On this page
Specifications
Every measurable requirement, in the same order on every country page. Bracketed numbers point to the official source below.
| Printed photo | ||
|---|---|---|
| Photo size | 45 × 35 mm or 2 × 1.4 in — the photo box on the visa application form | [1] |
| Head height (chin to top of hair) | 27 ± 2 mm, top of hair to chin, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai's photo diagram | [7] |
| Eye position | Not specified by the authority | |
| Background | No background, including no shadows, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai's photo diagram | [2] |
| Print resolution | Not specified by the authority | |
| Paper | The Consulate-General in San Francisco asks for glossy photo paper | [5] |
| Copies required | One, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai | [2] |
| Digital upload | ||
| Pixel size | Not specified by the authority | |
| File format | Not specified by the authority | |
| File size | Not specified by the authority | |
| Colour | The Embassy of Japan in India specifies a colour photograph | [4] |
| Validity | ||
| Taken within | Taken within 6 months of submission, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai | [2] |
| Also specified | ||
| Top margin (crown to top edge) | 7 ± 2 mm, from the top of the photo to the top of the hair, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai's photo diagram | [7] |
| Glasses (Shanghai) | The Consulate-General in Shanghai's rejection examples include a lighting reflection on glasses lenses | [2] |
| Face-height measurement definition | The Consulate-General in Shanghai measures the face from the top of the head (including hair) to the bottom of the chin | [2] |
| Head covering (also refused) | A wide headband or other headwear covering the head is also refused, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai | [2] |
| Attaching the photo (China embassy) | Glue the photo firmly to the application form, per the Embassy of Japan in China | [3] |
| Applying via the Embassy in India — size | The Embassy of Japan in India specifies 45 × 45 mm with no edges (border) | [4] |
| Applying via the Embassy in India — background | The Embassy of Japan in India specifies only a white background; photos with dark or patterned backgrounds will not be accepted | [4] |
| Applying via the Consulate-General in San Francisco | The Consulate-General in San Francisco asks for one 2 × 2 in or 2 × 1.4 in photo, glued or taped to the application form, showing full face, head and top of shoulders with no glasses; nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and other NIS countries must submit two identical photos | [5] |
Rules
What is allowed and what is refused. Same ten rows on every page; “Conditional” means allowed only as described.
| Expression | Not specified | — |
| Eyes | Not specified | — |
| Glasses | Not specified | — |
| Head covering | Not allowed | No hat, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai [2] |
| Hair | Not allowed | Bangs or a fringe that hide the eyes are not allowed, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai [2] |
| Ears | Not specified | — |
| Clothing | Not specified | — |
| Retouching / filters | Not allowed | No image processing or retouching; a photo that differs noticeably from your passport photo may be rejected and require replacement, per the Embassy of Japan in China [3] |
| Shadows and objects | Not allowed | No shadow on the face, per the Consulate-General in Shanghai [2] |
| Infants and children | Not specified | — |
Notes and common mistakes
One size on the national form, mission-specific rules beyond it
The photo box on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ visa application form gives the size in both millimetres and the alternate unit the form itself prints, 2 × 1.4 in [1]. Background, copies, colour and retouching rules come from the instructions published by the embassy, consulate-general or consular office abroad that has jurisdiction over where the applicant resides [6] — published separately by the Consulate-General in Shanghai, the Embassy of Japan in China, the Embassy of Japan in India, and the Consulate-General in San Francisco [2][3][4][5].
Glasses: a condition in Shanghai, a ban in San Francisco
The Consulate-General in Shanghai’s list of unsuitable photo examples includes a lighting reflection on the glasses lenses, which describes a specific defect rather than forbidding glasses outright [2]. The Consulate-General in San Francisco’s photo specification is stricter on this point: its listed conditions call for no glasses in the photo at all [5].
What the Shanghai diagram’s rejection examples cover
The Consulate-General in Shanghai’s photo diagram defines the face measurement as running from the top of the head, including hair, to the bottom of the chin, and calls for no background, including no shadows [2]. Its own list of unsuitable examples separately calls out a hat or a wide headband or other headwear covering the head, bangs or a fringe hiding the eyes, and a shadow cast on the face [2].
Why the China embassy’s Q&A checks against the passport photo
The Embassy of Japan in China’s visa Q&A pairs its ban on image processing or retouching with a second condition: a photo differing noticeably from the applicant’s existing passport photo may be rejected and require replacement [3].
Countries with the same photo size
35 × 45 mm Australia Canada Egypt France Germany Ireland Italy Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan Portugal Schengen area Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand United Kingdom
Questions
Why does a Japan visa photo page cite instructions from missions in Shanghai, China, India and San Francisco instead of one national standard?
The application form's photo box gives the photo size [1]. Visas are issued by the embassy, consulate-general or consular office with jurisdiction over where the applicant resides [6], and background, copies, retouching and other composition rules come from that mission's own instructions [2][3][4][5].
Why do the Shanghai and San Francisco missions describe glasses differently?
The Consulate-General in Shanghai's rejection examples include a lighting reflection on glasses lenses, which is a condition on wearing glasses rather than a ban on them [2]. The Consulate-General in San Francisco's own photo specification calls for no glasses at all [5].
Why does the Embassy of Japan in China's visa Q&A mention a passport photo?
The Embassy of Japan in China states that a photo differing noticeably from the applicant's passport photo may be rejected and require replacement [3].
Does every mission ask for the same number of photos?
The Consulate-General in Shanghai's instructions ask for one [2]. The Consulate-General in San Francisco separately asks nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and other NIS countries to submit two identical photos [5].
Sources
Every value above is taken from the following official documents. If a source disagrees with this page, the source is right — tell us. Report an error.
- [1] Visa Application Form to Enter Japan — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (photo box: “45mm × 35mm or 2in × 1.4in”)
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/000124525.pdf - [2] 签证申请用照片的说明 — Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai (reproduces the MOFA photo diagram; specifies photo size, background, and other photo requirements), 8 Jan 2020
https://www.shanghai.cn.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_zh/00_000905.html - [3] 赴日签证 Q&A — Embassy of Japan in China (4.5 × 3.5 cm, white background, within 6 months, no retouching)
https://www.cn.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_zh/visa_qa.html - [4] PHOTOGRAPH – Standards — Embassy of Japan in India
https://www.in.emb-japan.go.jp/photo.html - [5] VISA INFORMATION — Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco
https://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/e_m02_01_03.html - [6] VISA — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (visas are issued by embassies, consulates-general and consular offices abroad)
https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html - [7] Photo sample diagram (photo box) — Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai, embedded in 签证申请用照片的说明
https://www.shanghai.cn.emb-japan.go.jp/apply/images/sample.jpg