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Japanese Residence Status Application Photo (在留資格, 40 x 30 mm): size and requirements

The Japanese Residence Status Application Photo size is 30 x 40 mm (1.18 x 1.57 inches). 背景 （影を含む。）がないもの (no colour is named; a plain light background is our rendering choice, and a dark background that hides the outline is listed as a fault); head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against 出入国在留管理庁 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice), '提出写真の規格'.

For the 40 x 30 mm photo attached to residence-related applications ('各種申請') at the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁); the Agency's photo page does not list the individual procedures, so check your procedure page for whether a photo is required. Not for a Japanese passport, a My Number Card or a visa applied for at a Japanese mission.

Make this photo for $6.99Read the full rules
Mount Fuji across Lake Yamanaka with a small wooden pier
VerifiedRead from the official page and translated by usLast checked 2026-10-07出入国在留管理庁 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice), '提出写真の規格'

Requirements at a glance

Size
30 x 40 mm (1.18 x 1.57 inches)
Head height
Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (縦４センチメートル、横３センチメートル; 縁を除いた部分の寸法が、左記図画面の各寸法を満たしたもの （顔の寸法は、頭頂部（髪を含む。）からあご先まで） (figures are in the diagram image only; ICAO Doc 9303 crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent applied))
Background
背景 （影を含む。）がないもの (no colour is named; a plain light background is our rendering choice, and a dark background that hides the outline is listed as a fault)
Expression
Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
Glasses
Allowed without glare or tint
Head covering
Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
Photo age
Taken within the last 6 months
Prints needed
1
We deliver
709 x 945 px (600 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet

What trips people up

  • Check
    The frame is 40 mm high by 30 mm wide, smaller than the 45 x 35 mm passport photo, and the ISA measures the head from the top of the hair, not the skull: '顔の寸法は、頭頂部（髪を含む。）からあご先まで'. The actual millimetre band is only in the Agency's diagram image.
  • Check
    Only the applicant in frame, hatless and facing forward, no background or shadow, sharp, taken within six months of submission, with the name written on the back unless the photo is printed directly into the photo box of the application form (check the procedure page first).
  • Check
    Glasses frames over the eyes, very thick frames, reflections, a mask or a fringe hiding the eyes are listed as faults; a cloth covering is acceptable if the face is clearly visible, and for religious or medical reasons the ISA asks for a written statement in any format.
  • Check
    Image processing that changes your appearance (enlarged eyes, skin whitening, corrected features, moles or wrinkles) is 'いかなる場合でも不適当', and mirror-flipped photos are rejected.
  • Check
    An unsuitable photo means a retake request ('写真の撮り直しをお願いすることとなります') and a delayed application.

Good to know before you pay

Where the procedure page allows the photo to be printed directly into the form's photo box, you can print our file there and skip a separate photo print.

Source and verification

VerifiedLast checked 2026-10-07出入国在留管理庁 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice), '提出写真の規格'

Read from the official page and translated by us. Last checked 2026-10-07 (archived copy dated 2024-09-12) at 出入国在留管理庁 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice), '提出写真の規格'.

  • 各種申請に際し提出していただく写真は、次のとおりです。
  • 縦４センチメートル、横３センチメートル
  • 申請人本人のみが撮影されたもの
  • 縁を除いた部分の寸法が、左記図画面の各寸法を満たしたもの
  • （顔の寸法は、頭頂部（髪を含む。）からあご先まで）
  • 無帽で正面を向いたもの
  • 背景 （影を含む。）がないもの
  • 鮮明であるもの
  • 提出の日前６か月以内に撮影されたもの
  • 裏面に氏名が記載されたもの（写真を直接申請書の写真添付欄に印刷して提出する場合を除く（注））
  • なお、指定の規格を満たさない不適当な写真を用いて申請が行われた場合には、写真の撮り直しをお願いすることとなります。
  • （注）布等で覆われていても、顔が鮮明に写っているものであれば差し支えありません。 なお、宗教上又は医療上の理由により布等で顔を覆う場合は、陳述書（任意様式）のご提出をお願いいたします。
  • ※その他、画像加工・画像処理により、目を大きく見せたり、美白処理、顔パーツやほくろ、しわなどを修正するなどして、本人のイメージを変えることは、いかなる場合でも不適当です。
  • また、左右反転した写真は不適当です。
  • The crown-to-chin portion of the facial image shall be 70 to 80 per cent of the longest dimension defined for Zone V, maintaining the aspect ratio between the crown-to-chin and ear-to-ear details of the face of the holder.

Quotes 1-14 are Japanese, from the ISA page at source.url, read directly after two redirects from https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/guide/photo_info.html (sources/jp/moj-isa-photo-info.txt); full-width digits (４, ６, ３) are kept as on the page; quotes 13 and 14 are the two consecutive sentences of one ※ paragraph, split to keep each quote short. Quote 15 is ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/, Wayback 2024-09-12), supplying the head fraction because the ISA's millimetre figures exist only in its diagram image (flagged in statedAs). background 'light' is our rendering choice for '背景がないもの'. glasses 'allowed-no-glare' follows the frame/reflection faults. headCovering 'religious-medical-only' follows the statement requirement; the page also tolerates any cloth that leaves the face clearly visible. neutralExpression true follows '平常の表情と著しく異なる' being a fault; mouthClosed true is an ICAO-style default not stated on the page. editing 'unaltered-required' follows the image-processing ban. The scope names no individual procedures because the page says only '各種申請'. dpi 600 is our rendering choice. eligibility.officialWording joins the page's first five consecutive specification lines with spaces for the validator's word count.

We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.

Frequently asked questions

Woman taking a selfie with her phone in front of a bright outdoor wall
A plain wall and daylight are enough.