To provide a base film for transfer printing configured to perform smoothly transfer-print on a transfer target body, and which is excellent in designability for transfer-printing.

Disclosed is the base film for transfer printing which is composed of a polyvinyl alcohol-based film, and the polyvinyl alcohol-based film satisfies the following condition (1): the minimum area (S1) of the polyvinyl alcohol-based film within 30 seconds after the film floats on the surface of 30°C water is equal to or less than 100% of the initial area (SO) of the film not floating on the water surface yet.