South Korea passport & visa photo requirements

Having the right passport-size photo is crucial for your South Korean passport or visa application.

A passport-size photo is often necessary for applications involving South Korean travel documents. These photos must meet certain specifications that are key to the success of your application.

We’ve created a guide to help you understand the specific photo requirements for South Korean passports and visas, ensuring you have all the information needed to proceed. Continue reading to get the full details.

Guidelines for your South Korea passport/visa photo

Your photo for a South Korean passport or visa must meet certain criteria and should be suitable for both physical and electronic applications.

• Recent photo: Must be taken within the last six months to reflect your current appearance accurately.

• Photo dimensions: It should measure 35mm x 45mm, with your face covering 70-80% of the height or measuring 25mm × 35 mm. The image should be borderless.

• Quality: The photo needs to be in color, with high resolution, and printed on quality paper. If the photo is for an online application, it needs to be less than 100kb and 700 x 700 pixels.

• Background: It should be a plain white background without any patterns or shadows.

• Head position: Face the camera directly, with your head level and centered in the frame.

• Facial expression: Maintain a neutral expression with your eyes open and mouth closed.

• Lighting: The lighting should be even, without casting shadows or causing glare on the face and in the photo’s background.

• Glasses: Glasses can be worn as long as they don’t produce glare or cover the eyes. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are unacceptable.

• Head coverings: Head coverings are typically not permitted, except for religious reasons, and should not hide any part of the face.

• Clothing: Wear everyday clothing that contrasts with the white background. Religious attire is allowed only for those who wear it daily.

• Jewelry and adornments: Keep jewelry minimal and non-obtrusive, and make sure it doesn't change your facial appearance.

Passport & visa photos for infants and children

While the basic criteria for passport and visa photos—like photo quality, background, and head position—are similar for both adults and children, taking photos of infants and children requires attention to certain specifics due to the nature of photographing young ones.

• Eyes should be visible: The child’s eyes need to be open and clearly visible. With infants, timing is key to capturing a moment when their eyes are open. Glasses should be avoided unless needed for medical reasons, and they must not have glare.

• Facial expression: Adults are required to maintain a neutral expression, but children and especially infants have more leeway. Still, aim for as neutral an expression as possible.

• Appropriate attire: Children should wear regular clothes. Items like hats or pacifiers that obstruct the face are not acceptable. Religious headwear is permitted as long as the entire face, from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin, remains visible.

• No visible support: If supporting an infant or child to pose for the photo, ensure that the support mechanism or holding hands are not in the frame. ​

• No props: Keep the focus on the child without any additional items or props in the frame.

For infants who can’t sit or stand, you can take the photo from above while they lie on a plain, white background.

Learn what every traveler should know before visiting South Korea in our trip guide.

Need more information?

If you’d like to apply for a South Korean ETA and need more information, you can get in touch with our customer support team. Contact them any time via WhatsApp or through the iVisa chat.

If you need consular assistance for South Korean visas, our Embassies Finder tool can direct you to the nearest South Korean diplomatic mission, no matter where you are in the world.