# Korean Photo Studio Seoul: Prices, Booking and Passport Rules

> A Korean photo studio in Seoul usually works by appointment, and a Korean ID photo costs anywhere from about 22,000 to 75,000 won depending on the studio. You pick your shot on a monitor and tune the retouching together with the photographer. That retouching is exactly why the photo can't be used for a passport or visa, so take a separate unretouched one for official paperwork.

- URL: https://formthrow.com/en/travel/korean-photo-studio/
- Published: October 25, 2026
- Data as of: October 25, 2026

Thinking of getting an ID photo or a profile photo at the same kind of Korean photo studio Seoul locals go to? Book first. Almost all of them work by appointment, and prices vary a lot, from the 20,000s up into the 70,000s (in won) for a basic ID photo. The whole visit, including the time you spend at a monitor picking your shot and tuning the retouching, takes about an hour.

One thing to know up front: a photo retouched this way can't be used as a Korean passport photo, so if you need a photo for a passport or visa, get that one taken separately.

## What makes a Korean ID photo different?

The standout difference is precision 1:1 retouching and custom lighting suited to your skin tone. Studios clean up minor blemishes, tidy flyaway hairs, balance facial symmetry, and smooth clothing wrinkles right on screen while you watch.

| Photo Package Type | Average Price | Session Time (Shoot + Edit) | Key Features & Best For |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Standard ID / Passport Photo** | 30,000–50,000 KRW | Approx. 30–45 min | Strict spec compliance, natural skin tone cleanup, fast same-day physical prints. |
| **Color Background Portrait ID** *(Most Popular)* | 50,000–75,000 KRW | Approx. 45–60 min | Personal color background matching, live 1:1 monitor retouching, keepsake/SNS profile use. |
| **Full Hair & Makeup Package** | 100,000–160,000 KRW | Approx. 90–120 min | Professional salon styling before shooting; ideal for career resumes, actor headshots, or milestone travel portraits. |

You pick the shot you like, then sit at the monitor with the photographer to fine-tune each adjustment. You can always ask them to keep your natural facial features intact.

Studios in Seongsu, Hongdae, and Gangnam are the most sought-after, with many offering dedicated English booking interfaces. If you're also planning a [personal color analysis in Seoul](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/personal-color-analysis-seoul/) on the same trip, completing that first makes selecting your outfit and backdrop colors effortless.

## Typical prices at Seoul photo studios

Studio pricing varies by district and whether hair and makeup styling is included. Here is what you can expect across major Seoul neighborhoods:

| Neighborhood & Studio Style | Basic ID / Passport Photo | Hair & Makeup Included, or Full Profile |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Hongdae / Sinchon University Area** | 30,000–45,000 KRW | 60,000–90,000 KRW |
| **Seongsu / Yeonnam Trend Studios** | 45,000–65,000 KRW | 80,000–120,000 KRW |
| **Apgujeong / Cheongdam Professional Studios** | 65,000–80,000 KRW | 120,000–180,000 KRW |

*(Prices vary depending on digital file resolutions and retouching depth; verify latest rates on booking pages.)*

Hair and makeup usually aren't included in the base price, so the same ID photo costs a lot more once you add makeup.

## Booking and getting your files

Many studios take bookings through Naver Reservation. Naver's identity check is tricky for foreigners, so some studios also take bookings by Instagram DM. If you want a particular photographer, a few studios want two weeks to a month's notice, so lock it in as soon as your travel dates are set. If the Naver booking screen looks confusing, our guide on [how to use Naver Map and Kakao Map](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/korea-map-apps/) should make it easier to find your way around.

I went through Creatrip's English list of Seoul photo studios, and most of the sessions it describes take somewhere between 30 and 90 minutes. That list also showed me how differently studios hand over files. Some send them by AirDrop, email, KakaoTalk or Google Drive, and some charge extra for the high-resolution original. Ask when you book how and when you'll get your files.

## What English-speaking visitors say about it

Reports from visitors who wrote in English were easier to find than I expected, though most turned out to be short posts and listing reviews. Three were useful.

A woman who got a profile photo at [Studio Photobi in Hongdae](https://www.lemon8-app.com/@rach31.0/7557185084705571329?region=sg) wrote in an October 2025 post that the shoot took about five minutes and the rest of a roughly 30-minute visit went to editing, and that she sat next to the editor to explain the look she wanted. Staff spoke English, she got the soft copies straight away, and the prints came out in under five minutes. Her closing advice was "Remember to book online before visiting!"

A reviewer who went to [a studio in Seolleung](https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-park-bench/seolleung-photo-studio-id-passport-photos/) in August 2026 paid 30,000 won for a standard 3.5 by 4.5 cm ID photo and found the actual shoot quick: "The shoot itself is over quickly, just three or four shots including test ones." They also got a passport-format file plus a print and a file for the ID card, and the files were emailed on the spot.

Then there's a review on a [Creatrip page for a Hongdae studio, Woori Dongnae](https://creatrip.com/en/blog/4844/Hongdae-ID-Photo%E3%85%A3-Woori-Dongnae-Photo-Studio). The reviewer, who went with a friend, said, "My friend and I were a bit nervous to go but the photographer guided us kindly." The same page says staff speak basic English and lists a basic retouch (skin, left-right balance) and a more detailed 1:1 retouch as separate options.

