South Korea Residence Card (ARC)
Last verified 2026-09-28 against Korea Immigration Service (Ministry of Justice)Standards: ICAO Doc 9303Government-spec dimensions, head positioning, and file constraints.
- Pixel size
- 413 × 531 px
- Print size
- 35 × 45 mm · 300 DPI
- Background
- white#FFFFFF
- Face height
- 56–78% · target 70%
- Eye line
- 62%–74% from bottom
- File size limit
- —
Note: Foreign resident registration photo; 35x45 mm; face 25-35 mm; white background; both ears visible; glasses frames must not cover the eyes
Dimensions
- Print size: 35 x 45 mm, aspect ratio 7:9
- Pixel size: 413 x 531 px
- DPI: approximately 300 DPI
- File / size: Color photo for foreign resident registration
- Color mode: sRGB color only
Head position
- Face length (crown to chin): 25-35 mm
- Face length as fraction of frame: approximately 56%-78%
- Head position: Front-facing; head upright, no tilt
- Shoulders: Square to camera and centred
Background
- Color: White
- Requirements: Plain background with no border, shadows, or objects behind the subject
Expression
- Natural expression with the mouth closed
- Both eyes open and looking at the camera
- Both ears must be visible
Accessories
- Eyeglasses: Allowed if the frames do not cover the pupils
- Sunglasses / tinted lenses: Prohibited
- Head coverings: Not addressed by the official page; since both ears must be visible, avoid anything that covers them
- Hats / non-religious head coverings: Prohibited
Other rules
- Photo must be taken within the last 6 months
- No photos altered with editing software such as Photoshop
- Damaged photos are not accepted
Notes
- The foreign resident registration card (ARC, now labeled "Residence Card") uses a 35 x 45 mm photo with a wider 25-35 mm face length than the passport.
- Photos altered with editing software are not accepted. Shoot against a plain white wall in even light so the background needs as little change as possible.
Sources
Can I wear glasses for a Korean residence card (ARC) photo?
Yes, as long as the frames do not cover your pupils. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are not allowed.
Do my ears need to show?
Yes. Korea Immigration Service requires both ears to be visible, so tuck your hair behind your ears.
Can I smile in the photo?
Use a natural expression with your mouth closed.
How recent does the photo need to be?
The photo must be taken within the last 6 months.
What size is an ARC photo?
35 x 45 mm with a face length of 25-35 mm on a white background. The generated digital output is 413 x 531 px.
Live validation
against the actual rulebook.
Every crop is measured against the published tolerance ranges for the selected document. Pass or warn, in real time — no "submit and hope."
The same checks the authority will run — before you submit.
- Face height & eye line measured from the pupil midpoint with sub-pixel accuracy, clamped to the tolerance range your authority publishes.
- Background colour checked across a sampled grid — catches gradients and fringe from poor segmentation (ΔE < 3 against spec).
- File-size ceiling enforced per-spec — recompressed silently for sub-60 KB e-visa portals, lossless for print.
- Sharpness & expression guards warn on blur, closed eyes, or non-neutral expressions before you export.
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