How should a South Korea visa photo look?
For passports South Korea fixes 35×45 mm and a head height of 32-36 mm; for foreigners the Alien Registration Card (ARC) uses the wider 20-30 mm range. The background is pure white; the blue tones once accepted are no longer permitted. These two regimes are two separate file types with different rules inside the same country.
The bodies that set the spec
The passport standard is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (passport.go.kr). Visa and ARC procedures are handled by the Korea Immigration Service (hikorea.go.kr). The photo must be submitted within six months of the capture date. The same 35×45 mm size is also used for driving licence and similar IDs.
Workflow after the shoot
The frame is sent to PhotoID Studio; for the passport the Korea passport preset is chosen, for the ARC a separate ARC preset. The app aligns the face, cleans the background to pure white and exports 35×45 mm at 300 DPI. From the same frame two different head heights can be printed in seconds.
Capture setup and direction
Seat the customer 1.5-2 m in front of the pure white backdrop with shoulders parallel to the camera. Camera on a tripod, lens at eye level. Standard setup: a 50-85 mm portrait lens, f/8 aperture, a softbox at 45° with a reflector on the opposite side. Cue: "chin slightly back, mouth closed, eyes fully open"; no smile. Clear glasses are not banned but glare is the most common rejection cause; coloured, tinted and circle lenses are always banned.
Reasons for rejection at the passport office and immigration
• A background other than pure white: the old blue backdrop is no longer accepted. • Wrong format: handing in an ARC crop for a passport or a passport crop for an ARC. • Head outside 32-36 mm for passport; outside 20-30 mm for ARC. • Coloured, circle or tinted contact lenses. • Glasses glare; flash sparkle on the lens. • Hair or a headscarf covering the eyebrows, hairline or face contour. • A frame older than six months from the capture date. • Smiling, visible teeth, or an open mouth.
For the passport and ARC flow in Seoul, Busan and Incheon
Studios in Seoul and Busan handle passport, visa and ARC applications all year round; in university cities the start of each semester brings a peak in foreign-student ARC traffic. PhotoID Studio offers two separate Korea presets: passport and ARC: so two different head heights are prepared from the same frame in a single session.
Frequently asked questions
Should a Korean passport photo have a blue background?
No. passport.go.kr requires pure white; the blue tones once accepted are no longer permitted.
Can the same crop be used for an ARC and a passport?
No. Passport uses a 32-36 mm head, ARC uses a 20-30 mm head. From the same frame two separate outputs are produced and the correct one is submitted.
Can the photo be taken with clear prescription glasses?
It is not banned, but glare is the most common rejection cause; studios recommend removing them. Coloured, tinted and circle lenses are absolutely banned.
How long is the photo considered valid?
Six months from the capture date; reprinting an older frame is rejected.
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