South Korea passport photo size and rules
South Korea passport photos must be 35 × 45 mm, with the head 32–36 mm from chin to top of head. Background rule: “배경은 균일하고 잉크 자국이 없는 흰색이며, 테두리가 없어야 함 (uniform white, no borders)”. Source checked 2026-10-20.
Official measurements
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 32–36 mm — official wording: “머리 길이는 정수리(머리카락을 제외한 머리 최상부)부터 턱까지 3.2~3.6cm 사이 (top of head excluding hair to chin)” |
| Background | 배경은 균일하고 잉크 자국이 없는 흰색이며, 테두리가 없어야 함 (uniform white, no borders) |
| Our HD file | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi (prints at exactly 35 × 45 mm) |
Other rules from the official page
- Taken within 6 months before application, no hat, colour, upper body, frontal
- Retouched/AI-edited photos not allowed
- Mouth closed (teeth not visible), neutral expression
- No coloured/cosmetic lenses, tinted glasses or sunglasses; no glare on glasses; frames must not cover eyes
- No hat/headband/head covering; religious attire allowed only if full face (forehead to chin) visible
- Printed on photo paper, 300 DPI recommended
- Infants (36 months or younger) may have mouth slightly open
Exact wording
“여권사진의 크기는 가로 3.5cm X 세로 4.5cm”
“정수리(머리카락을 제외한 머리 최상부)부터 턱까지 3.2~3.6cm 사이”
“가로 413 X 세로 531 pixel 규격을 권장”
“배경은 균일하고 잉크 자국이 없는 흰색이며”
Source
Checked 2026-10-20. Rules can change — the receiving office's current rules are final. Private Apps is not affiliated with any government.
Measured without the hair — you set the line
The Korean rule measures the head from the top of the skull, excluding hair (“정수리(머리카락을 제외한 머리 최상부)”) to the chin: 3.2–3.6 cm. A camera cannot see where the skull ends under the hair, so the app shows two lines on the preview. Drag the top line to where your head would be if the hair were pressed flat, and the bottom line to your chin. The head length on the print is shown in millimetres while you drag, and the result unlocks only after you confirm the lines. The space above the head is not given as a number in the source, so the app uses its usual layout for it.
Print only on photo paper
The source says photos printed on plain paper cannot be used (“일반 종이에 인쇄된 사진은 사용할 수 없으며”) — print on glossy or matte photo paper, for example at a photo kiosk or an online photo lab, at 300 DPI. For an online application the 413 × 531 pixel file is the recommended size.
No editing beyond cropping
The source forbids altering the photo — for example erasing or replacing the background or distorting head or face size. The app only crops your photo and scales it evenly; it never touches the background or your face. Take the photo against a plain white wall. Whether a photo is accepted is decided by the passport office.
How our maker fits these rules
The app measures your head from chin to the top of your hair and crops and scales your own photo so the head sits in the middle of the allowed 32–36 mm range. It does not change the background, retouch or rotate anything — so take the photo in front of a plain wall that matches the background rule above. The checklist tells you if the background, head tilt or framing need a retake, and the full-size photo file is free to download once every check passes.