South Korea passport photo
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The requirements
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 395-431 px |
| File size | 500 KB |
| File formats | JPEG |
| Resolution | 300dpi |
| Head height, chin to crown | 32-36 mm Head length from the crown, defined as the topmost part of the head excluding the hair, down to the chin must be between 3.2 cm and 3.6 cm. A head that is clearly too short or too long can be refused at the issuing stage even when the upload passed the automatic quality check. |
| Background | Uniform white background with no ink marks and no border around the photo |
| Glasses | Allowed, as long as the eyes are fully visible with no glare and no tint. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons, and the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. |
| Ears | No |
| Photo age | 6 months |
| Also required |
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Korea follows the ICAO standard and publishes the same 35 x 45 mm print with a 32-36 mm head as Japan and Taiwan, but it measures the crown excluding the hair, so a tall hairstyle does not count towards the head length. The passport portal www.passport.go.kr is very slow and often returns an empty page to headless browsers; it answers a plain HTTPS request with a long timeout. The pixel range applies to the online re-issue service only; a counter application still takes a printed photo.
Applying in South Korea
South Korea has the most explicit editing ban we have found anywhere. Photographs corrected with editing programs or filters are not permitted, and the rule names AI-based editing, processing, compositing and generated images inside the same sentence. Most authorities forbid retouching and leave you to infer the rest. Korea closed that gap deliberately, and the photo standard carrying this wording is the October 2022 revision, so it has been in force for some time rather than arriving with the current wave of image tools.
One clause on that list matters directly for a tool like ours, and you should hear it from us. Removing the background with photo-editing software is itself a named reason for rejection, alongside a background that is not white. So for a Korean application the honest advice is to photograph against a genuinely uniform white surface, and to use our measurements to check the head height, the framing and the eye line rather than to manufacture a backdrop. We would rather say that than sell you a file that fails.
The online route is narrower than most. Re-issue through Government24 or KB Star Banking is open only to citizens who have already held an electronic passport at least once, and it excludes first-time applicants, diplomatic and official passports, emergency passports, anyone changing their Roman-letter name, and anyone who has lost two passports in five years. A ten-year 58-page adult passport cost KRW 52,000 as of September 2026, which includes a KRW 12,000 international exchange contribution.
Why photos get rejected here
The background was removed in software
Artificially removing the background with photo-editing software is listed as a fault in its own right, separately from the background not being white. The result is described as looking unnatural, which is what the reviewer is looking for.
Editing, filters, compositing or AI generation
The prohibition covers arbitrary correction through editing programs and filter functions, and names AI-based editing, processing, compositing and created works. This is broader than the usual no-retouching rule.
Head outside the range, or shot too close
The head is measured from the crown, excluding hair, to the chin, and must sit between 32 and 36. Photographing from too near enlarges the nose and forehead and hides the ears, which is named as a distortion fault.
Reflection on glasses, or a catchlight on the iris
Frames overlapping the eyes and reflections on the lenses are both refused, and so is a catchlight sitting on the outline of the iris, which makes the pupil look notched. That last one is a level of detail almost no other authority publishes.
Earphones or headphones
Earphones, headphones and wireless hands-free devices are all excluded. This one gets overlooked because they sit at the edge of the frame rather than on the face.
Teeth showing, squinting or raised eyebrows
The expression rules are itemised rather than left to the word neutral. Teeth must not show, and squinting and raised eyebrows are named alongside smiling as faults.
What helps
Photograph against a real white surface
Because software background removal is itself a named fault, an actual uniform white wall or backdrop is the lower-risk route here. Use the template on this page to check the head height and framing before you print.
Check whether you can apply online at all
Online re-issue is open only to citizens who have held an electronic passport before. First-time applicants, name changers and several other categories have to attend in person regardless of how good the photograph is.
Print on photographic paper
Prints on plain paper are rejected. Glossy or matte photographic paper at around 300 dots per inch is what the standard asks for.
Remove decorative lenses and earbuds
Cosmetic, coloured and circle contact lenses are banned, as are tinted glasses, earphones and headphones. All four are things people forget because they wear them without thinking.
Let the face rest completely
No smile, no teeth, no squint and no raised eyebrows. Korea lists these separately, so the safe expression is a genuinely relaxed one rather than a held one.
Babies and young children
Korea applies the adult rules to children, with one concession: newborns and infants up to 36 months may have the mouth slightly open. Everything else holds. No toys, no objects and no guardian may be visible in the frame, so nothing can be supporting the child in shot, and the background still has to be uniform white. The head measurement is the difficult part with a very young child, since it is taken from the crown excluding hair to the chin, and an infant's proportions make that band harder to hit than it is for an adult.
Glasses
Tinted glasses are banned outright, and clear glasses are accepted only if the frames do not overlap the eyes and the lenses carry no reflection. Korea adds a condition we have not seen elsewhere: a catchlight falling on the outline of the iris is a fault, because it makes the pupil appear notched and the pupil is what the comparison relies on. Cosmetic, coloured and circle contact lenses are also banned. Given how specific the reflection rules are, removing glasses is the straightforward answer.
Head covering
Hats, hairbands and head coverings are not accepted, with one exception: religious dress worn daily in everyday life is permitted, provided the whole face is visible from the forehead to the chin. The everyday-wear condition is the operative one, so a covering put on for the photograph does not qualify. Earrings and piercings are governed separately and must not reflect light or obscure the outline of the face. A shirt or scarf covering the neck is acceptable as long as it does not hide the face outline.
Applying online
Online re-issue is restricted to citizens who have held an electronic passport at least once, and excludes first-time applicants, diplomatic and official passports, emergency passports, anyone changing their Roman-letter name, anyone who has lost two or more passports in five years, and anyone choosing the remaining-validity option. Self-taken photographs are accepted only if they meet the standard, and the guidance discourages mobile phone photographs. We could not confirm a processing time from an official page, so none is published here.
Questions about South Korea photos
Can I use a background-replacement tool for a Korean passport photo?
We would not rely on it. Removing the background with photo-editing software is named as a fault in its own right, so the safer route is a genuinely uniform white surface behind you, with our measurements used to check the framing and head height.
Are AI-edited photos allowed?
No. The rule names AI-based editing, processing, compositing and generated works explicitly, alongside ordinary editing programs and filters. It is the most direct wording on this subject we have read from any passport authority.
Can I renew my Korean passport online?
Only if you have held an electronic passport at least once. First-time applicants, people changing their Roman-letter name, and anyone who has lost two passports within five years must attend in person, among other excluded categories.
Can I print the photo on ordinary paper?
No. Prints on plain paper are rejected. The standard asks for photographic paper, glossy or matte, at around 300 dots per inch.
Can I wear circle or coloured contact lenses?
No. Cosmetic, coloured and circle lenses are banned, as are tinted glasses. Korea also rejects a catchlight sitting on the outline of the iris, which shows how closely the pupil is examined.
What is the international exchange contribution on a Korean passport?
A KRW 12,000 component of the fee rather than a separate payment. A ten-year 58-page adult passport was KRW 52,000 as of September 2026, made up of a KRW 40,000 issue fee and that contribution. A 26-page book was KRW 49,000.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
- Passport photo standard guide (yeogwon sajin gyugyeok annae)checked September 2, 2026
- Guide to photo files for online applications (online yong sajin pail annae)checked September 2, 2026
Reviewed by Editorial teamHow we check our numbers