head 53–60 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceNVI / Ministry of Interior of Turkey
Verified
Quick answer: A Turkey passport photo must be 50 × 60 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 53–60% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 50 × 60 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 53–60% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Turkey passport → |
| Pose | Full face, looking directly into the camera, head and shoulders fully visible. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Sunglasses and heavily tinted glasses prohibited; eyes must be fully visible. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 50 × 60 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 5 × 6 cm |
| Inches | 1.97 × 2.36″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 591 × 709 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 1181 × 1417 px |
The Turkish NVİ page on biometric photographs asks for a photograph that is «50 mm × 60 mm, on a white, patternless background», without shadows on the background, taken within the last six months, and warns that photographs of a different size or background can stop the application, and that photographers must be reminded not to cut the photograph to the 35 × 45 mm size used by most countries. The Ministry's second-generation passport instruction adds that the photograph is «taken within the last six months to ICAO standards and biometric», scanned into the system after it is attached to the application form, and that «photocopied or computer-reproduced and non-biometric photographs are not accepted»: face and hairstyle centred and fully visible, the height of the face «between 32 mm and 36 mm, covering 70–80 % of the photograph», eyes open and clear, hair not covering them, looking straight at the camera, head upright, mouth closed, the left and right face lines fully visible from the chin to the hairline, the background «patternless and shadowless — a mid-tone grey for light hair, preferably white for dark hair», even light with no reflection, shadow or red eye, no tinted lenses or sunglasses, frames not covering the eyes, and for a headscarf the face visible from chin to forehead, no shadows on the face and the scarf colour different from the background.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Turkey passport photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules NVI / Ministry of Interior of Turkey publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph cut to 35 × 45 mm or of a size or background different from 50 × 60 mm on white | A 50 × 60 mm biometric photograph on a white, patternless background. |
| A photocopy, a computer reproduction, a non-biometric photograph or a photograph older than six months | A fresh original biometric photograph taken within the last six months. |
| A face height outside 32–36 mm, a face not centred, a turned or tilted head, a smile or an open mouth | A centred, upright head with the face 32–36 mm high, a neutral expression and a closed mouth. |
| Shadows, reflections or red eye, a patterned or shadowed background, tinted lenses or sunglasses, frames covering the eyes | Even light, a plain shadowless background, clear eyes with no tinted lenses. |
| A hat, headgear or object in the photograph, a headscarf that hides part of the face or has the colour of the background | Nothing on the head except a scarf with the face clear from chin to forehead, in a colour different from the background. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 53–60 % of the photo height (32–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 50 × 60 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 4 (2 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 16 (4 × 4) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Turkish passport is applied for in person at a provincial or district population and citizenship directorate in Türkiye, or at a Turkish embassy or consulate abroad, with a printed biometric photograph that is attached to the form and scanned.
nvi.gov.tr — the directorate of your province or district
50 mm × 60 mm biometric photograph on white, taken within six months; ask the photographer not to cut it to 35 × 45 mm.
Authority pageThe website of the Turkish embassy or consulate for your country
The instruction names the embassies and consulates as application centres abroad.
Authority page| Authority | NVI / Ministry of Interior of Turkey |
|---|---|
| Source | Turkey biometric photo requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
The NVİ page gives 50 mm × 60 mm on a white, patternless background, taken within the last six months, and says it must not be cut to 35 × 45 mm.
The passport instruction says the height of the face is between 32 mm and 36 mm and covers 70–80 % of the photograph, with the head upright and centred.
The NVİ page says white; the passport instruction says patternless and shadowless, a mid-tone grey for light hair and preferably white for dark hair. White is the safe choice.
Yes, if the face is visible from the chin to the forehead with no shadows on the face and the scarf colour is different from the background.
The Turkey passport photo must be 50 × 60 mm. The head must occupy 53–60% of the photo height.
Yes. A phone and a light wall near a window are enough. The rear camera is sharper than the front one, so ask someone to take the photo or use a 3-second timer. The tool crops it to size, fixes the background and checks it against the Turkey passport photo rules.
Most passport offices ask for a photo taken within the last six months. It should look like you today: after a new haircut or beard, take a new one.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the Turkey authority — the refund policy page has the details.
Sunglasses and heavily tinted glasses prohibited; eyes must be fully visible. If you keep them on, tilt them slightly downwards by lifting the arms a little above your ears: this usually moves reflections of a window or lamp off the lenses.
50 × 60 mm = 5 × 6 cm = 1.97 × 2.36 inches. At 300 dpi that is 591 × 709 pixels; at 600 dpi, 1181 × 1417 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 50 × 60 mm format and head size apply to: driver's license, ID card (Kimlik).