Japan Visa Photo: Guidelines for Applicants [And a Hassle-Free Visa Photo Tool]

Visa to Japan - photo requirements

When you think about the most famous insular Asian country with breathtaking landscapes, exotic fauna and flora and unique history and heritage the world “Japan” comes to your mind immediately, right?

In order to be authorized to travel to this beautiful country, you need a Japanese visa. To get it you need to submit some documents and one passport-style photo of yourself. But be aware that there are many rules about how this photograph must be. Pictures not complying with standards for a Japanese Visa Photo will be automatically rejected. Read carefully our Japanese Visa Photo Guide to know everything about the visa photos and eliminate the risk of delaying or denial processing your application.

Japan Visa Photo Specification

Take a moment to read the text below to know:

• what are Japanese visa photo requirements
• what is the required size of this picture
• how to pose in the photograph
• how to take a correct photo to visa to Japan with your phone
• how not to overpay for your visa pictures

We present you a complete Japan visa tourist photo guide with which you will be able to prepare a correct photo and increase your chance to obtain your visa to the Country of the Rising Sun!

Japanese visa photo validity

Do you know how long the photo for a visa to Japan is valid? Generally speaking: the photo must show your current appearance so the newer is the better. It must be taken within the last 6 months before you submit your passport application. A new photo is also required if during this period your physical appearance has changed significantly, for example due to a facial surgery.

Change of the hairstyle or growing a beard is not a situation when the new visa photo is required.

Take the Japanese visa photo at home!

There is no requirement about where and how to take a photograph for the visa to Japan. You can of course go to some professional photography studio and pay for a professional photo session but there is a more convenient way to do it. You can save your precious time and money by taking a Japanese visa photo on your own. Do it at home, in the office, in the garden or wherever you wish. All you need are:

• a smartphone, tablet or digital camera (don’t use webcam)
• a photographer (selfies are not allowed) It may be your friend or a family member
• a tripod if you prefer to do it alone
• the visa photo specification guidelines
• a smart Visa Photo Online Maker

General rules about Japan visa photo

If you want to obtain your visa quickly and without any problems, you need to check twice in your embassy or consulate how the requested size of the visa photo is and whether your photo satisfies all standards. We offer you assistance with creating a Japan visa photo and check if you meet all the demandings. When you are uploading a photo to our smart photo creator, please remember that your photo must be:

• In correct resolution
• in color
• properly exposed (not to dark, not to light)
• focus and sharp
• original (not the photocopy, not altered, not cut out from a larger image)

Please keep in mind that you cannot take a selfie or use a webcam to take the picture.

Japanese visa photo size in mm and inches 

A required Japanese visa photo must measure 45 x 45 mm (height x width). You may also find the information that this size may be 50 x 50 mm, 45 x 35 mm or 40 x 30 mm. 

Please contact the Japan embassy in your country to check the needed photo size in advance as different embassies have different requirements.

However the most common and for sure correct is the size 45 x 45 mm (2 x 2 inches) and we recommend you to resize your image up to these dimensions. If you use the resizing visa photo app, you do not have to be worried about a proper size as resizing will be done for you automatically.

Japanese visa digital photo size, resolution and dimensions

Required size in kilobytes for a digital image dedicated for a Japan visa application photo is 240, when the minimal resolution is 300 dpi. In pixels it must be:

Width: 1062 pixels 

Height: 1062 pixels

Japan visa photo crop

Head must be between 70 to 80 % of the photograph from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. 

In the case of 2 x 2 inches photos the head height up to the crown must be 1.29 inches. The correct distance from the bottom of the photo to the eye line is 1.18 inches.

If you want to be sure that your image is correctly cropped, use the cropping visa photo tool available online.

Colors and lights in the Japanese visa photo

Embassies and consulates accept only photos in color. The picture dedicated to the visa document (not only Japanese) must represent your natural skin tones and eye color. That means that the effect of “red eyes” will cause a rejection of the picture too as it is not natural eye color. You may not either wear coloured contact lenses.

Remember that you must not retouch your picture, correct colors, put on any filters. Any graphic interference in the picture is forbidden. “Red eyes” is caused by a flash lamp, so in order to avoid it, take the picture with natural light.

