head 71–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea — passport portal
Verified
Quick answer: A South Korea passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Strictly white background. Head occupies 71–80% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 71–80% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Strictly white background. Make photo background white — South Korea passport → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No digital enhancement or retouching. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; face and shoulder line must be clearly defined. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs states the passport photo on its passport portal (revised October 2022, in Korean), following ICAO: a colour photo of the upper body from the front, without a hat, taken within six months before the application date, showing the holder as they are — edited photos are not allowed, including any edited, processed, synthesised or created with AI and any filter or photo-editing program. The size is 3.5 cm wide × 4.5 cm high with the head 3.2–3.6 cm from the crown (hair excluded) to the chin; for online applications 413 × 531 pixels is recommended, and the print must still give a head of 3.2–3.6 cm.
The background is uniform, ink-free white, with no border, and a photo whose background was removed or replaced with software is refused; no other people or objects. The print is on photo paper (glossy or matte), sharp, 300 dpi recommended, never on ordinary paper, with no creases or stains, no shadows or reflections and the natural skin tone.
The head is centred, the face and shoulders to the front, the mouth closed with no teeth visible, no smile or raised eyebrows, hair must not cover the eyes, eyebrows or facial outline. Cosmetic, coloured or circle lenses, tinted glasses and sunglasses are not allowed; glasses must not reflect light or cover the eyes; hats, headbands and coverings are out except religious clothing worn daily with the whole face visible; earphones and headphones are not allowed. Infants meet the same criteria, but newborns and children up to 36 months may have the mouth slightly open.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for South Korea passport applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea — passport portal publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo edited with software, a filter or AI, or a background removed or replaced | Use an original photo against a real plain white background. |
| A head outside 3.2–3.6 cm, or a close-up that distorts the face | Frame the head at 3.2–3.6 cm in a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo from a normal distance. |
| A background that is not white, shadows, or uneven lighting | Use an ink-free uniform white background and even light. |
| Teeth visible, a smile, hair over the eyes or face outline, a head tilted forward | Neutral expression, mouth closed, hair off the face, head straight. |
| Coloured or circle lenses, sunglasses, glare on glasses, a hat, headband or earphones | Remove them; glasses only without glare and with the eyes visible. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 71–80 % of the photo height (32–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Korean passport is applied for at a passport office in Korea or at a Korean embassy or consulate abroad, or reissued online with a photo file of the online specification; a photo printed on photographic paper is handed in at the office.
passport.go.kr — passport photos and the online photo checker
Print 3.5 × 4.5 cm, head 3.2–3.6 cm; online file 413 × 531 pixels recommended.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea — passport portal |
|---|---|
| Source | Korean passport photo standard |
| Verified |
Questions
A colour upper-body photo from the front taken within six months, 3.5 × 4.5 cm with the head 3.2–3.6 cm, on a uniform white background without border, printed on photo paper, unedited (no filters or AI), neutral expression with the mouth closed and no teeth, no coloured lenses or sunglasses, no hat.
3.5 cm wide × 4.5 cm high with the head from crown to chin 3.2–3.6 cm; for the online application 413 × 531 pixels is recommended.
No: photos edited with software or filters, including AI edits, and photos with the background removed or replaced are not accepted.
Yes if there is no reflection on the lenses and the frames do not cover the eyes; coloured or tinted lenses, circle lenses and sunglasses are not allowed.
The South Korea passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 71–80% of the photo height.
Strictly white background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat white wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the South Korea biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the South Korea authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: ID card, residence permit.