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South Korea photo specifications

Photo sizes and rules for 3 documents issued in South Korea, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.

Based on 6 official sources ยท last checked Official sources

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At a glance

South Korea uses one photo size, 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm), for its three main documents: the Korean passport, Korean visas and foreigner registration (the ARC). All three want a white background and a photo taken within 6 months, but the head size differs: 3.2 to 3.6 cm for passports, 2.5 to 3.5 cm for the ARC, and no published figure for visas.

Overview

A South Korean passport photo is 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm) on an even white background, with the head 32 to 36 mm from the top of the skull, hair excluded, to the chin; for online re-issue it is a JPG or JPEG of 500 KB or less, with 413 x 531 pixels recommended.

Two ministries set the rules. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues passports to Korean nationals through passport offices in Korea and missions abroad, and its standard is the most detailed, with a head size of 3.2 to 3.6 cm and a ban on edited backgrounds. The Ministry of Justice handles both visas and foreigner registration. Its visa form asks for a 35 mm x 45 mm colour photo on a white or off-white background, and its registration standard asks for a white background, a face of 2.5 to 3.5 cm and both ears visible.

How the photo is handed in varies. Passports take a print at the counter or a 413 x 531 pixel file for online re-issue, and many embassies photograph applicants themselves. Visa applications take a print glued to the form, or a digital photo for the e-Visa, while K-ETA, for visa-free visitors, takes a colour JPG of up to 20 MB. Foreigner registration is done in person with one print.

Photo specifications by document

Passports

South Korea Passports
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Passport35 ร— 45 mm431 ร— 550 pxEven white, with no ink marks and no border

Visas and travel authorisations

South Korea Visas and travel authorisations
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Visa35 ร— 45 mmโ€”White or off-white

Residence and work permits

South Korea Residence and work permits
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Alien registration35 ร— 45 mmโ€”White, plain, with no border

Frequently asked questions

Yes, both are 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm). The passport rules add a head size of 3.2 to 3.6 cm and require a white background, while the visa form accepts white or off-white and gives no head size. Foreigner registration uses the same 3.5 x 4.5 cm size too.

Online passport re-issue on Government24, KB Star Banking or Overseas Koreans 365 takes a JPG of about 413 x 531 pixels, up to 500 KB. The e-Visa on the Korea Visa Portal takes a digital photo at 3.5 x 4.5 cm, and K-ETA takes a colour JPG of up to 20 MB. Foreigner registration needs a printed photo.

Often, if it meets the stricter points of both. Use a white background, keep both ears visible for the ARC, and make sure the face measures 2.5 to 3.5 cm from crown to chin. Photos modified with Photoshop or similar software are refused for registration, and each application wants a photo under 6 months old.

Yes for passports and foreigner registration, which both ask for white. The visa application form allows white or off-white. The passport rules also refuse a background removed or replaced with editing software, so take the photo against a real white backdrop.

Nearby countries

Other countries in Eastern Asia:

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. Passport photo standard (์—ฌ๊ถŒ ์‚ฌ์ง„) passport.go.kr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. Photo files for online applications (์˜จ๋ผ์ธ์šฉ ์‚ฌ์ง„ํŒŒ์ผ ์•ˆ๋‚ด) passport.go.kr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea (Korea Visa Portal). Visa Application Form (Form No. 17, PDF) visa.go.kr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea (K-ETA). K-ETA FAQ, questions 16 to 25 (face photo: Q22, Q23) k-eta.go.kr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  5. Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice. Information on photo size for foreigner registration (์™ธ๊ตญ์ธ๋“ฑ๋ก์šฉ ์‚ฌ์ง„๊ทœ๊ฒฉ ์•ˆ๋‚ด) immigration.go.kr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  6. HiKorea, Ministry of Justice. Foreigner registration (์™ธ๊ตญ์ธ๋“ฑ๋ก) hikorea.go.kr. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page

"South Korea photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/south-korea

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