A method for inserting and extracting a fingerprint based on a wavelet is disclosed. The method includes: a) decomposing an original image into a first sub-band image having low frequency band columns and rows, a second sub-band image having high frequency band columns and low frequency band rows, a third sub-band image having low frequency band columns and high frequency band rows and a fourth sub-band image having high frequency band columns and rows by performing an n-level discrete wavelet transformation on an original image; b) obtaining a human visual system model from the first sub-band image; c) generating an N×N fingerprint basic block by performing a message modulation on a multi-bit fingerprint signal with a security key and adding a synch pattern to the modulated signal; d) repeatedly inserting the fingerprint basic block in to the second, the third and the fourth sub-band images with reference to the human visual system model; and e) generating a fingerprint inserted image by performing an inverse discrete wavelet transformation on the first sub-band image and the fingerprint basic block inserted second, third and fourth sub-band images.