# South Korea Passport Photo Maker, 35x45 mm

Country: South Korea

Document: Passport

Page language: en

Page: [South Korea Passport Photo Maker, 35x45 mm](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/kr/passport/)

Requirements last verified: 2026-01-25

## Photo specifications

These are document-specific values from the page data. Printed and digital requirements may apply to different application routes; consult the guide and sources below.

| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Photo dimensions | 35 × 45 mm |
| Photo paper | Glossy or matte |
| Digital pixel dimensions | 413 × 531 px (see guide/source for applicability and minimum vs exact sizing) |
| Digital file format | JPEG |
| Maximum digital file size | 500 KB |
| Photo age | Taken within 6 months |

## Appearance and composition

- Background: Plain white background, uniform, no borders or ink marks
- Head size: 32-36mm from chin to crown (70-80% of photo height)
- Expression: Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open looking straight ahead
- Glasses: Permitted; check the source for restrictions.
- Even lighting; no harsh shadows.
- Filters, beauty modes and retouching are forbidden.
- Color photo.
- Head coverings are permitted for religious reasons; check the source for conditions.
- Uniforms are restricted; check the source for exceptions.
- No earphones or wireless devices.

## Common rejection reasons

- Wrong photo size — Must be exactly 35×45mm, not the US 2×2 inch format

- Incorrect head size — Head must measure 32-36mm from chin to crown

- Non-white background — Background must be plain white with no patterns or borders

- Glasses glare — If wearing glasses, lenses must be free of reflections

- Photo too old — Must be taken within the last 6 months

- Digital alterations — Filters, retouching, or AI modifications are not allowed

## Source for the document requirements

[Source linked by the document page](https://www.passport.go.kr/home/kor/contents.do?menuPos=32)

The complete guide below includes additional sources and application-specific qualifications when available.

## Create a photo with One Dollar Passport Photo

The service sizes, crops and checks a photo for the selected document. Its output settings are service choices, not additional government requirements.

- Digital photo download: $1 USD.
- Print-ready sheet download: $5 USD. Printing is separate.
- Optional human expert review: +$4.99 USD.

[Open the photo tool](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/kr/passport/)

Complete Guide

## South Korea passport photo: requirements and where to get one

What a compliant South Korea passport photo needs, how to shoot one that won't be rejected, and where to get it — studio, booth, or online.

Written by

Jake

Community & Writing, One Dollar Passport Photo

Reviewed by

Lisa

Expert Reviewer, One Dollar Passport Photo

Fact-checked & verified

May 17, 2026

## The official requirements

Korea allows glasses but bans the beauty-mode retouching most applicants don’t realize their phone is doing. The Korea Passport Service spec:

-   **Size:** 35×45 mm (3.5×4.5 cm), portrait
-   **Background:** plain white — uniform, no borders, ink marks, or shadows
-   **Head size:** 32–36 mm from chin to crown
-   **Expression:** neutral, mouth closed, eyes open looking straight ahead
-   **Glasses:** allowed with clear lenses free of glare — frames must not cover the eyes
-   **Recency:** taken within the last 6 months
-   **Color:** color photo only — no retouching, filters, skin-smoothing, or AI editing

For a digital upload, the file must be a JPEG, 413×531 pixels, and no larger than 500 KB.

## How to take a compliant photo

The one thing to watch in Korea is editing — beauty modes built into everyday cameras and apps will get a photo rejected. The setup:

1.  Stand 4–6 feet from a plain white wall, far enough that no shadow falls behind you.
2.  Light yourself evenly from the front — face a window.
3.  Turn off every beauty mode, skin-smoothing, and AI “enhance” setting before shooting — many phones apply these silently by default.
4.  Have someone else take it from chest height, straight on. A selfie distorts the face.
5.  Look directly at the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
6.  Crop to 35×45 mm with the head at 32–36 mm chin to crown — or upload the shot to a tool that crops to the Korean spec.

## Why photos get rejected

The same problems get photos bounced repeatedly. Each one, and the fix:

-   **Digital alterations** — filters, retouching, skin-smoothing, or AI edits. Turn all of it off; an altered photo is rejected.
-   **Wrong size** — submitting the US 2×2 inch format. It must be 35×45 mm.
-   **Head outside the 32–36 mm window** — too large or too small. Re-crop, or re-shoot from the right distance.
-   **Background not white** — patterns, borders, or shadows. Use a plain white wall.
-   **Glare on glasses** — reflections on the lenses. Tilt the head slightly, or take the glasses off.
-   **Photo older than 6 months** — it must reflect your current appearance.

## What to wear (and not wear)

Korea’s distinctive clothing-adjacent rule is about your eyes, not your outfit: circle lenses and colored contacts that enlarge or recolor the iris are rejected, where most countries say nothing about them.

**Avoid:** sunglasses and tinted lenses, circle lenses and colored contacts, non-religious hats. A white or very pale top blends into the white background, so wear a darker, solid color.

**Fine:** ordinary everyday clothing, normal light everyday makeup, religious head coverings worn daily with the face fully visible. Glasses are fine — just keep the lenses clear and glare-free.

The trap in Korea is editing, not clothing: slimming the face, enlarging the eyes, or removing moles will get the photo rejected. If the photo looks noticeably better than you do in a mirror, it has probably been edited too far.

## Where to get your photo

You can get a South Korean passport photo from a photo studio, a self-service booth, or online:

-   **Photo studio** — common near government offices and stations; the studio takes the photo and prints it. Fastest if you’re already out, and staff know the 35×45 mm size. Ask them not to retouch the result.
-   **Self-service photo booth** — booths in stations and stores have a passport preset that prints the correct size. Convenient, but check the head height and that no beauty filter has been applied.
-   **Online tool** — upload your own shot; it is cropped and checked against the 35×45 mm spec, and you get a digital file plus a print-ready sheet. Make sure your own shot has every editing setting off first.

Whichever you choose, the only thing that matters is that the photo meets every rule above — especially the no-retouching rule.

## Submitting your photo

Most Korean applications are made in person, with a digital file accepted only on the routes that offer it.

**In person** — South Korean passports are applied for at a passport counter — typically a district or provincial government office (gu-cheong or si-cheong) — or at a Korean embassy or consulate abroad. You bring a compliant 35×45 mm printed photo to the counter.

**Digital file** — For routes that accept a digital photo, use a JPEG (413×531 px, under 500 KB) on a plain white background.

## Babies, kids & special situations

**Infants and toddlers** follow the same rules — plain white background, neutral face, no pacifier, no hands or arms in the frame, both eyes open. Lay the baby on a white sheet and shoot from directly above.

**Religious head coverings** are allowed when worn daily for religious reasons; the face must stay fully visible from forehead to chin.

**Glasses** are allowed with clear, glare-free lenses and frames that don’t cover the eyes. Circle lenses and colored contacts that enlarge or recolor the iris are not allowed — only clear vision-correcting contacts. Ordinary makeup is fine; AI “auto-beautify” is not.

### Sources & References

This guide is fact-checked against official government publications and updated regularly to reflect the latest requirements.

1.  \[1\]
    
    [Korea Passport Service (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) — Photo requirements](https://www.passport.go.kr/home/kor/contents.do?menuPos=32)
    
    passport.go.kr