A thermal transfer receiving paper has an image-recieving layer receiving a thermal melting ink on a base paper containing pulp fibers as the main component. The image-receiving layer is formed by coating or impregnating a coating composition containing a synthetic polymer resin on one surface of the base paper. The synthetic polymer resin has a glass transition point of -60 to -5 DEG C and a surface tension of 38 to 55 dyne/cm. The pulp fibers constituting the base paper preferably containes at least one unbeaten pulp fiber in an amount of 50 to 100 weight % based on the total pulp fibers, which has a degree of water retention of not higher than 125% in accordance with J. TAPPI No.26, and satisfies the following equesions 1/ &cir& and 2/ &cir& : <MATH> <MATH> where L: Length weighted mean fiber length measured in accordance with J.TAPPI No. 52 (mm) D: Mean fiber diameter ( mu m) measured by microphotography d: Mean lumen diameter ( mu m) measured by microphotography. Further it is preferred that the coating composition further contains a porous pigment having an apparent specific gravity of 0.1 to 0.5 g/cm<3> according to JIS K-6220.
