South Korea Passport Photo Requirements
South Korea uses the 35 × 45 mm passport photo with a white background and a tightly specified head length: 32–36 mm (3.2–3.6 cm) from the top of the head, measured excluding the hair, to the chin. The official guidance also bans removing or replacing the background with editing software and recommends a 413 × 531 pixel file for online applications. Verified against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs passport guidance at passport.go.kr, 2026-09-30.
The requirements at a glance
| Size | 35 × 45 mm (3.5 cm wide × 4.5 cm tall) |
| Head length | 32–36 mm (3.2–3.6 cm), measured from the top of the head (excluding hair) to the chin |
| Background | White |
| Digital file (online) | Recommended 413 × 531 pixels |
| Editing | Not permitted — no retouching and no artificial background removal |
| Hair | Must not cover the face outline (cheekbones, cheeks) |
| Glasses | Allowed, but there must be no reflection on the lenses |
| Pose | Face shown straight on; framing that distorts or over-enlarges the face is a listed failure |
| Photo age / validity | Not published — do not assume a period |
Size and head length
The photo is 3.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm tall, which is 35 × 45 mm — the same continental European format used by many countries, and not the US 2 × 2 inch square. The head length must be between 3.2 cm and 3.6 cm, that is 32–36 mm.
Read the measurement carefully. The head length runs from the top of the head to the chin, and the Korean wording measures the top of the head excluding the hair. Tall hair, a bun or a style that sits above the crown therefore does not count towards the 32–36 mm; only the skull itself does. A head length outside that range is one of the failures the official guidance names by name, so it is worth measuring before you submit rather than after.
Background
The background must be white. A photo whose background is not white is one of the listed failures. This is stricter than a general "plain light background" rule: for Korea it is specifically white, and the framing has to support it, so avoid clothing that blends into the background. For general clean-up advice, see the passport photo backgrounds guide.
No editing — the rule people miss
Korea's guidance specifically prohibits using photo-editing software (it names Photoshop as an example) to artificially remove or replace the background. Editing tricks that "fix" a bad background are exactly what the rule is aimed at, because the photo has to genuinely represent you and the setting. The safe approach is to shoot against a real white background and leave the file untouched. Our photo editing rules guide explains what counts as editing, and the ICAO 9303 guide sets out the international standard the rules are built on.
Pose, hair and glasses
Your hair must not cover the outline of your face, for example the cheekbones or cheeks — the face shape has to be clearly readable. If you wear glasses, there must be no light reflection on the lenses; glare is one of the named causes of rejection, and the usual fix is to move or diffuse the light or to remove the glasses for the shot. Framing also matters: a close-up taken too near the subject distorts the face and is a listed failure. For more, see the glasses guide and the head coverings guide if a religious or medical covering applies.
Online applications and the digital file
For an online passport application, the recommended digital photo is 413 × 531 pixels, which corresponds to the 35 × 45 mm format at 300 DPI. That pixel size is the figure to target if you are preparing the image yourself rather than having it taken at a studio. The official page retrieved for this guide does not publish a file-size or format limit, so none is stated here — check the current application page. Our digital file requirements guide covers formats and sizes, and the passport photo checker can help you confirm the framing.
What is not published
Two things are deliberately left open here rather than guessed at. The official guidance does not publish a photo validity period — how old the photo may be — so no figure is given: not published — do not assume a six-month rule or anything else. It also does not publish a separate DPI requirement: the 413 × 531 pixel recommendation is the published digital figure, and 300 DPI is only the arithmetic that connects it to 35 × 45 mm, not an official value.
The failures the guidance names
- A head length outside 32–36 mm, or measured to the top of the hair rather than the top of the head.
- A background that is not white.
- Using editing software to remove or replace the background.
- Light reflection on the lenses of glasses.
- Hair covering the cheekbones, cheeks or another part of the face outline.
- A framing that distorts or over-enlarges the face.
Korea is one of several countries with a dedicated rules page in our country-rules family; the dedicated guide is South Korea passport photo rules. For sizes by country see photo sizes, including the nearby format for Taiwan, and to avoid the usual causes of a re-shoot see the rejection reasons guide.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a South Korean passport photo?
35 × 45 mm, that is 3.5 cm wide by 4.5 cm tall. For online applications the recommended digital file is 413 × 531 pixels.
How long must the head be?
The head length must be between 3.2 cm and 3.6 cm (32–36 mm), measured from the top of the head to the chin. The top of the head is measured excluding the hair, so hair above the crown does not count towards the head length.
What background colour is required?
White. A background that is not white is one of the failures the official guidance names.
Can I edit the photo or remove the background?
No. The guidance prohibits using photo-editing software (it names Photoshop as an example) to artificially remove or replace the background. The photo must show you as you actually look.
Can I wear glasses?
Glasses are allowed, but there must be no light reflection on the lenses. Glare on the glasses is one of the listed reasons a photo fails.
Can my hair cover part of my face?
No. Your hair must not cover the face outline, such as the cheekbones or cheeks.
How old can the passport photo be?
Not published — do not assume a validity period. The official page retrieved for this guide does not state how old the photo may be, so confirm it on the official page before you apply.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Republic of Korea) — passport guidance "Yeogwon sajin" (passport photo), passport.go.kr (menuPos=32), retrieved 2026-09-30. Requirements can change, so confirm them on the official page before you apply.