Korean passport photo rules
Korea follows the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines for passport photographs, and the current Korean rules were updated in January 2018. The photo must be in colour, 3.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm tall, show your full face from the front, and have been taken within the last six months.
The head, measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, must be between 3.2 cm and 3.6 cm – most of the photo’s height. Set the frame in the tool so the top of your hair touches the blue line and your chin falls inside the green band, and the proportions will be right.
The background must be plain white, without a frame, and no other people or objects may appear. Your eyes must be clearly visible: hair and glasses frames must not cover them, there must be no reflection of the flash on your lenses, and tinted glasses, sunglasses and coloured contact lenses are not allowed. Keep a neutral expression and look straight at the camera.
Photo paper and retouching
Two rules catch out many applicants. First, the photo must be printed on photographic paper; one printed on regular office paper is refused. Second, the photo must not be retouched – a picture modified in Photoshop or with a beauty filter is not accepted, even if it looks better. Some photo studios offer retouching by default, so say no to it for a passport photo.
This tool crops and scales your photo to the exact size and nothing else. Order the 4 × 6 inch (10 × 15 cm) sheet at a photo shop or an online print service as a standard print at 100%, without fitting or borders, and cut out a photo along the grey lines.
Tips for a white background
A white wall or door works if it is evenly lit. Stand about half a metre in front of it so your shadow does not fall on the wall, face a window for soft light, and avoid white clothing, which merges with the background. Have someone else take the photo at eye level from about 1.5 metres. Phone photos in HEIC format can be added directly.