Japan passport photo
Japan passport photo: 35 x 45 mm. The head must measure 32-36 mm from the chin to the top of the head. The photo must have been taken in the last 6 months. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Consular Affairs Bureau, Passport Division, checked September 2, 2026.
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The requirements
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height, chin to crown | 32-36 mm |
| Background | No background objects and no shadow. White is recommended; the traditional light blue background is also accepted. Gradients are not accepted. |
| Glasses | Allowed but discouraged. Removing them is the safer choice. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons, and the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. |
| Ears | No |
| Photo age | 6 months |
| Also required |
|
How to apply: Japan
Two things changed in Japan recently and both are worth knowing before you start. Every type of passport application has been available online through Mynaportal since 24 March 2025. And on 1 July 2026 the fees came down rather than up: in Tokyo a ten-year adult passport applied for at a counter fell from JPY 16,300 to JPY 9,300, and applying online takes a further JPY 400 off the prefectural share, bringing it to JPY 8,900. Passport fees rising is the normal news, so this one goes unnoticed.
The photo rules include two that almost no other country states. A left-to-right mirrored image is a named reason for rejection, and phones save selfies mirrored by default, so a photo that looks perfectly ordinary to you can fail on an axis you never thought about. Coloured and circle contact lenses are also rejected, because the colour and size of the pupil are checked against your face at immigration. Even clear lenses with a dark rim mean a retake.
One note on where these facts come from. The photo standard itself is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with an unusually precise dimensioned diagram. The fees and the collection timetable here are from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which is an official issuing authority but a prefectural one, and part of the fee is a prefectural charge. If you are applying outside Tokyo, the structure will be the same and the exact figure may not be.
Why photos get rejected here
A mirrored photograph
Photographs flipped left to right by a smartphone or digital camera are named as unacceptable. Front cameras usually save the mirrored version by default, which makes this a failure you cannot see by looking.
Coloured or circle contact lenses
Pupil colour and size are identity checkpoints at immigration, so decorative lenses are rejected. Even clear lenses with a dark outer rim require the photograph to be taken again.
Reflection or heavy frames on glasses
Nothing may enter the eye region: not a frame, not a reflection from the lighting, not a shadow cast by the frame. Very thick frames that cover a large area of the eyes or face are refused separately.
Retouching of the eyes, nose or face outline
Image processing applied to the eyes, the nose or the contour of the face is a named rejection cause. This is what phone beauty modes adjust, usually without being asked.
A turtleneck, a hood, or anything hiding the chin
The outline of the chin has to be visible, so a high collar that obscures it fails. Wigs and accessories that change your real appearance are refused for the same underlying reason.
A turned or tilted head, or an extreme smile
The face must be square to the lens and the expression close to your normal one. Laughing broadly is listed among the unsuitable examples, alongside a head turned to the side.
What helps
Check whether your camera saved a mirrored file
Front cameras usually flip the image. Look at any text or asymmetry in the frame, or use the rear camera with someone else holding the phone, which avoids the problem entirely.
Take contact lenses out beforehand
Coloured and circle lenses are rejected, and even clear lenses with a dark rim need a retake. Allow time for your eyes to settle before photographing.
Apply online for the discount
The prefectural portion of the fee is JPY 400 lower for an online application, and every application type has been available through Mynaportal since 24 March 2025.
Do not glue the photo to the form
Staff attach it themselves. Write your name on the back of the print, pressing lightly enough that the writing does not show through to the front.
Collect it within six months
An uncollected passport lapses after six months, and applying again within five years of that costs JPY 6,000 more, as of September 2026.
Black and white is acceptable
Japan accepts a monochrome photograph as readily as a colour one, which is unusual. It changes nothing about the framing, but it is worth knowing if a photographer offers it.
Babies and young children
The published method is to lay the baby face up on a white cloth or futon and photograph from directly above, or to hold them draped in white cloth so that whoever is holding them is invisible. Japan also publishes a sensible exception that most countries do not: if a round-faced infant's whole face will not fit within the frame width at the minimum head height, keep the whole face including the ears even though the head falls below 32. The width takes priority over the head height. Under-18s hold a five-year passport, which cost JPY 4,800 in Tokyo after the July 2026 reduction.
How to take a baby's passport photo at home
Glasses
Glasses are strongly discouraged rather than banned, and for online applications Tokyo recommends removing them altogether. Where they are worn, three things are excluded: tinted lenses, any reflection, and any shadow cast by the frames, and the frames themselves must not cover the eyes. Very thick frames are listed separately as covering too large an area of the face. Since reflection and shadow both come from the lighting rather than the eyewear, taking them off is the only change that reliably fixes all of it at once.
Passport photo glasses rules by country
Head covering
A head covering is accepted on religious or medical grounds only, and Japan asks for more than an assertion. A religious covering requires a written explanation together with documents establishing the religious basis and your relationship to that religion. Hats and headbands are not accepted in any circumstance. Whatever is worn, the outline of the face has to stay visible, which is the same condition every authority applies and the one that most often fails because of shadow rather than fabric.
Applying online
Every type of passport application has been available online through Mynaportal since 24 March 2025, and the prefectural part of the fee is JPY 400 lower for an online application. We could not confirm the pixel dimensions or file size limits for the Mynaportal photo upload from an official page, because the ministry site was unreachable to us, so we do not publish figures for it. Counter applications in Tokyo are collectable from the 9th business day, counting the day you apply and excluding weekends, public holidays and 29 December to 3 January.
Questions about Japan photos
Why would a photo be rejected for being mirrored?
Because a left-to-right flipped image is a named unsuitable example. Phone front cameras save the mirrored version by default, so the file can be wrong in a way that looks completely normal on screen.
Can I wear coloured or circle contact lenses?
No. The colour and size of the pupil are used as identity checkpoints at immigration, so decorative lenses are rejected. Clear lenses with a dark outer rim also mean the photo has to be taken again.
Did Japanese passport fees really go down?
Yes. On 1 July 2026 the Tokyo ten-year adult passport fell from JPY 16,300 to JPY 9,300 at the counter. Part of the fee is prefectural, so the exact figure elsewhere may differ.
Can I apply online?
Yes. All application types have been available through Mynaportal since 24 March 2025, and the prefectural share of the fee is JPY 400 lower online than at a counter.
Can I submit a black and white photograph?
Yes. Japan accepts monochrome as well as colour, which is unusual. Everything else about the framing and the background stays the same.
What happens if I do not collect my passport?
It lapses after six months. Applying again within five years of that lapse costs JPY 6,000 more, as of September 2026.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: passport photo standardchecked September 2, 2026
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government: passport photo standards and exampleschecked September 2, 2026
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government: passport feeschecked September 2, 2026
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government: applying for a passportchecked September 2, 2026
Editor: Mehmet Apaydın (Xenit)How we check our numbers