Japanese Passport Photo Requirements and Common Rejections: 34 mm Face Height, Background, Glasses and Bangs
Plenty of people are told at the passport counter that their photo can't be accepted and end up retaking it on the spot. Unlike a résumé photo, a passport photo has its face size and margins fixed to the millimetre. This article sets out the numbers in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs passport photo standard, the common reasons photos are rejected (background, glasses, bangs, shadows), tips for getting a home photo within the standard, and how to photograph children and babies.
The passport photo standard in numbers
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets the passport photo standard based on the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Because the photo is also used for face recognition and to prevent forgery, both the size and the position of the face are specified in numbers.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 45 mm tall × 35 mm wide (no border) |
| Face height | 34 mm ± 2 mm (32–36 mm) from the top of the head (including hair) to the tip of the chin |
| Top margin | 4 mm ± 2 mm (2–6 mm) from the top of the head to the top edge of the photo |
| Pose | Facing forward, with the face centred left to right |
| Background | Plain and light-coloured (no shadows or patterns) |
| When taken | Within 6 months before the application date |
| Other | No hat, applicant only, sharp and in focus, not retouched |
The standard can be revised, and the procedure differs by application method; an online application through Mynaportal, for example, takes the photo as a data file. Check the latest guidance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or your prefecture's passport office before applying.
Common reasons passport photos are rejected
Most photos turned down at the counter fall into one of the cases below. If you took the photo at home, run through this list both before shooting and after printing.
| Problem | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Face too large or too small | Top of head to chin is not within 32–36 mm | Scale the photo up or down when cropping |
| Too much space above, or the head is cut off | Top of head to top edge is not 2–6 mm | Move the photo up or down to fix the position |
| Shadows, patterns or objects in the background | The background must be plain with no shadows | Stand 50 cm from the wall and light yourself from the front |
| Shadow on one side of the face or under the eyes | The face is not evenly lit | Face a window, or bounce light up from below with white paper |
| Glare on glasses | The eyes can't be checked | Take your glasses off (if you can't, change the angle to remove the reflection) |
| Bangs over the eyebrows or eyes | Hair or shadow around the eyes | Part your bangs or pin them back |
| Head tilted or turned | Not facing forward | Tuck your chin slightly and look into the lens |
| Smiling with teeth showing, or eyes closed | Too different from your usual expression | Close your mouth and keep a natural expression |
| Skin or face shape retouched | Harder to match to the applicant | Don't edit anything other than brightness |
| Blurry or low image quality | Not sharp | Use an in-focus photo and print at 300 dpi or higher |
Tinted lenses, sunglasses and frames that cover the eyes are not allowed. Even if you normally wear glasses, taking them off is the safest way to avoid glare and shadows. Remove hats and hairbands too (if you need to keep a head covering for religious or medical reasons, ask at the counter).
Getting a home smartphone photo within the standard
Passport photos taken at home are said to drift out of the standard on lighting and size. Put the other way round, if you get the light and the size right, you can make a compliant photo at home.
- 1
Stand 50 cm in front of a plain wall
A white or pale grey wall is ideal. Standing close to the wall casts a shadow behind you. Curtains or sheets show creases, so use a wall if you can.
- 2
Light yourself softly from the front
The easiest way is to face a window during the day. Direct sunlight makes you squint, so light through a lace curtain works well.
- 3
Shoot from 1–1.5 m away at eye level
Shooting up close makes the middle of the face bulge. Ask a family member, or put the phone on a shelf and use the self-timer.
- 4
Crop to the top of the head and the chin
Within the 45 × 35 mm frame, scale the photo so the top of the head is about 4 mm below the top edge and the tip of the chin is about 38 mm below it. That gives a face height of 34 mm.
- 5
Measure the print with a ruler
Check with a real ruler that the photo is 45 mm tall and that the top of the head to the chin falls within 32–36 mm.
Why the size can shift when printing, and how to prevent it, is covered in How to print ID photos at a convenience store. If you use a photo booth, choosing the passport mode gives you a 45 × 35 mm frame with a face-size guide.
Passport photos for children and babies
Infants also need their own photo for a passport, and the standard is the same as for adults. Babies can't keep still, though, so you need a few tricks.
- Lay the baby on a futon or bed covered with a white sheet and shoot from directly above. The background is plain and the head stays steady. Smooth out any creases in the sheet first.
- Keep a parent's hands, toys and pacifiers out of the shot. If you hold the baby, make sure your arms and clothes don't show.
- Use burst mode to catch a moment when the eyes are open and facing forward. If a newborn has trouble opening their eyes, ask the passport office how to handle it.
- Children have small faces, so when cropping, don't make the face too large; keep the top of the head to the chin within 32–36 mm.
How it differs from My Number Card and visa photos
Japanese passport and My Number Card photos are both 4.5 × 3.5 cm, but only the passport specifies face size in numbers. A photo made to the passport standard will generally meet the My Number Card conditions too. If you go the other way and use a My Number Card photo for a passport, check that the face is within 32–36 mm.
| Photo | Size | Face-size requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese passport | 45 × 35 mm | Top of head to chin 34 mm ± 2 mm, top margin 4 mm ± 2 mm |
| My Number Card | 45 × 35 mm | No numeric rule (facing forward, no hat, no background, etc.) |
| US visa | 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in) | Top of head to chin 25–35 mm |
| Chinese visa | 48 × 33 mm | Top of head to chin 28–33 mm, top margin 3–5 mm |
The My Number Card photo rules are in My Number Card photo size and how to take it, and other ID photo sizes in ID photo sizes at a glance. If you're unsure how to spell your name on the application (SATO or SATOU, NAMBA or NANBA), see How to write your name in romaji for a Japanese passport.
Make a passport photo using the face-size guide
In the ID Photo L-Size Print Maker, choose "Passport (4.5 cm tall × 3.5 cm wide)" and the editor shows a band for the top of the head (green) and one for the tip of the chin (pink). The green band sits 2–6 mm from the top edge and the pink band where the face height becomes 32–36 mm, so moving the photo until the top of the head and the chin are inside both bands keeps it within the standard.
- Four copies are laid out on L-size paper and saved as a JPEG, ready for a convenience store photo print.
- The tool doesn't detect the face position or remove the background, so use a photo taken against a plain wall.
- It can't check whether the photo will be accepted. Finally, measure the print with a ruler and follow the passport office's guidance.
FAQ
- How big should the face be in a Japanese passport photo?
- 34 mm ± 2 mm, i.e. 32–36 mm, from the top of the head (hair included) to the tip of the chin. The margin from the top of the head to the top edge of the photo is also fixed at 4 mm ± 2 mm (2–6 mm). The photo itself is 45 mm tall × 35 mm wide.
- Can I wear glasses in my passport photo?
- It may be accepted if there's no glare on the lenses, the lenses aren't tinted and the frames don't cover the eyes, but meeting all of that is hard, so taking them off is the safe choice. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not allowed.
- What background color should a passport photo have?
- Any plain, light color works, such as white, pale blue or pale grey. Photos showing shadows, wall patterns or gradients may be rejected. Avoid dark backgrounds.
- Can I apply with a photo taken at home?
- Yes, as long as it meets the standard. Home photos tend to fall outside it on lighting and face size, though, so shoot against a plain wall with light from the front, and measure the face size with a ruler after printing.
- How recent does the passport photo need to be?
- It must have been taken within 6 months before the application date. If you look very different now, for example after a big change of hairstyle, retaking it is safer even if it's within 6 months.
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