Japan Visa photo requirements
Japan visa photo: 45 × 45 mm (531 × 531 px), head 60–72% of frame height. Check yours free, then print 6 on a 4×6 sheet.
Check my visa photo — freeThe specification
- Photo size
- 45 × 45 mm (531 × 531 px)
- Head height
- 60–72% of frame height
- Head height in the frame
- 60–72%
- Resolution
- 300 DPI
- Digital size
- 531 × 531 px
- Background
- #FFFFFF, #F7F7F5
- Glasses
- Permitted, no glare
- Head covering
- Religious only, face fully visible
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Printing
- 6 photos per 4×6 in sheet (2 × 3, portrait)
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Last checked 2026-08-17.
- The Japanese visa photo is square at 45x45 mm, unlike the 35x45 mm passport photo.
Why Japan visa photos get rejected
- 1
Head the wrong size. Japan requires 60–72% of frame height. This is the single most common reason a photo is sent back, and it is almost impossible to judge by eye.
- 2
Wrong dimensions. The photo must be exactly 45 × 45 mm (531 × 531 px). Cropping to roughly the right shape in a phone gallery app does not produce an exact size.
- 3
Glare on glasses. Frames must not cover the eyes and there must be no reflection from the lenses. Tinted lenses are never accepted.
- 4
Shadow on the face or background. Uneven side lighting throws one half of the face into shadow, and a shadow cast on the wall behind counts as a non-plain background.
- 5
Smiling or an open mouth. The expression must be neutral with the mouth closed and both eyes open and clearly visible.
- 6
Too low resolution. An enlarged photo looks soft in print. The face has to occupy enough of the original image to reach 300 DPI at 45 × 45 mm.
How to get it right in three steps
- Step 1
Take or choose a photo
Stand about 1.5 m from a plain wall, facing a window so the light is even on both sides of your face. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression. A normal phone photo is fine.
- Step 2
Check it for free
Upload it and see every measurement against the Japan requirement — head height 60–72% of frame height, size 45 × 45 mm (531 × 531 px), focus, glare, lighting and background. If anything fails, you will be told exactly what to change.
- Step 3
Download and print
Get the 531 × 531 px file at 300 DPI for online applications, plus a 4 × 6 inch sheet you can print at any photo kiosk for about $0.35.
Printing at a photo kiosk
Your download includes a 4 × 6 inch sheet with 6 copies arranged 2 across and 3 down, with cut guides in the margin.
Any drugstore, supermarket or online photo service prints a standard 4 × 6 for roughly $0.35. The same photos taken in store typically cost $17–22.
Choose “actual size”, not “fit to page”
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Japan visa photo?
45 × 45 mm (531 × 531 px). At 300 DPI that is exactly 531 × 531 pixels, which is what an online application form expects.
How big does my head need to be in a Japan visa photo?
60–72% of frame height, measured from the crown — the top of your head including hair — down to the bottom of your chin. In the finished 45 mm photo that is between 60% and 72% of the total height.
What background colour is required for a Japan visa photo?
A plain, uniform background. Japan accepts #FFFFFF, #F7F7F5. #FFFFFF is the safest choice. Your head must be clearly distinguishable from it, so if you have very light hair, choose the darker option.
Can I wear glasses in a Japan visa photo?
Yes, provided the frames do not cover your eyes and there is no glare or reflection on the lenses. Tinted or photochromic lenses are not accepted. If in doubt, take them off.
Can I take my Japan visa photo on my phone?
Yes. Face a window for even light, stand about an arm and a half away from a plain wall, and have someone take the photo with the rear camera — it is sharper than the selfie camera and gives more resolution to work with. This tool then crops it to 45 × 45 mm (531 × 531 px) at 300 DPI, levels it, replaces the background with #FFFFFF, and checks it against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan requirements before you download anything.
Can I print Japan visa photos at a pharmacy or supermarket?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to do it. You get 6 copies arranged on a single 4 × 6 inch sheet with cut guides. Any drugstore or supermarket photo kiosk prints a 4 × 6 for around $0.35, against $17–22 for photos taken in store. Choose "actual size" and not "fit to page", or the print will be rescaled and no longer compliant.
Is my Japan visa photo stored anywhere?
No. The analysis runs entirely in your browser, and the final render happens in memory on our server and is discarded immediately. Nothing is written to disk, kept in a database, or used to train anything. We keep no copy of your face.
What if my Japan visa photo is rejected?
We refund you in full. We check size, head height, eye position, tilt, framing, resolution, focus, glare, lighting and background against the published Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan requirements. If your photo is rejected for any of those, reply to your receipt and we will refund it. We cannot judge how recently a photo was taken or what you were wearing, so we do not claim to.
Can I smile in a Japan visa photo?
No. Your expression must be neutral with your mouth closed, and both eyes open and clearly visible. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan treats a smile that shows teeth or raises the cheeks as a rejection, because it moves the facial landmarks a biometric check measures. A relaxed, natural face looking straight at the camera is what is wanted.
Can I wear a head covering, hijab or turban in a Japan visa photo?
Only for religious or medical reasons, and your full face must stay visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with no shadow cast across it. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan does not accept hats or other headwear worn by choice.
Do babies and young children follow the same Japan visa photo rules?
Japan relaxes some rules for infants. The photo still has to be the correct size (45 × 45 mm (531 × 531 px)) on the required background, but a baby is not expected to hold a neutral expression or keep both eyes wide open, and the head-height range is applied with more tolerance. Lay the baby on a plain sheet of the required colour and shoot from directly above — no hands, toys or other people may appear in the frame.
How recent does a Japan visa photo have to be?
Most authorities ask for a photo taken within the last six months, and it must reflect your current appearance. This is one of the few requirements a tool cannot verify: we measure the image, not the day it was taken, so we never claim a photo passes on recency. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan publishes the exact rule for Japan — the source is linked on this page.
How much does a Japan visa photo cost?
Nothing at the moment. PassReady is free while we are in beta, and that includes the full-resolution file, the printable sheet and the compliance certificate. We will introduce a price later, and we will say so clearly before we do.
Other Japan documents
Check your photo against these rules — free
Every measurement, before you pay anything.