face, and press the photo flat so it does not curl at the corners. Taking a moment here avoids a form that has to be re-done.

The photo sits in the top-right area of the form, which is also where the office may later place stamps or references, so keeping within the box keeps everything legible. If you wear glasses in everyday life, note that whether they may be worn is not addressed by the form; again, that is a question for the embassy or consulate that will receive your papers.

Visa photo or passport photo?

These are two different things and the sizes do not match. The Japanese visa application form asks for a 45 mm × 35 mm photo, while a Japanese passport photograph follows separate rules and a different shape. If you need the passport size, our Japan passport photo page covers it; this guide is about the photo for the visa application form. Mixing the two is a common source of a rejected submission, because a passport photo cut to square dimensions is not the rectangle the visa form describes.

It is also distinct from the photo you may need for other Japanese paperwork, and from the visa photo rules of entirely different countries, which is why it is worth checking the specific form you have been given rather than a generic guide. Our Japan visa photo reference and the passport photo checker can help you sanity-check the framing and dimensions, and the backgrounds and glasses guides explain the reasoning behind the rules used by many countries — while remembering that the Japanese visa form itself publishes none of those details.

Where to confirm the rest

Because the form is deliberately terse, the authoritative source for anything beyond the size is the embassy or consulate that will process your application. Their pages, not this one, decide whether a particular background, expression or accessory is acceptable for your case. Start from the official application form to fix the size, then read the guidance published by your local Japanese mission for the rest, and if a rule is unclear, ask them directly before you submit. That is a more reliable route than copying a rule from a third-party site, and it is the approach this page takes: state what the form says, and decline to invent the rest.

Frequently asked questions

What size photo does the Japan visa application form require?
The official Japanese visa application form states the photo size as 45mm x 35mm, or 2in x 1.4in. Either measurement describes the same rectangle; the metric figure is the one printed first on the form.

Does the form say what the background colour should be?
No. The visa application form itself does not state a background colour. That is not published on the form, so we do not assume one here — confirm it with the Japanese embassy or consulate handling your application.

Does the form specify the head size or how much of the frame the face should fill?
No. The form gives the overall photo dimensions only. A head-length proportion is not published on it, so no ratio is quoted on this page; check the embassy or consulate guidance for your country.

Is this the same as a Japan passport photo?
No. A Japanese passport photo is governed by different rules, and the passport photo is square where the visa application form photo is 45mm x 35mm. If you need the passport size, see the Japan passport photo guide.

Where does the photo go on the form?
The form has a marked box in its top-right corner with the instruction “(Paste photo here)”. Affix the photo inside that box.

Can I take the photo myself?
The form does not set out compositional rules, so the deciding factor is the embassy or consulate you apply through. If you make the photo at home, match the 45mm x 35mm dimensions exactly and follow whatever additional guidance your embassy publishes.

How do I get exactly 45mm x 35mm?
Set your print or crop tool to 45mm wide by 35mm high and print at 100% without “fit to page” scaling, which can silently resize the image. A trim guide or print sheet gives you the rectangle to cut to.

Does the requirement change between embassies?
The application form is common, so the 45mm x 35mm size travels with it. Any additional requirements — background, recency, expression — are set by the embassy or consulate, so always read the instructions published by the office you apply to.

Is a digital photo accepted?
The Japanese visa application form is a paper form that asks you to paste a physical photo into the marked box. Whether a given office also accepts a digital submission is not stated on the form, so confirm it with your embassy or consulate.

What if my photo is the wrong size?
A photo that does not match 45mm x 35mm may be rejected at submission, delaying your application. Print and measure before you affix it, and keep a spare copy in case one is damaged when it is pasted down.

Related: the Japan visa photo reference, the Japan passport photo guide, the passport photo checker, or browse every guide on the guides page.

All guides →  Japan visa photo →

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Japan visa application form (mofa.go.jp/files/000124525.pdf), retrieved 2026-09-30, which prints “(Paste photo here)”, “45mm ×35mm” and “or 2in x 1.4in”. The form does not state a background colour or a head-length proportion, and those items are marked not published above; confirm any additional requirement with the embassy or consulate handling your application.