South Korean passport photo rules from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of Korea, through the Passport Division of the Consular Affairs Bureau, sets the photo standard for South Korean passports. The current rules trace to the January 2018 revision published on the official MOFA passport portal at passport.go.kr, and the same 35×45 mm specification applies to Korean visas, the Resident Registration Card (Juminjeung), and the Korean driver’s license.
MOFA enforces the spec strictly. The head must measure between 32 and 36 mm from chin to crown, expression must be neutral with the mouth closed, and the background must be plain white. Tinted lenses, sunglasses, and iris-enlarging circle lenses are prohibited, and headwear is permitted only for established daily religious or medical reasons.
Photos that miss any of these requirements are rejected at submission, which delays issuance for both in-person applications and online renewals. Photographs must also have been taken within the last six months, and a new photo is required when the applicant’s appearance has changed significantly.
South Korea passport photo requirements
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets out how the subject must appear in the final photo. The rules below cover expression, pose, eyewear, hair, headwear, jewelry, cosmetics, and clothing.
Expression & pose
- Neutral expressionMOFA requires a natural, neutral expression. Smiling, frowning, raised eyebrows, and squinting are not permitted.
- Mouth closedThe mouth must be fully closed. Teeth must not be visible.
- Eyes open and forwardBoth eyes must be fully open and looking directly into the camera lens.
- Strictly frontalThe face and shoulders must face the camera straight on. MOFA does not permit head turn or tilt, and automated verification flags deviations as small as 3 to 5 degrees.
- Square shouldersBoth shoulders must be visible, level, and facing forward at the bottom of the frame.
Eyewear & lenses
- Prescription glassesClear prescription glasses are permitted only when the frames do not cover any part of the eyes and the lenses produce no glare or reflection.
- Tinted lenses and sunglassesTinted glasses, sunglasses, and any lens that obscures the eyes are prohibited by MOFA.
- Circle and colored contactsColored, patterned, and iris-enlarging circle lenses are explicitly prohibited. Clear corrective contact lenses are permitted.
Hair
- Facial visibilityHair must not cover the face. The full face from forehead to chin must remain visible, and the contour of the jaw and cheeks must be clearly defined.
- Bangs and eyebrowsBangs may partially cover the eyebrows, but under the 2018 revision the overall shape and contour of both eyebrows must remain discernible.
- Wigs and hairpiecesWigs are permitted when worn daily for medical or cosmetic reasons. They must look natural and must not obscure any facial features.
- Head height measurementMOFA measures head height from the chin to the crown excluding hair volume. Voluminous hairstyles should not push the apparent top of the head outside the frame.
Headwear
- Hats and capsHats, caps, and headbands are not permitted.
- Religious head coveringsReligious headwear is permitted for applicants who wear it daily as part of established practice. The entire face from forehead to chin must remain visible and the covering must not cast shadows on the face.
Jewelry & accessories
- Earrings and piercingsEarrings and facial piercings are permitted provided they do not reflect light or obscure the contour of the face.
- NecklacesNecklaces are permitted when they do not create glare or interfere with the visibility of the face and neckline.
- Large or reflective piecesLarge dangling earrings, highly reflective jewelry, headphones, and elaborate hair accessories are not permitted.
Cosmetics
- Natural makeupNatural makeup is permitted.
- Heavy contouringHeavy contouring that alters the natural structure of the face is not permitted.
- False eyelashesFalse eyelashes are permitted when they do not obscure the eyes or cast shadows.
Clothing
- White clothing prohibitedMOFA prohibits white clothing because it blends into the required white background. A darker jacket or cardigan must be worn over any white top.
- Contrasting colorsPale colors are acceptable only when they clearly contrast with the white background. Darker tones are recommended.
- UniformsUniforms are not permitted. Religious daily attire is permitted under the same conditions as religious headwear.
