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Japan visa photo requirements

Japan visa photo: size and rules

As of October 25, 2026, a Japan visa photo fits the 45 x 35 mm box on the official form; Japanese missions in the U.S. also take a 2 x 2 inch photo taken within 6 months (per mofa.go.jp, checked on Oct 25, 2026).

The Embassy of Japan wants the visa photo taken in front of a plain background within the past 6 months, and says not to use filters.

The Embassy of Japan accepts only passport-type photos, not prints on regular printer paper, and the photo must be glued to the application, never stapled or taped.

Updated Rules checked against mofa.go.jpHow we check

Japan visa photo at a glance

Printed size
2 x 2 inus.emb-japan.go.jp
Background
Plain, untexturedevisa.mofa.go.jp
Glasses
Not allowed at the U.S. consulates that state itchicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp
Taken within
The last 6 monthschicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Questions people ask

What size photo do you need for a Japan visa?

Japan’s own application form has a box for a 45 x 35 mm photo, or 2 x 1.4 inches. Japanese missions in the U.S. also take a square 2 x 2 inch print: the Embassy in Washington lists only that size, and the New York consulate accepts a standard U.S. passport-size photo.

For the 35 x 45 mm format, the Denver consulate gives the head height: 32 to 36 mm from the top of the head to the chin. The other offices do not state a head size.

Sources: mofa.go.jp · us.emb-japan.go.jp · ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp · denver.us.emb-japan.go.jp

What photo does the JAPAN eVISA need?

An image file in JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP or HEIC, ideally no more than 2 MB, taken within the last six months against a plain, untextured background with the face centered. After upload, the photo has to fit inside the red frame on the screen.

Do not photograph an existing print or reuse the picture from a passport, driver license or group photo. The Embassy of Japan names low-resolution or blurry images among the most common reasons online applications are rejected.

Sources: evisa.mofa.go.jp (pages 1, 2) · la.us.emb-japan.go.jp · us.emb-japan.go.jp

How should a Japan visa photo be printed and attached?

In color, on real photo paper: the Embassy refuses prints on regular printer paper, Houston turns down home-printer prints, Denver refuses thin copy paper and San Francisco asks for glossy paper.

How it goes on the form depends on the office. The Embassy wants glue only, with no staples or tape, while San Francisco’s tourism checklist says taped. Chicago also asks for your name printed on the back.

Sources: us.emb-japan.go.jp · denver.us.emb-japan.go.jp · sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp · chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp · houston.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Common reasons a photo is turned down

  1. The Embassy of Japan says 80% of online visa applications are rejected over missing, incomplete or illegible documents, and lists a low-resolution or blurry photo among the most common reasons. us.emb-japan.go.jp
  2. Japan’s Chicago consulate notes that most selfies and self-printed photos are rejected for lack of quality. chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Every rule, with its source

Size and head position

  • The Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. asks short-term visa applicants for one 2 x 2 inch photo. us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • Japan’s visa application form, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has a photo box for a 45 mm x 35 mm photo, or 2 x 1.4 inches. mofa.go.jp
  • The Consulate-General of Japan in New York specifies a 2 x 1.4 inch visa photo but also accepts a standard 2 x 2 inch U.S. passport-size photo. ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • The Consulate-General of Japan in Denver takes a photo 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall, with 32 to 36 mm from the top of the head to the chin, or a 2 x 2 inch U.S. passport-size photo. denver.us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • Japan’s consulate in San Francisco wants the photo to face forward and show the full face, head and top of the shoulders against a plain background. sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Background

  • The JAPAN eVISA system asks for a photo against a plain, untextured background, with the entire face clearly centered horizontally. evisa.mofa.go.jp
  • The Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago asks for a white or off-white background without shadows, texture or lines. chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Glasses, head coverings and clothing

  • Japan’s Chicago consulate tells visa applicants to take off their eyeglasses and to have someone else take the photo instead of a selfie. chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • The Consulate-General of Japan in Houston rules out glasses and fashion accessories in visa photos and wants the face clearly visible. houston.us.emb-japan.go.jp

