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South Korea Visa Photo Checker
For South Korea visa photos, start with the listed 35×45 mm format. Our checker compares your image with the selected photo specification; confirm the current requirements with Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Passport Division) before applying.
South Korea uses the 35×45 mm biometric format for passports, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (외교부). Korean passport photos require a white background with face height between 25–35 mm. South Korea enforces strict biometric standards and prohibits glasses, colored contact lenses, and excessive makeup in passport photos.
Use the tool above to upload a candidate photo. We analyse aspect ratio, resolution, background colour and uniformity, sharpness, and run on-device face detection to confirm head size, centering and eye visibility — all in your browser. Nothing leaves your device.
Official South Korea visa photo rules we check
- Required size: 35×45 mm (413×531 px at 300 DPI)
- Required background: White
- Issuing authority: Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Passport Division)
- Print dimensions: 35×45 mm (1.38×1.77 inches)
- Digital size: 413×531 px at 300 DPI
- Background: White
Common South Korea visa rejection reasons
- South Korea-specific: Studio photos with heavy retouching common to Korean passport-photo booths — the Ministry rejects any AI-smoothed skin or reshaped facial features.
- South Korea-specific: Wearing white tops that blur into the background.
- South Korea-specific: Bangs falling across the eyebrows or eyes.
- Aspect ratio drifted from 35:45 after a careless crop
- Soft focus or motion blur from a handheld phone shot in low light
- Background that looked white to your eye but reads as cream or grey to a calibrated scanner
How to pass the checker
Re-shoot in flat, even lighting
Stand 1.5 m from a plain wall matching the required white background. Use two soft light sources (or window light through a thin curtain) on either side of your face to eliminate the shadow that triggers most South Korea rejections.
Crop precisely to 35×45 mm
Use our free image cropper to pull the exact 35:45 ratio. Position your eyes near the upper third of the frame and leave roughly 5 mm of headroom above the hair — the proportions Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Passport Division) expects.
Replace the background if it's the wrong colour
If our checker flags the background, compare it with the selected specification (white). The background remover can help prepare another preview; confirm that edited photos are accepted by the authority.
Verify face coverage with the checker
Re-upload the corrected photo and compare the framing with the selected application's guidance. Requirements for head position can vary by application.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use a retouched Korean passport photo?
No. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively screens for beauty-filter retouching (skin smoothing, eye enlargement, jaw reshaping) and rejects photos that fail its forensic pass. Ask your studio for the un-retouched original file.
What is the Korean passport photo size?
35×45 mm colour print on plain white photographic paper, taken within the last 6 months, with the head occupying 32–36 mm from chin to crown. Two identical prints are required for the Gu-office application.
How accurate is this South Korea visa photo checker?
Our checker reviews dimensions, aspect ratio, background, sharpness and face positioning with on-device detection where available. It cannot duplicate Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Passport Division)'s review or guarantee acceptance. Always check the official instructions for your application.
Does ImageGates upload my photo to a server?
No — every check runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Your photo never leaves your device. That is unique among most online checkers and is why the tool also works offline once loaded.
What file formats does the checker accept for South Korea photos?
The checker accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG and WebP up to 20 MB. Check Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Passport Division)'s instructions for the file formats accepted by your specific application.