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Guide

K-ETA photo rejected? What to check and how to fix it

As of November 3, 2026, the K-ETA website takes the portrait as a color JPG under 20 MB: a full-face, front-view photo in which the face takes up 75% of the image, eyes open and looking at the camera, with no hats, scarves or sunglasses. On a computer you need that file ready; the mobile app adjusts the size by itself. SelfieToPassport turns a phone photo into a 1200 x 1600 pixel JPG framed for the 75% face rule, well under 20 MB, with a free preview and $6.95 for the file.

Updated Rules checked against k-eta.go.krHow we check

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The short version

  1. SelfieToPassport: a 1200 x 1600 px K-ETA JPG from a phone photo, free preview, $6.95.
  2. Save the portrait as a color JPG under 20 MB.
  3. Frame a full face from the front, filling 75% of the image, eyes open on the camera.
  4. No hats, scarves, sunglasses or other accessories; religious clothing is allowed if the face shows.
  5. Prefer clothes with less colorful patterns.
  6. It does not have to be your passport photo, but it has to meet these conditions.

The file rules for the K-ETA portrait

On a computer, the portrait is a file you upload, and it has to be a JPG under 20 MB. A HEIC photo from an iPhone or a PNG screenshot is the wrong format even if it is small.

In the K-ETA mobile app the size is adjusted for you, so the file rules matter mostly when you apply on a computer.

The rules

  • Applying for a K-ETA on a computer means having a photo file ready to upload as the facial image. k-eta.go.kr
  • The K-ETA website caps the portrait file at 20 MB. k-eta.go.kr
  • Both images in a K-ETA application, the portrait and the passport bio page, have to be JPG files under 20 MB. k-eta.go.kr
  • In the K-ETA mobile app, the portrait and passport images are resized automatically, so the 20 MB JPG limit matters mainly for applications made on a computer. k-eta.go.kr

Face size and what to wear

The face should fill 75% of the image. A photo taken from across the room, or one that shows the whole upper body, leaves the face too small.

Take off hats, scarves and sunglasses, and use a color photo.

The rules

  • Korea asks for a full-face, front-view K-ETA portrait in which the face takes up 75% of the image, eyes open and on the camera. k-eta.go.kr
  • Black-and-white portraits do not qualify: the K-ETA photo has to be in color. k-eta.go.kr
  • Hats, scarves, sunglasses and other accessories are not allowed in a K-ETA portrait. k-eta.go.kr
  • A K-ETA applicant may wear religious clothing such as a hijab in the photo, provided the face shows clearly from forehead to chin. k-eta.go.kr
  • For the K-ETA photo, the Korean authorities recommend clothes with less colorful patterns. k-eta.go.kr

Does it have to be your passport photo?

No. You can upload a new photo, as long as it meets the K-ETA conditions. The ID photo is one of the items the website asks you to prepare before you start.

The rules

  • The K-ETA portrait does not need to be the photo printed in the passport, but it must meet the K-ETA photo conditions. k-eta.go.kr
  • An ID photo is one of the four things the K-ETA website tells applicants to prepare, together with a valid passport, an email address and a card for the fee. k-eta.go.kr

How to fix the photo

SelfieToPassport crops and resizes the photo in your browser, without retouching the face or replacing the background, and saves it as a JPG. You see it in a free preview before you pay $6.95.

  1. Retake the photo if needed: facing the camera, eyes open, no hat, scarf or sunglasses.
  2. Crop it so the face fills 75% of the image.
  3. Resize to 1200 x 1600 pixels and save as a color JPG.
  4. Check that the file is under 20 MB.
  5. Upload it again in the K-ETA application.

FAQ

What size should a K-ETA photo be?

A JPG under 20 MB. The K-ETA pages give no pixel size; the face should take up 75% of the image. Source: official pages "Welcome - K-ETA › FAQ › Q37 (page 2)" and "Welcome - K-ETA › FAQ › Q23: Does my portrait photo (facial image) for my K-ETA application have to be the same as my passport photo?", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Can I use my passport photo for the K-ETA?

You can, but it does not have to be the same photo. Whatever you upload must meet the K-ETA conditions: color, full face from the front, no accessories. Source: official page "Welcome - K-ETA › FAQ › Q23: Does my portrait photo (facial image) for my K-ETA application have to be the same as my passport photo?", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Can I wear a hijab in my K-ETA photo?

Yes. Religious clothing is allowed if the face shows clearly from the forehead to the chin. Source: official page "Welcome - K-ETA › FAQ › Q54: Can I upload a photo wearing a hijab when applying for K-ETA?", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Does the 20 MB limit apply in the K-ETA app?

The app adjusts the size of the portrait and passport images automatically, so the limit matters when you apply on a computer. Source: official page "Welcome - K-ETA › FAQ › Q37 (page 2)", checked on Nov 3, 2026.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.

Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.