South Korea passport photo requirements are straightforward but specific — wrong dimensions or wearing sunglasses can lead to rejection. The Korean government requires a clean front view on a white background, and your photo must be taken within the last six months. This guide covers everything you need to know and shows how PicToPassport helps you create a compliant photo for free.
Why South Korean passport photos fail review
The Korean Passport Service specifies a face of 25 mm × 35 mm from chin to top of head inside a 35 mm × 45 mm photo, on plain white for a passport. Images that frame the face off-spec, sit on a colored backdrop or show altered features are turned away, leaving you to arrange another print and rejoin the queue. Confirm the face box against the table first.
South Korean passport photo size and face area
The standard South Korean passport and visa photo size is 35 mm wide × 45 mm tall. The face from chin to top of head should measure approximately 25 × 35 mm. Both passport and visa use the same dimensions, so one photo size fits all applications. Always verify with the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs before submitting.
Pale or white backgrounds for South Korean photos
A plain white background is required for South Korean passport photos. For visa photos, a pale colour or white background is accepted. The background must be free of patterns, shadows, and objects. Lighting should be even across the face, with no harsh shadows behind the head or on the face. Natural daylight works best.
Shooting somewhere you do not control? Cut the original backdrop out afterwards: Background Eraser
South Korean passport photos need a front-facing pose
Korea requires a full-face front view: eyes open and visible, head upright, gaze fixed on the lens, with no turn to the left or right. Sunglasses are refused on every application, and hats or headgear are refused outright for the passport, where only religious dress earns an exception on the visa. A visa photo must also show normal day-to-day attire — uniforms are rejected — and retouching that changes your image invalidates the print before an officer ever measures it.
Glasses rules for South Korean passport and visa photos
Sunglasses are not allowed in South Korean passport photos. No specific mention of prescription glasses in the official rules, but they should be transparent with no reflections. Hats and headgear are not allowed for passport applications. For visa photos, head coverings are permitted for religious reasons only. No uniforms are accepted.
Face 25 by 35 mm in a South Korean photo
Measurement in Korea works chin to top of head: the face should sit at 25 mm × 35 mm inside the 35 mm × 45 mm sheet. Leave almost no gap above the crown and keep equal margins at both sides, because an oversized crop that clips the hairline fails as surely as one drowning the face in white space. Centre the head, keep the background shadow-free, and remember the same frame carries visa and alien registration submissions.
Taken within the last 6 months for a Korean passport
A six-month ceiling governs Korean photos, covering passport and visa alike: anything older than six months is refused regardless of how little you have changed. Prints pulled from a previous application rarely survive that test, and a beard, a new hairstyle or tinted lenses widen the gap between picture and person. Have the frame taken shortly before you file, keep the digital file, and reprint rather than recycle an old studio photograph.
How many copies: two for a Korean passport, one visa
South Korean passport applications require 2 photos, while visa applications require 1 photo. When you use PicToPassport, you receive a digital file sized exactly for the 35 × 45 mm format plus a print-friendly layout with multiple copies on a single page. The digital file can be uploaded directly or taken to a photo shop for professional printing.
Printing them yourself? Lay the whole set out on one sheet: 4x6 Passport Photo Print Sheet
Face-size mistakes Korean applicants should avoid
The most frequent reasons for rejection are wearing sunglasses, using a non-white background for passport photos, and photos older than six months. Other issues include head tilting, non-front view, wearing uniforms in visa photos, and retouching that changes your appearance. Always check the South Korea passport photo requirements before submitting.
South Korean newborn photo advice
Korean guidance sets no separate infant rule, so the baby is measured against the same 35 mm × 45 mm sheet and 25 mm × 35 mm face window used for adults. Place the child on a plain white sheet and shoot from above in even daylight, keeping toys, hands and pacifiers outside the border. Take a burst of frames and choose one where both eyes are open, the head is straight, and no shadow falls behind the head.
A studio sitting rarely works with a newborn, and an infant-specific tool keeps the crop inside spec: Baby Passport Photo Maker
PicToPassport walks you through South Korean photo rules
PicToPassport outputs a 35 mm × 45 mm photo for a Korean passport, visa or alien registration, setting the face at 25 mm × 35 mm from chin to top of head. The passport background is plain white, the visa background a pale colour or white, and the view is full-face from the front with no sunglasses. Everything runs free in your browser, and the result is print-ready: 2 photos for a passport, 1 for a visa, uploaded nowhere; nothing leaves your device.
Make South Korean passport photos from your couch
The Korean Passport Service charges ₩52,000 for the 10-year adult 58-page passport (rates from 1 March 2026) and allows about 8 days for issuance. Print your 2 photos well before then: PicToPassport fits the frame to 35 mm × 45 mm, keeps the plain white passport background, and runs free and private in your browser with nothing leaving your device.
