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"I can't take time off to visit a passport office on a weekday" — a long-running frustration in Japan. As of March 2025, online passport application via MynaPortal is available nationwide.
New applications, renewals — handled from home. No paper family register needed. The hardest step is the photo upload — where many applications stall.
This article covers the photo data specifications and walks through the MynaPortal upload procedure step by step.
Have all of these ready before starting — interrupting mid-flow is frustrating.
Reset forgotten passwords ahead of time
If you've forgotten the signature certificate password or user-verification PIN, you need to reset them at your municipal counter. Discovering this mid-application means restarting — verify these before you begin.
The photo step is the most common bottleneck.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| File format | JPEG |
| Pixel dimensions | 600 × 730 |
| File size | Under 600KB |
| Color mode | RGB |
| Recency | Within 6 months |
| Background | Plain light color |
Doing all this manually is genuinely hard. Most applicants use an online service.
mynaphoto.jp outputs ready-to-upload data
Upload your phone photo to mynaphoto.jp and the parts that are hardest by hand are handled for you:
For a passport online application, shoot against a plain background such as a white wall. MynaPortal states that images with background-removal processing applied cannot be used (see below). For other documents, automatic background replacement is available.
MynaPortal checks the uploaded photo automatically. This is where most applications stall, so here are the causes and fixes.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| File won't be accepted | Format isn't JPEG (iPhone defaults to HEIC) | Convert to JPEG |
| Rejected as too large | Phone photos are typically 2–5MB | Compress to under 600KB |
| "Pixel count too small" | Below 600×730 pixels | Rebuild from the original resolution |
| Face size or position error | Face too small, or off-centre | Re-crop so the face ratio matches spec |
| Flagged as poor quality | Over-compressed, dark, or blurry | Reshoot somewhere bright |
| Flagged as out of spec | Wrong aspect ratio | Build at 600×730px, not 35×45mm |
Over-shrinking is the cause. Squeezing the file down to meet the 600KB limit pushes it below the 600×730 pixel floor.
The correct order is to crop to 600×730 pixels first, then reduce the file size. Upscaling an already-shrunken file will not restore quality — rebuild from the original photo.
Paper and online applications use different aspect ratios. MynaPortal states plainly that the online pixel size "has a different width-to-height ratio than the 35mm × 45mm used for paper applications."
A photo composed as 35×45mm (3.5:4.5) will not place the face correctly inside a 600×730px frame (roughly 3.5:4.26). Build the online version at 600×730px from the start.
This one is easy to miss. For applicants uploading their own photo, the MynaPortal FAQ states that "images with background-removal processing applied cannot be used."
For a passport online application, prepare a plain background at the time of shooting. Stand in front of a white wall or door, lit from the front so no shadow falls behind you. Background technique is covered in ID photo background removal — but for passport online applications specifically, shoot against a real plain background rather than relying on automatic replacement.
MynaPortal states that the application can continue even when the check reports an error. However, you may then be asked to submit a new photo after acceptance, which means another trip to the counter. It is more reliable to resolve it at the upload stage.
Check the official requirements if unsure
The primary sources are MynaPortal's photo specification and upload method and how to resolve face-photo check errors. Procedures can change, so verify before applying.
Once your photo data is ready, here's the application flow:
Pickup requires showing up in person — postal delivery is not currently supported.
Online application benefits compared to paper:
In-person paper application may be the better choice if:
For photo spec details see Japan Passport Photo Specifications and Home Shooting Guide. For shooting techniques see good vs bad ID photos.
Online-application-ready photo data, from one phone shot
Take the photo, upload it. Auto-output for the 600×730px, under-600KB, JPEG spec.
Create Your PhotoNote
This article is based on MOFA and MynaPortal public information current as of August 2026. Procedures may change. Please verify on MynaPortal Passport Application or MOFA — Domestic Online Application.
March 24, 2025. All Japanese prefectures now accept new applications and renewals via MynaPortal online.
A valid My Number Card, a MynaPortal-compatible smartphone, your signature certificate password (6-16 alphanumeric characters), and your user-verification certificate PIN (4 digits). For renewals, your current valid passport is also needed.
Yes — the aspect ratios are different. Paper: 4.5cm × 3.5cm. Online: 600×730 pixels, JPEG, under 600KB.
No. Online applications pull koseki information via system integration — no paper copy needed.
Common causes: the file exceeds 600KB, the image is below 600×730 pixels, the format isn't JPEG, or it was built at the paper 35×45mm aspect ratio. MynaPortal also states that images with background-removal processing applied cannot be used.
Shrinking the image to meet the 600KB limit pushes it below the 600×730 pixel floor. Crop to the pixel dimensions first, then reduce file size. Upscaling an already-shrunken file won't restore quality, so rebuild from the original photo.
MynaPortal states the application can continue even when the check reports an error. However, you may be asked to submit a new photo after acceptance, so it is more reliable to resolve it at the upload stage.
Electronically — credit card, Pay-easy, or internet banking.