For Japanese passports
Japanese Passport Photo Requirements in Montreal
Renewing your Japanese passport at the consulate in Montreal? The photo is the easy part once you know the one measurement that matters: your face. Here is what Japan asks for, and the shortcut the Montreal consulate allows.
A Japanese passport photo is 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, with your face measuring 34 mm (plus or minus 2 mm) from the top of the head to the chin, on a plain background (white is recommended), taken in the last six months. At the Consulate-General of Japan in Montreal you hand in one photo, and a photo in the Canadian passport size is also accepted, as long as the face is the right size. Below are the official rules, what they look like, and the small details around the eyes that get Japanese photos sent back.
Japanese Passport Photo Size: 45 x 35 mm
A Japanese passport photo is 45 mm high and 35 mm wide, with no border. That is about the size of a large postage stamp, and the same outer size as most European passport photos.
The number that really counts is the face. From the top of your head to the bottom of your chin, it must measure 34 mm, give or take 2 mm. The official layout also leaves about 4 mm of space above the head and about 7 mm below the chin, with the face centred.
Got a lot of hair, or a high bun? The rules have an answer: the top of the head is counted at the same distance above the eyes as the eyes are from the chin, so volume on top does not push your face out of size.
Japanese Passport Photo Face Size, to Scale
Correct: 45 x 35 mm, face 34 mm ± 2 from the top of the head to the chin.
Too small: the same 45 x 35 mm print, but the face measures only 26 mm.
Can You Use a Canadian Passport Photo for a Japanese Passport?
Yes, at the Montreal consulate. A photo in the Canadian passport size is also accepted there. That is good news if you hold both passports, or already have a recent Canadian photo from the last six months.
Two rules come with it. Do not trim the photo and do not glue it to the form: consular staff cut it to size themselves. And the face still has to measure about 34 mm. A Canadian passport photo allows a face between 31 and 36 mm, so a face at the small end of that range is too small for Japan.
The simplest route is to say the photo is for a Japanese passport when you come in. We frame it for the Japanese face size from the start.
Japanese Passport Photo Specifications at a Glance
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 45 mm high x 35 mm wide, no border |
| Face size | 34 mm ± 2 mm from the top of the head to the chin |
| Space above the head | About 4 mm (± 2 mm) |
| Space below the chin | About 7 mm (± 2 mm) |
| Canadian passport size | Also accepted at the Montreal consulate; do not trim it yourself |
| Number of photos (Montreal) | One, loose, not glued to the form |
| Recency | Taken in the last 6 months |
| Background | Plain, no shadows; white recommended, pale blue or grey accepted, no gradient |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth corners not raised, facing straight ahead, no tilt |
| Eyes | Nothing around the eyes: no hair, frames, glare, or shadows from false lashes or extensions |
| Contact lenses | No coloured or circle lenses |
| Glasses | Removing them is recommended; never tinted, no reflections |
| Head coverings | Only for religious or medical reasons, with the outline of the face visible |
| Editing | No retouching, no mirror-flipped image |
| Back of the photo | Applicant's name, written without pressing through |
Japanese Passport Photo Rules for Eyes, Glasses and Expression
Japanese passport photos look closely at the eyes. The area around them has to be completely clear: no strands of hair, no glasses frames crossing the eyes, no glare on the lenses, and no shadow from false eyelashes or lash extensions. If you wear extensions, keep them out of the light that day or expect to be asked about the photo.
Coloured or circle contact lenses, the kind that make the iris look bigger, are not allowed. Neither is red-eye from a flash.
The official advice is to take your glasses off for the photo. If you keep them on, they cannot be tinted, and there can be no reflection or shadow on the lenses.
Keep a neutral face. A smile that lifts the corners of the mouth is enough to refuse the photo, and so is a slight tilt of the head. Your face, ears and the outline of your jaw should all be easy to see, so tuck long hair behind your shoulders.
Japanese Passport Photo Examples: Acceptable vs. Unacceptable
Acceptable: neutral expression, eyes clear, outline of the face visible, plain white background.
Unacceptable: hair falling across one eye, a shadow on the background, and a white top that blends into it.
Baby and Child Japanese Passport Photos
A baby's Japanese passport photo follows one rule that catches parents off guard: the eyes must be open. A sleeping newborn will not do, so plan the visit for a time when your little one is usually awake.
No part of the person holding the baby can show in the photo, not even a hand. A baby who cannot sit up yet can lie on a plain white sheet and be photographed from above. Keep movement in mind too: a blurred face is refused.
Children under 18 get a five-year passport. In Montreal, children aged 6 and over sign the application form themselves, and the child must come along to pick up the new passport.
Digital Japanese Passport Photo for an Online Application
Japanese citizens living abroad can also apply online, through the overseas residency registration system and the official passport app. You can take the photo in the app, or upload a photo taken by a studio.
An uploaded studio photo must be a JPG, JPEG, BMP or PNG file between 20 KB and 2 MB. All the rules for printed photos still apply: face size, plain background, clear eyes, no editing.
If you plan to apply online, ask for the digital file when you come in and mention it is for a Japanese passport.
Why Japanese Passport Photos Get Rejected
• The face is smaller than 32 mm or larger than 36 mm
• Hair, glasses frames or glare covering part of the eyes
• Shadows from false lashes or lash extensions
• Coloured or circle contact lenses
• A smile that lifts the corners of the mouth, or a tilted head
• A shadow on the face or the background
• A background too dark, or too close to the colour of your hair
• Retouched skin, enlarged eyes or a mirror-flipped selfie
• A photo older than six months
• A photo trimmed or glued to the form before you hand it in
When a photo does not meet the rules, the official instruction is simple: you will be asked to have it taken again.
Where to Get Japanese Passport Photos in Montreal
Japanese passport photos are part of our international passport photo service at our Jean-Talon studio. We shoot on a plain white background, check that the face measures 34 mm, and print at 45 x 35 mm, or give you the digital file for an online application. No appointment is needed, and photos are usually ready in about 15 minutes. If your photo is turned down, we reshoot it free. Current prices are on our international passport photo service page.
Related Services and Guides
Japanese passport photos are part of our international passport and visa photo service. Bringing a baby for a first passport? See our baby and child passport photo service. Want extra prints for family back in Japan? Our photo printing service handles them in studio. Holding two passports? Compare formats in our guide to international passport and visa photo sizes by country, or read the Canadian passport photo requirements.
Official Resources
Rules can change, so check the official pages before you apply: the consular services page of the Consulate-General of Japan in Montreal, its checklists for a 10-year passport (18 and over) and a 5-year passport (under 18), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan passport photo standards (in Japanese) with its illustrated photo notice (PDF, in Japanese), and the rules for photos in online applications (in Japanese).
Pro Tips
- 1Say the photo is for a Japanese passport, so the face is framed at 34 mm, not at the Canadian size.
- 2Take your glasses off and keep hair well away from your eyes.
- 3Skip false lashes or tinted contact lenses on photo day.
- 4Keep a neutral face: even a small smile that lifts the corners of the mouth can get the photo refused.
- 5Hand the photo in loose: do not trim it or glue it to the form.
- 6For a baby, come when they are usually awake, because the eyes must be open.
- 7Applying online? Ask for the digital file; it must be between 20 KB and 2 MB.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need Japanese Passport Photos in Montreal?
Come to our Jean-Talon studio for a Japanese passport photo with the face measured to size, as a print or a digital file for your online application. No appointment needed.