When preparing for an overseas trip, your Korean passport is the thing to check even before booking flights. If you don’t travel often, the difference between a new passport and a renewal, the documents you need, the fees and whether you can apply online can all be confusing.
On top of that, from 2026 online renewal has been expanded to minors too — a change worth knowing if you’re planning to travel abroad with kids.
Today I’m covering only what you actually need for trip prep: 2026 passport documents and fees, photo rules, how to apply online through Gov24 (Government24), and getting passports for children.
1. New Korean Passport vs. Renewal: What’s the Difference?
It’s simple once you separate the two.
- Getting a passport for the first time in your life = first issuance
- Having been issued a passport at least once before and getting a new one = reissuance (renewal)
You can apply for a new passport not only when the old one has expired but also while it’s still valid. Loss, damage or changes to passport details such as your name also count as reasons for reissuance.
The application methods differ, though.
First-time applicants can’t apply online. You must visit a passport office in person, such as your local city, county or district office.
On the other hand, if you’ve been issued an e-passport before, you can renew online through Gov24 under certain conditions (per the official passport information website).
2. Korean Passport Documents and Fees for Adults
For adults aged 18 and over applying for the first time, the basics are simple:
- Passport application form
- One passport photo
- ID card
- Family relationship documents, if required
You don’t need to submit family relationship records separately if they can be verified through the shared government administrative information network. Your passport photo must have been taken within six months of the application date.
2026 Adult Passport Fees
For a 10-year multiple-entry Korean passport:
- 58 pages: 52,000 KRW
- 26 pages: 49,000 KRW
If you travel abroad often, I’d pick the 58-page version since it’s only 3,000 KRW more. If you don’t travel much, 26 pages is plenty.
A single-use e-passport valid for up to one year costs 17,000 KRW.
3. Renewals Can Be Done Online via Gov24
This is the most convenient part of passport renewal.
If you’ve been issued an e-passport at least once, you can renew your Korean passport online in Korea through Gov24 or KB Star Banking. If you’re overseas, use the Overseas Koreans 365 civil service portal.
On Gov24, just search for “passport reissuance.”
The biggest advantage of applying online is that you don’t have to visit the district office to submit your application.
One important point, though:
Even if you apply online, you must pick up the new passport in person.
If your old passport is still valid, you must bring it when you collect the new one. The pickup office you choose when applying cannot be changed once the application is complete.
Online applications may also be restricted for first-time applicants, some people changing the romanized spelling of their name, habitual losers of passports, and those requesting a reissue with the remaining validity of the old passport.
4. Children’s Passports: What Changed in 2026
If you’re preparing for a trip abroad with kids, take note.
For children under 18 getting their first passport, applying in person is still the rule, and consent from a legal guardian is required.
For a minor’s first passport, you’ll usually prepare:
- The child’s passport photo
- Passport application form
- Legal guardian consent form
- ID of the visiting parent or legal guardian
- Documents proving family relationship
Relationship documents may be waived if they can be verified through shared government records, and some seal-related documents can be skipped if the legal guardian visits in person.
Online Renewal for Children From 2026
Here’s the big change.
Since June 12, 2026, legal guardians can apply online through Gov24 to renew a Korean passport for minors under 18.
It applies to children who already have an e-passport. Use Gov24 in Korea or the Overseas Koreans 365 portal abroad. The legal guardian verifies their own identity and applies on the child’s behalf.
However, if parental authority or guardianship needs separate confirmation by an official, you’ll still need to visit in person.
For families who travel abroad with kids often, this is a genuinely practical change.
Passport Fees for Minors
Age 8 and over (5-year passport):
- 58 pages: 44,000 KRW
- 26 pages: 41,000 KRW
Under age 8 (5-year passport):
- 58 pages: 35,000 KRW
- 26 pages: 32,000 KRW
Unlike the adult 10-year passport, passports for minors are generally valid for five years.
5. Passport Photo Rules: Where Most Mistakes Happen
With online renewals, be especially careful about photos being rejected.
The standard Korean passport photo size is:
- 3.5 cm wide × 4.5 cm tall
- Head length from crown to chin: 3.2–3.6 cm
The photo must be taken within the last six months against a plain white background. Face and shoulders should face forward, with mouth closed and a natural neutral expression (per the official passport information website).
Be careful with photo editing these days, too.
Photos with backgrounds artificially removed or face shapes altered in Photoshop are not accepted — and neither are photos edited, processed or composited using AI.
Files for online applications must be JPG or JPEG, 500 KB or smaller, with 413 × 531 pixels recommended.
Photos taken on a smartphone aren’t automatically rejected; they can be used if they meet the requirements. But if your trip is coming up soon, it’s safer to get a photo taken to passport standards so you don’t lose time to a rejection.
6. How Long Does It Take?
According to Gov24, the standard processing time for a regular Korean passport is 8 days in total.
For services that take 6 days or more, the count includes the application date but excludes Saturdays and public holidays. The most accurate way to know when you can collect your passport is to check with the issuing office or the issuance status lookup on Gov24.
I don’t recommend applying right before departure.
Once you’ve booked flights — or better, before — check your passport’s expiry date first, since every country has different requirements for remaining passport validity on entry.
Even if your passport is still valid, check the entry requirements of your destination alongside your expiry date before paying for flights.
7. Mail Delivery Is Available for In-Person Applications
If you applied in person, you may be able to use the individual mail delivery service in some cases.
The service currently costs 5,500 KRW and accepts card payment only. Delivery takes about 3–4 business days, though it can take longer depending on the region.
However, mail delivery isn’t available if you applied for renewal online.
Think of online renewal this way: you skip the visit to apply, but make one visit to pick up.
How to Check Your Passports Before a Trip
If you have an overseas trip coming up, don’t just look at flights — start by checking the expiry dates of every family member’s passport at once.
- First passport: apply in person.
- Already have an e-passport: check whether online renewal is available.
- Renewing a child’s passport: from 2026, you can apply online through Gov24.
Most important of all is the remaining passport validity required by your destination country.
If you travel abroad with kids often, parents’ and children’s passports expire on different dates, so checking them together before booking flights is the safest approach.
Passport Application and Renewal at a Glance
- Adult first issuance → apply in person
- Adult renewal → online via Gov24 if eligible
- Minor first issuance → apply in person
- Minor renewal → legal guardian can apply online via Gov24 since June 12, 2026
- Adult 10-year passport → 58 pages 52,000 KRW / 26 pages 49,000 KRW
- Processing time → 8 days in total for a regular passport, per Gov24
- Passport photo → taken within 6 months, 3.5 × 4.5 cm