Electrician (Class-1 & Class-2) Exam Photo: Spec and How to Create It

Verbatim official spec

Below are the verbatim official specs from the Electrical Engineer Examination Center (ECEE) for the Class-1 and Class-2 Electrician exam application, together with the separate prefectural rules for the licence-issuance application after passing — shown in the original Japanese.

• 「縦 45mm × 横 35mm（パスポート用写真と同じ）で、ふちなしのもの。申込前６ヶ月以内に撮影したもの。無背景、正面、無帽で撮影した顔写真（肩口まで）。写真の裏面に氏名、生年月日及び試験地を記入すること。」
• 「縦4cm横3cm。正面・無帽・無背景。6ヶ月以内の撮影のもの。写真の裏面に氏名を記入して下さい。白黒、カラーは問いません。（東京都 免状交付申請）」
• 「縦4cm×横3cm。申請前6ヶ月以内に撮影されたもの。白地に紺、黒、白で統一されたもの。印画紙、光沢紙に印刷されたもの（普通紙に印刷されたものは不可）。（神奈川県 免状交付申請）」
• 「ルールを逸脱した顔写真を登録された場合、受験申込みは受理できません。（ECEE FAQ）」

Why this spec matters

The Electrician (電気工事士) is a national qualification under the Electrician Act (1960), required by anyone doing electrical wiring, lighting installations, or outlet work in homes, shops, and factories. Administered by the Electrical Engineer Examination Center (ECEE), the Class-2 attracts 100,000-120,000 candidates per year and the Class-1 another 30,000-40,000 — together roughly 160,000 annually, one of the largest engineering qualifications in Japan. Class-2 covers low-voltage work (up to 600V) in homes and small shops; Class-1 adds high-voltage demand facilities up to 500kW and requires 3 years of practical experience after passing (reduced from 5 years in the 2024 reform). Since FY2023 the written stage offers a choice between CBT and traditional paper — but the photo spec is identical either way: 45mm tall × 35mm wide, no border, taken within 6 months of application, plain background, no hat, front-facing down to the shoulders, with name / date of birth / exam site written on the reverse. Online applicants upload the JPEG directly (no print needed); postal applicants must print on photo paper. Note: this exam is distinct from the Chief Electrical Engineer exam (Denken San-shu, also run by ECEE but a separate METI-issued licence for supervisory duties) and from the Electrical Construction Management Engineer exam (Denki Seko, run by FCIP under MLIT for construction site management) — different scopes, ministries, and application systems. Finally, the spec on this page is for the exam application only; the licence-issuance application after passing uses a different spec (40mm × 30mm, with photo-paper or other requirements that vary by prefecture).

How to create it for ¥200

A spec-compliant Electrician exam application photo takes about two minutes with a smartphone and ¥200. For online applications, upload the JPEG directly; for postal applications, print on photo paper at a convenience store.

1. 1

   Take the photo on your smartphone

   Stand against a plain white or light-colored wall in a bright room. Face the camera, no hat, framed down to the shoulders, neutral expression, eyes on the lens. Clear-lens glasses are fine but watch out for fluorescent reflections on the lenses.
2. 2

   AI removes background and resizes to ECEE spec

   Upload the photo. AI removes the background, detects your face, and auto-crops to ECEE's 45mm × 35mm with no border. You get a JPEG for online application and a layout for convenience-store printing at the same time.
3. 3

   Print at a convenience store, write the three reverse entries, paste on the form

   After payment, a QR code and 8-digit user number arrive by email. Online applicants upload the JPEG directly. Postal applicants print on photo paper at 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart, etc., write name / date of birth / exam site on the reverse, and paste onto the application form — the same steps apply to Class-1, Class-2, CBT, and paper formats.

What Ramune AI ID Photo offers

Even for a tight spec like My Number, you can finish the entire shoot → process → print workflow in your browser.

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