Korean Passport Photo: Everything You Need to Know

Are you in the United States of America and looking to take a brand new photo for your Korean passport? If so, then you’re in luck because we will cover everything you should know about Korean passport photos.

We’ll dive deeper and explore the key requirements for those passport pictures, figure out where you should go to end up with acceptable photos and everything else you might find useful in your endeavor to acquire a perfect Korean passport photo you’ll love.

Korean passport photo: do’s & don’ts

In order to ensure you emerge with a passport photo you’re satisfied with, we are here to give you some tips and tricks besides displaying the passport photo requirements and explaining how to go about taking the photo yourself.

We wish to make sure you know exactly what you can and what you cannot do when taking passport photos, so listen closely and seriously consider applying the suggestions we are about to give you.

Attire in Korean passport photos

The first piece of advice is to pay attention to your own attire. It would be best if you chose what can be described as a casual, everyday outfit. You should certainly pick the kind of attire that doesn’t resemble a uniform. You want to prioritize feeling comfortable and smart without crossing the line of over-dressing.

Hair in Korean passport photos

If you wear your hair in such a way that your bangs hide certain features like your eyebrows or eyes, use small accessories to hold them up. Hairbands and small clips will do the trick and your Korean passport photo will remain valid and perfectly acceptable when presenting it at the facility.

Red eyes in Korean passport photos

Red eyes are a fairly common feature when you’re taking photos with the flash setting on, but bear in mind that in order to take a valid passport photo you will need to get rid of them.

You can do that by either turning the flash setting off and altering the environment of the setting so there’s no need to enhance the lighting in such a way or aim the camera directly at the person’s eyes.

You cannot edit the red-eye effect out but instead, you’re required to retake the photo until you’ve managed to take a photo highlighting your natural eye color.

Korean passport photos: requirements

The image in your passport is a type of picture that needs to follow numerous Korean passport photo regulations and be compliant with all the rules in order to be deemed a viable document. 

Pay close attention as we explore all the key aspects the photo needs to bear, including facial features, background color or pieces of clothing permitted depending on religious or medical reasons. 

Also, keep in mind that the requirements we’ll talk about are exactly the same as the ones governing Korean visa photos.

Korean passport photo guidelines

• Correct size: 35mm x 45mm
• Proper quality: 300 dpi
• A single photo in color
• A photo not older than 6 (six) months
• Head centered and facing the camera directly
• White background (or a light one)
• Neutral facial expression including open eyes and no smile

As you can see you need to do your research and prepare accordingly for a passport photo that will be deemed viable upon the beginning of the Korean passport application process.

Also, bear in mind that you can take the photo yourself while also adhering to these guidelines.

If you prefer to ask a professional for help, feel free to remind them of these requirements.

Korean baby passport photo

The rules and regulations apply to all Korean citizens including minors of all ages. If you wish to travel internationally, even a few days old babies will require a fitting identity document. 

What follows is that their passport photos need to be compliant with the same requirements and go through a similar process of meticulously checking every aspect of the image. For example:

• No toys visible in the photo
• Head facing the camera
• Eyes open
• Mouth closed

Taking a Korean passport photo

The Korean government allows the passport photographs to be taken both by a professional photographer, and by you. 

When you decide to take the picture yourself, however, make sure that your photo equipment you use meets the minimum technical requirements (resolution and dpi). 

If you want to learn more about taking passport photos yourself, see our guide here. You can apply the tips and tricks presented there to your Korean passport photos.

You might also be interested in:

• Beard in Passport Photos
• What Is The Best Color To Wear For Passport Photos?
• Jewelry in Passport Photos

Editing the Korean passport photo

Once the passport photo is taken and you’re happy with what you’re seeing, you might have to turn to an editing software to ensure everything checks out and your Korean passport photo is ready for the application.

The most important part of editing is the photo size and the option to crop the picture to fit the official passport photo requirements. 

A crucial thing here to be aware of is that you cannot modify your Korean passport photo in any way but cropping. That means, you cannot remove a red-eye effect, you cannot smoothen out your skin or apply any filters.

Your passport picture must remain as natural as possible. Only technical edits are allowed (such as cropping, changing resolutions, etc.). 

Korean passport photo – summary

Armed with this knowledge you can feel free to start applying for a new Korean passport and handle the passport photo matter with ease.

Remember about all the various Korean passport photo requirements, rules surrounding the attire, facial expression and pose. 

Korean passport photo – FAQ