ID and passport photo sizes, with the pixel conversions
Two sizes cover nearly every case: 3x4cm and 3.5x4.5cm. Here they are in pixels at 300dpi, with the background and head-size rules.
Updated 2026-09-10
ID photos are specified in centimetres, but submitting one online or printing it yourself means knowing the pixel count. The conversion assumes 300dpi, the standard print resolution: 300 pixels per inch (2.54cm), so multiply centimetres by 118.1 to get pixels.
| Use | Size | Pixels at 300dpi |
|---|---|---|
| Standard ID photo (Korea) | 3 x 4 cm | 354 x 472 |
| Passport and visa (Korea) | 3.5 x 4.5 cm | 413 x 531 |
| Resident card and driving licence (Korea) | 3.5 x 4.5 cm | 413 x 531 |
| Large format | 5 x 7 cm | 591 x 827 |
| US passport and visa | 2 x 2 inches (5.1 x 5.1 cm) | 600 x 600 |
Two sizes cover almost everything
Korean ID photos come in two sizes: the 3x4cm standard and the 3.5x4.5cm passport format. Job applications, student cards, and exam registrations mostly ask for 3x4cm; government-issued IDs like passports, resident cards, and driving licences use 3.5x4.5cm. The ID formats are aligned with the passport, so one photo serves all three.
Different sizes mean different ratios: 3x4 is 3:4, 3.5x4.5 is 7:9. They look close, but stretching one into the other makes the face subtly longer or wider. Always crop to convert, never stretch.
Passport photo rules
- Taken within the last six months.
- Plain white background with no shadows or patterns.
- Facing the camera directly, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and looking straight ahead.
- Head height (chin to crown) between 3.2 and 3.6cm, roughly 70 to 80 percent of the 4.5cm height.
- No hats, headbands, or tinted glasses. Clear glasses are allowed if the lenses do not reflect light.
- No uniforms. Ordinary clothing only.
In pixels, a 3.2 to 3.6cm head height is 378 to 425 pixels tall in a 413x531 photo. When cropping, set the frame so chin-to-crown lands in that range. Leave a little space above the head, and let the shoulder line show slightly at the bottom.
Online submission rules vary by office
Government portals, exam registration sites, and employer systems each set their own pixel dimensions and file size limits. One wants at least 300x400 under 500KB; another wants exactly 413x531. The format is almost always JPG. Before uploading, check the three numbers on the instructions — pixels, size, format — and match them precisely.
If the file is too large, lower the JPG quality rather than the pixel count. A 413x531 photo at 85 percent quality is around 100KB, inside nearly every limit. Shrink the pixels and the photo cannot be reused for print.
Making one from a photo you already have
A formal passport photo is safest from a studio, but a 3x4 for an application can be made from any front-facing shot with a simple background. If the original is larger than 354x472, crop it. The problem is when it is smaller: scale it up and the smearing shows plainly in print. Fill the background with white to reach the size instead.
- Pick the ID photo 3x4cm preset. For a passport, type 413 wide and 531 tall directly.
- Adjust the crop so the face fills around 70 percent of the height.
- Set the background fill to plain white. Do not sample the original background with the eyedropper.
- Save as PNG, and convert to JPG only when the office asks for it.