Photo quality
- Shadows on the faceNo shadows may fall on the face, including shadows under the nose or chin or shadows cast by headwear.
- Red-eyeRed-eye is not permitted. MOFA does not accept digitally corrected red-eye; a fresh photo is required.
- Natural skin toneThe photo must accurately represent the applicant’s natural skin tone. Beauty filters, skin smoothing, and color enhancement are not permitted.
Dimensions, resolution & background.
Head position & camera distance.
- Head height, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, must be between 33 mm and 36 mm (roughly 73–81% of the photo height).
- Top margin (from the top of the head to the top edge): 3–3 mm.
- The head must be centered horizontally in the frame, with a small symmetrical margin on each side.
- Shoulders must be square to the camera and both visible. No three-quarter angles or rotated torso.
- The full face, from chin to crown, must be inside the frame with proper top margin.
South Korea accepts more than one size — we generate them all.
South Korea publishes more than one acceptable format depending on where you submit your application — domestic passport offices, the official online portal, and regional consulates abroad can each call for a different print or pixel size. We render every variant below from the same source photo, so the head sits at the same physical position across files, and each one arrives in your order email with a clear filename indicating which submission channel it's for.
South Korea Passport 35×45 mm
Primary · Print + DigitalSouth Korea's official format — the same file works for both printed in-person submissions and the online portal upload.
South Korea Passport 413×531 px — online
Digital uploadPixel-exact format required by the official online portal upload.
How recent the photo must be.
Your passport photo must have been taken within the last six months. A new photo is required sooner whenever your appearance has changed in a way that makes the old photo no longer recognizable.
You need a new photo if you’ve had…
- Facial surgery or a major change to facial structure
- A significant gain or loss of weight that visibly changes your face
- Large facial tattoos or piercings added or removed
- A gender transition that has changed your appearance
You do not need a new photo just because of…
- A new hair color
- Growing or removing a beard or moustache
- Ordinary, minor aging
- A new hairstyle that still leaves the face fully visible
Photos for infants and young children.
MOFA publishes one set of relaxed rules for infants. Older children follow the standard adult specification.
Infants (24 months and under)
MOFA permits limited leniency for infants who cannot yet hold a neutral pose, while keeping the core identification rules in place.
- MouthAn infant who cannot close the mouth may have the mouth slightly open with teeth somewhat visible. Smiling is not permitted.
- EyesEyes must be open. Very young infants are allowed slight leniency if the eyes are not entirely open, provided both eyes remain visible.
- Head alignmentFrontal alignment is required. Minor head movement is tolerated only when the face remains recognizable and faces the camera.
- Subject isolationThe infant must be photographed alone. Parents’ hands, toys, pacifiers, blankets, and supporting objects must not appear in the frame.
Country-specific details to know.
A few details of the Korean specification surprise applicants who assume rules from other countries apply.
Circle lens ban
Iris-enlarging circle lenses, popular in Korea, are explicitly banned by MOFA. Border systems are calibrated to detect unnaturally large iris sizes, so even subtle cosmetic lenses cause rejection.
Ear visibility rule retired
The 2018 revision removed the requirement for both ears to be visible. Hair may cover the ears as long as the jaw and cheek contours remain clearly defined.
Eyebrow contour rule
Bangs may fall over the eyebrows, but the overall contour and shape of both eyebrows must remain discernible. Hair that completely hides an eyebrow causes rejection.
Photo recency
The photo must have been taken within the last six months. A new photo is required when the applicant’s appearance has changed significantly since the last image.
As easy as snap, upload, done.
You take a quick picture. We do the spec work and tell you immediately if anything needs a retake.
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Print & paper standards.
If you submit a printed photo with a paper application, the print itself has to meet acceptance-facility standards in addition to the rules above.
- High-quality photo paper with a glossy finish.
- No visible pixels, banding, dithering, or printer artifacts.
- The print must be undamaged: no creases, holes, smudges, staples, or pinholes.