Daylight is also recommended because it helps to avoid skin reflections. Bear in mind that your face must be lit evenly on both sides. Any shadows on the face or background are unacceptable.

Background in the visa photo for Japan

The only one accepted background’s color is white. Any other colors, patterns or shadows are not accepted and will provoke rejection of the application. As obtaining the plain, solid white color in a picture maybe not easy, use a dedicated visa background photo editor which removes an incorrect background and changes it into a white one in one second. This is allowed and accepted but use a professional tool, do not do it with Photoshop. You can find a visa photo background remover in the AppStore or in the Google Play Store.

Headgears in Japanese visa photos

If you are wearing a head covering for religious or medical reasons, it should be dark in color against white background to obtain a proper contrast. Any other headgears like hats or caps are not allowed. If you keep your head covering (like turban, hijab, yarmulke or any other part of a religious attire) make sure that it does not cover or drop shadow on your face.

Eyeglasses in the Japan visa photo

If you have prescription glasses you may keep them during capturing a visa photo. Just remember that your pupils must be clearly visible and the frames of the glasses must not cover your eyes or give any glare. Tinted glasses and sunglasses are prohibited in the picture.

Head position and facial expression in Japan tourist visa photo

In your Japanese visa photo you need to look straight at the camera lens which must be positioned at the level of your eyes.

This must be an en-face view only. Your shoulders must be straight too, you cannot tilt your head in any direction or look aside. You are not allowed to smile, frown or make grimaces. Neutral facial expression is a requirement. Showing teeth, opening mouths, tightening them, closing eyes is not allowed. The best idea is just to relax your facial muscles and wait one second with opened eyes.

Jewellery and piercing in Japanese visa photo

If you have a permanent facial piercing you do not have to remove it to the needs of a Japan visa photo.

You may wear it and jewellery too as long as these items do not obscure any part of your face. Quit wearing big or shiny earrings instead as there can’t be any reflection on your face and they may cause them. Take off headbands or massive, decorative hair accessories to as they can obscure your face.

Japan visa application photo near me

If you ask yourself “where to get a visa photo near me”? we have good news for you.

You do not have to track down photo booths or take a visa picture in a professional photo studio. You can do it on your own, just with your digital camera or smartphone.

Choose a convenient moment and place and prepare your ideal visa photo with an easy to use online visa photo maker.

Of course if you are taking your photograph with your phone, you must satisfy Japan visa application photo requirements about the size, crop, head position, background color etc. But this is easier than you may think. Just take a photograph and upload it to the visa photo app. It is cropping, resizing, background erasing photo tool which helps you to save your money and time!

What NOT TO DO in the Japan visa photos? - List of biggest mistakes

Nowadays people often decide to capture a photograph to visa by themselves at home and a major part of those pictures are impossible to distinguish from photographs taken professionally in studios. But there are still some photos which are rejected during the visa application process because artificial intelligence) verifying them finds mistakes. Check out which are most commonly made mistakes to avoid them. The are:

• selfies, especially with head tilted
• smile and open mouths
• not en-face views
• alterations by Photoshop or other computer software
• wrong exposition (photos overexposed or underexposed)
• black and white coloring

Now, when you know all the list, you can avoid the mistakes and take your perfect picture for the Japan visa in a couple of seconds without going anywhere. Start your visa application process right now and get it quickly!

Japan visa photo maker online

Do you want to pay only for 100% correct photos with a warranty of acceptance by authorities and save the money?

Are you tired or do not have time to drive anywhere just to take a visa photo? Do you want to save your time? 

Check the smart online visa photo editor! It helps people worldwide to take and prepare their visa or passport photos at any time and in any place. This tool can in one second remove an unsuitable background and change it into a required one, resize and crop every picture.

And what about the guarantee of acceptance?

Our tool is based on artificial intelligence - the same as used by embassies and consulates to verify photos of applicants.. If you want to be sure that attached to your application form picture is correct, just let our online photo app verify it! With us “correct” means correct and if for some reason your photo is not accepted, we will return you the money.

Last update: 3/31/23