Can I reuse a Japan passport photo for a visa?

Usually no — visas often need 45×45 mm square while the passport is 35×45 mm. Re-frame in PicsForm with the visa document selected.

Where are Japan specs sourced?

Passport: mofa.go.jp passport photo guidance. Visa: mission-specific instructions; our catalog defaults to the common 45×45 mm square.

🇯🇵 Japan

Japanese passport & visa photo requirements

Japanese passport applications use 35×45 mm colour photos with a white background per MOFA guidance. Many Japanese visa posts instead require a 45×45 mm square — a different aspect ratio that rejects recycled passport crops. PicsForm maps both catalog documents to published size and framing rules (not government certification). Last verified 2026-08-18.

Create photo for Japan

Japanese Passport

35×45 mm · white bg

Japanese Visa

45×45 mm · white bg

Documents covered in this hub

Choose passport vs visa before cropping — the shapes are not interchangeable.

Japanese Passport — 35×45 mm, white background, biometric head band
Japanese Visa — commonly 45×45 mm square; confirm the receiving mission (some posts still ask for 35×45 mm)

Key Japan photo rules

Neutral expression, no glasses, plain white or light background. Visa photos are often required within the last six months. Selfies with tilted cameras or beauty filters are frequent rejection triggers.

Common rejection reasons

Using a 35×45 passport crop for a 45×45 visa upload
Background not plain white
Face too small in the square frame
Glasses or heavy retouching
Photo older than the mission's recency window

Quick links

Jump to document-specific landing pages.

/japan-passport-photo — Japanese Passport specs
/japan-visa-photo — Japanese Visa specs

Japanese Passport — catalog specs

Size: 35×45 mm (413×531 px @ 300 DPI)
Head height: 70–80% of frame height
Eye line: 55–70% from bottom
Background: white (#FFFFFF)
Smile: not allowed — neutral expression
Glasses: not allowed
Head coverings: not allowed (except religious/medical where permitted)
Max file size (when specified): 5000 KB
Print size: 1.38×1.77 in

Create Japanese Passport photo →

Japanese Visa — catalog specs

Size: 45×45 mm (531×531 px @ 300 DPI)
Head height: 60–70% of frame height
Eye line: 50–70% from bottom
Background: white (#FFFFFF)
Smile: not allowed — neutral expression
Glasses: not allowed
Head coverings: not allowed (except religious/medical where permitted)
Max file size (when specified): 5000 KB
Print size: 1.77×1.77 in

Create Japanese Visa photo →

FAQ

Can I reuse a Japan passport photo for a visa?: Usually no — visas often need 45×45 mm square while the passport is 35×45 mm. Re-frame in PicsForm with the visa document selected.
Where are Japan specs sourced?: Passport: mofa.go.jp passport photo guidance. Visa: mission-specific instructions; our catalog defaults to the common 45×45 mm square.

Other country hubs

PicsForm matches photos to published requirements. This is not legal or immigration advice and does not guarantee application approval. Always confirm current rules on the official portal.