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The face photo you submit to renew or reissue a Japanese residence card (在留カード) has to meet a specification set by the Immigration Services Agency. The most common question is about background colour — and the specification does not actually name one.
What it requires is 「背景（影を含む。）がないもの」 — no background, shadows included. This guide works through size, background and editing rules from the Immigration Services Agency photo specification.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Size | 40mm tall × 30mm wide (4cm × 3cm) |
| Face size | Crown of head (including hair) to tip of chin, within the specified range |
| Recency | Taken within 6 months before submission |
| Background | No background, shadows included |
| Headwear | No hat, facing front |
| Reverse | Name written on the back (unless printed onto the form) |
Source: Immigration Services Agency — photo specification (verified 18 August 2026)
Different size from the My Number Card
The residence card photo is 40 × 30mm; the My Number Card photo is 45 × 35mm. Despite both being "ID photos", the dimensions differ — a file built for one cannot be submitted for the other without rebuilding it.
People search for a residence card background colour, but the specification does not prescribe one.
The requirement is that there is no background, shadows included. Two things follow:
So in practice, a plain, light wall — white or light grey — with no shadow meets the requirement. Dark walls are best avoided, because a shadow becomes hard to distinguish from the wall itself.
The residence card specification is unusually strict about image editing.
The Immigration Services Agency states that using image processing to enlarge the eyes, whiten the skin, or correct facial features, moles or wrinkles — anything that changes the person's image — is inappropriate in any case. Horizontally flipped photos are also rejected.
Background replacement carries the same risk
Compositing or swapping the background afterwards may also be treated as editing. For a residence card application, prepare a plain background at the time of shooting. Which documents do and do not permit skin correction is covered in is ID photo skin retouching allowed in Japan?.
The specification lists defects including:
All share one cause: the features of the face cannot be identified clearly. Because the photo exists for identity verification, accurate recognition outranks how flattering the image is.
The 4:3 ratio is shared with the Japanese resume photo (40 × 30mm) — but because the receiving authority differs, check the editing rules separately for each.
Residence card photo from your phone
Upload a phone photo and it is adjusted automatically to the 40 × 30mm specification.
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This article reflects the Immigration Services Agency photo specification as of 18 August 2026. Specifications can change — always verify on the Immigration Services Agency site before applying.
The Immigration Services Agency specification does not name a colour. What it requires is 「背景（影を含む。）がないもの」 — no background, shadows included. In practice, shooting against a plain white or light grey wall with no shadow behind you satisfies it.
40mm tall × 30mm wide (4cm × 3cm). The distance from the crown of the head, including hair, to the tip of the chin must fall within the specified range. This is a different size from the My Number Card's 45 × 35mm.
No. The Immigration Services Agency states that image processing to enlarge the eyes, whiten skin, or correct facial features, moles or wrinkles — anything that changes the person's image — is inappropriate in any case. Horizontally flipped photos are also rejected.
Taken within the six months before the date of submission. You cannot reuse the photo from your previous renewal.
Your name. Unless the photo is printed directly onto the application form, the specification requires your name written on the reverse.
The size is the same at 40 × 30mm, but the card type and application procedure differ. For the card that merges the residence card with the My Number Card, see the dedicated guide.