South Korea Passport Photo Requirements & Guidelines

South Korea enforces its 35 × 45 mm passport photo size strictly, along with a white background and a clear view of the face — including both ears. A photo cropped for a US 2 × 2 inch passport will not pass, and small issues like glasses or hair across the face are common rejection reasons.

This guide breaks down every current South Korea passport photo rule for 2026 — the 35 × 45 mm size, the white background, the 32–36 mm head height, the no-glasses rule, and the requirement that your face and ears be clearly visible.

South Korea Passport Photo Requirements at a Glance

Here are the core specifications for the South Korea passport photo:

Get any one of these wrong and the photo can be rejected, so it is worth checking each before you submit.

Passport Photo Dimensions and Head Position Rules

Exact Passport Size Photo Dimensions

The finished photo must be 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall in a portrait format — strictly enforced, and different from the US 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) square.

Head Size, Placement, and Photo Measurement

Your head must be centred with the distance from chin to crown measuring 32–36 mm, facing straight at the camera. Your face must be clearly visible with both ears showing, and no heavy hair across the face.

Getting these millimetres right by hand is where most people slip up. The simplest fix is to create your South Korea passport photo with a tool that crops and resizes to the exact official spec automatically.

Background Requirements

Acceptable backgrounds

The background must be plain white and uniform, with no patterns, shadows, or objects. Note that your clothing must not be white, or it will blend into the background.

Common background mistakes

• Off-white, grey, or coloured walls
• White or very light clothing that merges with the background
• Shadows falling behind the head or shoulders
• Other people or objects in the frame

Pose, Expression, and Lighting Rules

Expression and eyes

Keep a neutral expression with both eyes clearly visible. A very slight smile with closed lips may be accepted, but showing teeth generally is not — a plain neutral face is safest.

Lighting

Use even, front-facing light so there are no shadows on your face or background. Keep your hair off your face so both eyes and both ears are visible.

Glasses, Head Coverings, and Other Passport Photo Criteria

Glasses

Glasses are not allowed — remove all eyewear so your eyes are fully visible with no glare. Hats and anything covering the face or ears are also not permitted.

Head coverings

Head coverings are not allowed except for documented religious reasons, and even then the full face must be visible from the chin to the top of the forehead.

Digital vs. Printed Passport Photo Specifications

Printed photo

For counter applications, bring a recent 35 × 45 mm colour print on high-quality photo paper with a plain white background and the correct head position.

Digital photo

Where a digital photo is captured or uploaded, the same composition rules apply — 35 × 45 mm proportions, a 32–36 mm head height, a neutral expression, both ears visible, and a plain white background. Only the delivery format changes.

Top Reasons South Korea Passport Photos Get Rejected

• Wrong size — using a 2 × 2 inch square instead of 35 × 45 mm
• Head height out of range — outside the 32–36 mm measurement
• Ears or face partly hidden by hair
• Glasses left on, or glare on the lenses
• White clothing blending into the background
• Smiling with teeth or a non-neutral expression
• Old photos taken more than six months ago

How to Meet South Korea's Passport Picture Requirements at Home

1. Wear non-white clothing and stand 2–3 feet from a plain white wall in even light, with no shadows behind you.
2. Have someone photograph you at eye level from about 4 feet away, or use a tripod and timer.
3. Face the camera directly with a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed, no glasses, and hair off your face.
4. Shoot in colour at the highest resolution your phone or camera allows.
5. Upload it to a tool that sets a white background and crops to the exact 35 × 45 mm, 32–36 mm head-height spec.
6. Download the print-ready file, or a high-resolution version for digital use.

Beyond South Korea: Other Countries' Requirements

Specifications differ widely between countries — South Korea shares the 35 × 45 mm size with Europe, while the US uses a 2 × 2 inch square and Canada a 50 × 70 mm photo. If you travel or apply internationally, you can check the rules and generate a compliant photo using our passport photo tool for 150+ countries.

Conclusion

A compliant South Korea passport photo comes down to three things: the 35 × 45 mm size with a 32–36 mm head height, a plain white background (with non-white clothing), and a neutral, glasses-free photo with both ears visible, taken within the last six months. Nail those and you avoid the most common rejection reasons.