Changed Your Hairstyle or Took Your Photo a Year Ago? Should You Retake Your ID Photo for Job Hunting?

Job-Hunting ID Photos #Job-Hunting ID Photo #ID Photo #Resume #Hairstyle & Hair Color #Job Hunting

July 29, 2022November 9, 2026 Chiharu

A person looking worried while thinking about their ID photo

More and more companies in Japan now start their internships early, so job hunting (shukatsu) is said to be getting longer and longer.
Can you still use the ID photo you took a year ago for an internship application?
You got a big haircut to refresh yourself during your job search. Is it okay to attach a photo from before the haircut to your entry sheet (the application form that many Japanese companies require)?
If you are wondering about things like this, please read on!

If your overall look has changed a lot, retake your photo
To be safe, use a photo taken within the last 3 months
Small changes don't require a retake! Hair color can be retouched
Summary

If your overall look has changed a lot, retake your photo

An ID photo that no longer matches your look

As we explained in a previous article, the main purpose of an ID photo is identity verification.

It is important that the interviewer can tell at a glance that the person in the photo on your entry sheet and the person who showed up for the interview are the same.
If you have had a big haircut or changed your hair color dramatically, your overall impression will be very different, so we recommend retaking your photo.

Also, if the photo you have was taken more than six months ago, you should retake it as well.

We explain the reason in the next section.

To be safe, use a photo taken within the last 3 months

For official ID such as a driver's license, a passport, or a My Number Card (Japan's national ID card), the photo must have been taken within the last 6 months.

In the same way, some companies specify that the photo for a job application must be taken within a certain number of months.

The reason is that your appearance may have changed since the photo was taken. Weight gain or loss and a new hairstyle can easily change how you look.

To avoid a gap between the photo and the person who actually appears, ID photos often come with a time limit.

Also, the 6-month limit for official ID is only the maximum. Some companies ask for a photo taken within the last 3 months, so it is safest to assume that an ID photo is usable for up to 3 months.

Small changes don't require a retake! Hair color can be retouched

・Your ID photo shows a single ponytail, but you want to wear a half-up style to the interview.
・Your hair was too short to tie back when the photo was taken, but it has grown, and you would like to tie it back for the interview.

For hairstyle changes like these, you generally don't need to retake your photo. However, if it still bothers you, we recommend retaking it so you can go into your interview with peace of mind.

Many people also worry about hair color.

・You made your hair darker after taking your ID photo.
・You dyed your hair black, but it looked unnatural, so you re-dyed it to a more natural shade.

In cases like these, it may be possible to change your hair color through retouching. It is a good idea to ask the photo studio that takes your ID photo.

Summary

In this article, we explained when to retake your ID photo. The key role of an ID photo is identity verification. If your appearance has changed a lot, we recommend taking a new one.

At 19Studio, hair color retouching is available at no extra charge. If you don't have time to go dye your hair but want to take your ID photo with darker hair, please feel free to talk to us!

Chiharu: Loves writing articles and is studying copywritingI love writing and I'm currently studying copywriting. I turn the questions our guests often ask and the things I notice in the studio into easy-to-read articles about job-hunting and ID photos, so that even first-timers can understand them.