【Where to Start?】Do I need an ID photo for an internship?

September 14, 2026 September 14, 2026

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Some students start interning as early as their first year of university.

What kinds of companies are you interested in interning for?
Internships are a great opportunity to explore various companies and industries.

In this article, we’ll cover what you need to do before applying, how to find an internship, and more!

First of all, when do internships start?
How many days do they last?

The recruitment period and duration vary depending on the company, but many companies host internships starting around June of university students' third year—before the formal job search season begins.

Short-term internships last anywhere from one day to about three weeks. The content varies from practical work experiences close to actual tasks to events that are mostly informational sessions.
Long-term internships last from a few months up to one or two years. In these cases, interns are often assigned part of the actual work and receive wages.

Recently, an increasing number of students participate in these long-term internships starting from their first or second year of university.

Let's find companies to apply for internships!

・Each company's recruitment page

If you already know which company you want to apply to, make sure to check their hiring information and recruitment pages frequently. It is also a great idea to check when internship applications opened in previous years so you can prepare early, such as getting your ID photo taken.

・Major job search websites like Mynavi and Rikunabi

Their main strength is the large number of listed companies.

Even if you haven't clearly decided on what you want to do or your target industry, these platforms are recommended because you can narrow down your choices from a vast number of companies by area, company size, compensation, benefits, and more.

https://job.mynavi.jp/

https://job.rikunabi.com/

・SNS platforms like Wantedly

Wantedly has a particularly large number of companies recruiting for long-term internships.

Instead of applying right away, you can also request an informal visit under the option "Go listen to a talk."

https://www.wantedly.com/

・Ask seniors such as alumni (OB/OG)

It is also recommended to ask seniors in your clubs or seminars who have finished their job hunting, or alumni who are already in the workforce.

If you don't have many connections with alumni, you can also use alumni networking apps such as Matcher or BizReach Campus.

For your safety, it's best to choose people based on whether they have an ID verification mark and by reading reviews from other students. Online interviews are sometimes available, so be sure to make good use of them!

https://matcher.jp/

https://br-campus.jp/

ID photos are also required for internship applications!

You will need an entry sheet (application form) to apply for internships.
And of course, an ID photo is required for the entry sheet. Therefore, it is best to prepare your ID photo before applying for internships.

During the internship application period at the beginning of your job search, writing entry sheets takes a lot of time. To focus fully on completing your entry sheets, we recommend preparing your ID photo early.

Summary

In this article, we introduced what to do before applying for an internship.

To avoid missing deadlines before you know it, it's a good idea to find the industries and companies you are interested in early on.

Also, taking ID photos for internships is surprisingly easy to forget. Once you find an internship you're interested in, taking your photo before the applications open can be a great idea.