## Can you use this photo for a passport?

Not for a Korean one. I went through the photo rules on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs passport page line by line. The size is 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm, the head from crown to chin must measure 3.2 to 3.6 cm, the background must be white, and the photo must have been taken within the 6 months before you apply. Arbitrarily retouched photos aren't accepted, including AI-edited ones, and colored contact lenses, circle lenses and tinted glasses are out too.

The UK takes a similar line. The GOV.UK passport photo page says the picture must be "unaltered by computer software" and needs a plain expression with your mouth closed, so a smoothed-over studio shot is a poor bet there. I couldn't open the US State Department page (it returned an error), so I can't tell you its rules. For any official application, check your own country's page, and when you book, ask for "an unretouched passport-spec photo" as a separate shoot. Some studios, like the Seongnam one in the table, do an ID photo and a passport photo in the same session.

## Self photo booths need no reservation

Self photo booths, the four-cut strip kind with no photographer, don't need a booking. According to an August Wikitree article, the screen guides you through payment, shooting and printing, so you don't need Korean, and Hongdae, Seongsu and Myeongdong are the areas foreign visitors favor. Prices differ by booth, so check at the machine.

Seoul's real-time city data showed the Seongsu cafe street getting fairly busy around 1 p.m., even on weekdays, so go in the morning if you'd like it calmer.

![Several sticker photo machines with comic-print curtains lined up inside a shop in Sinchon in 1999](https://formthrow.com/images/travel/korean-photo-studio-sticker-booths.webp)
*Photo: 서울특별시(서울경관기록화 사업), [서울연구데이터서비스](https://data.si.re.kr/photo/02N01302Db0000), 공공누리 제1유형*

I found this one while paging through the city's old photo archive: a sticker photo shop in Sinchon in 1999. The price tag says 2,500 won, and I'd bet the pose panic in front of the machine was exactly the same then as now.

More Seoul trip prep is collected in the [travel category](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/), and if you plan to shop for cosmetics after your photo session, see [K-beauty shopping in Seoul](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/k-beauty-shopping-seoul/) too.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much is an ID photo at a Seoul photo studio?

It depends on the studio. A Trip.com Taiwan blog post (November 2024) put ID photos at 22,000 to 55,000 won, or 30,000 to 90,000 won with hair and makeup. A studio in Apgujeong Rodeo listed an ID photo and a passport photo at 65,000 won each and a profile photo at 75,000 won, according to an October 2026 review.

### Can I use a Korean-style retouched ID photo for my passport?

Not for a Korean passport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not accept arbitrarily retouched photos, and wants a white background, 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm, taken within the last 6 months. For any other country's passport or visa, check that country's rules first, and ask the studio for a separate unretouched shot if needed.

### How do I book?

Many studios use Naver Reservation and some take bookings by Instagram DM. If you want a particular photographer, a few studios ask you to book two weeks to a month ahead, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.

### Can I get the digital files?

Usually yes, but the method differs by studio. Some send files by AirDrop, email, KakaoTalk or Google Drive, and some charge extra for the high-resolution original.

### Do I need a reservation for a self photo booth?

Normally not. You walk in, and the screen guides you through payment, shooting and printing, so you can manage without Korean. Prices differ by booth, so check at the machine.

## Sources

- [여권 사진 규정](https://www.passport.go.kr/home/kor/contents.do?menuPos=32), 외교부 여권안내
- [외국인 관광객 사이에서 한국식 증명사진이 인기인 이유(2026.7.29)](https://www.wikitree.co.kr/articles/1149234), 위키트리
- [외국인 관광객이 찾는 네컷 사진관(2026.8.7)](https://www.wikitree.co.kr/articles/1151054), 위키트리
- [韓国の写真館ガイド(2026)](https://creatrip.com/ja/blog/5317), Creatrip(일본어 블로그)
- [韓式證件照推薦與價格(2024.11.15)](https://tw.trip.com/blog/korean-ID-photo/), Trip.com 대만 블로그
- [韓國證件照攻略(2023.10.7)](https://www.beauty321.com/post/57791), Beauty321
- [[내돈내산] 프레피 스튜디오 증명사진 후기(2026.10.23)](https://blog.naver.com/kwon010911/224451736733), My dazzle life(네이버 블로그)
- [성남 하비스튜디오 1:1 보정, 증명과 여권 45,000원(2026.10.14)](https://blog.naver.com/radiantbright/224441064070), RADIANT-BRIGHT(네이버 블로그)
- [스티커 사진 상점(1999.7, 신촌), 공공누리 제1유형](https://data.si.re.kr/photo/02N01302Db0000), 서울특별시(서울경관기록화 사업), 서울연구데이터서비스
- [14 Best Photo Studios in Seoul (2026)](https://creatrip.com/en/blog/5317), Creatrip (English blog)
- [Hongdae ID Photo, Woori Dongnae Photo Studio](https://creatrip.com/en/blog/4844/Hongdae-ID-Photo%E3%85%A3-Woori-Dongnae-Photo-Studio), Creatrip (English blog)
- [Get Perfect ID Photos in Seoul at Studio Photobi Hongdae (2025.10.4)](https://www.lemon8-app.com/@rach31.0/7557185084705571329?region=sg), Lemon8 (English post)
- [Seolleung photo studio, passport renewal and ID reissue: Deokseu Gallery (2026.8.2)](https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-park-bench/seolleung-photo-studio-id-passport-photos/), Superchart (English review)
- [Photos for passports](https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports), GOV.UK