How recent

  • Japan’s Chicago consulate accepts a 2 x 2 or 2 x 1.4 inch color visa photo taken in the last 6 months. chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Editing and filters

  • The Embassy of Japan wants the visa photo taken in front of a plain background within the past 6 months, and says not to use filters. us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • Japan’s Chicago consulate warns against the filters commonly used on social media. chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • The Japanese consulate in San Francisco tells applicants not to use photo apps that may alter the facial image. sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Digital file

  • For the JAPAN eVISA, the facial photo can be uploaded as JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP or HEIC, and a file of up to 2 MB is recommended. evisa.mofa.go.jp
  • The JAPAN eVISA upload screen asks applicants to make sure the photo fits inside a red rectangular frame. evisa.mofa.go.jp
  • The JAPAN eVISA site says not to reuse a photo taken from a passport, a driver license or a group photograph. evisa.mofa.go.jp
  • Japan’s consulate in Los Angeles asks eVISA applicants for a clear facial image, not too small or big, blurry or pixelated, and not a photo of an already printed photo. la.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Printed photo

  • The Embassy of Japan accepts only passport-type photos, not prints on regular printer paper, and the photo must be glued to the application, never stapled or taped. us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • Japan’s Denver consulate takes glossy or matte photo paper but not regular thin copy paper. denver.us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • The tourism checklist of Japan’s San Francisco consulate asks for one passport-style photo on glossy photo paper, taped to the application form. sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • The Houston consulate of Japan turns down visa photos printed on regular paper or from a home printer. houston.us.emb-japan.go.jp
  • Japan’s Chicago consulate asks applicants to print their name on the back of the visa photo. chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp

Where photos come from

  • U.S. citizens are exempt from Japan’s short-term stay visa, according to the JAPAN eVISA site. evisa.mofa.go.jp
  • Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lets people residing in the U.S.A. who are not exempt from short-term visas apply for an eVISA online. mofa.go.jp
  • At the Embassy of Japan, the online eVISA covers only short-term tourism visas for stays under 90 days with a single entry. us.emb-japan.go.jp

Who reviews the photo

  • When an eVISA photo does not meet the requirements, the Japanese embassy or consulate may ask the applicant to apply again, which can delay the whole application. evisa.mofa.go.jp

FAQ

Do U.S. citizens need a Japan visa photo?

Not for a short trip: U.S. citizens are exempt from Japan’s short-term stay visa. These photo rules matter to applicants who do need a visa, such as people living in the U.S. whose nationality has no exemption. Source: official pages "JAPAN eVISA › Top (Notices on visa application › Facial photo)" and "The JAPAN eVISA system (electronic visa)", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Can I take my Japan visa photo as a selfie?

Japan’s Chicago consulate says no: have someone else take the photo, because most selfies and self-printed photos are rejected for lack of quality. Source: official page "Tourism / Sightseeing / Transit checklist, Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Is a 2 x 2 inch photo accepted for a Japan visa?

At the Japanese missions in the U.S. whose pages were checked, yes. The Embassy asks for 2 x 2 inches, and the consulates in New York, Chicago, Houston, Denver and San Francisco accept 2 x 2 inches next to their other size. Source: official pages "Visa (Short-term Visit: Tourism/Business/Conference/Study), Embassy of Japan", "FAQ, Consulate-General of Japan in New York (Q.12)", "Tourism / Sightseeing / Transit checklist, Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago", "Short term stay (Tourism/Sightseeing)(Single entry), Consulate-General of Japan in Houston", "TOURISM/SIGHTSEEING (MULTIPLE ENTRY), Consulate-General of Japan in Denver" and "Checklist for Single-Entry Short-Term Stay VISA (Tourism), Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Is SelfieToPassport the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan?

No. SelfieToPassport is not affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan or any other government agency. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan publishes the photo rules for free at mofa.go.jp; this page links to each one.

Does SelfieToPassport replace the background of a Japan visa photo?

We crop and resize your original photo and never replace or repaint the background. If the wall does not pass the check, the tool asks for a new photo and tells you how to fix the light or the wall.

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Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.

Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.