Turkey Biometric Photo Size
50×60 mm, ICAO 9303
Author: Gözde Ural
Content editor at PhotoID Studio: visa and passport specifications
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How should a Turkey passport photo look?
Turkey does not use the 35×45 mm Schengen size. The official format is 50×60 mm on a white background. The same dimension applies to Turkish citizens for passport, ID card, driving licence and firearms permit, and to foreigners for residence permit and Turkish visa applications. For customers arriving from abroad, this difference is often a surprise.
Photo Size
50×60 mm
Head Ratio
55-75%
Eye Position
56% from bottom
Top Margin
4-6 mm
Background Color
White
Standard
ICAO 9303
Requirements & Notes
Turkey's biometric photo size is 50×60 mm, which is larger than most countries. Background must be white. Glasses must be removed.
The institutions that set the spec
The standard is published by the General Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs (NVİ) under the Ministry of Interior, and is aligned with ICAO 9303. The same 50×60 mm format is used by the Passport Department of the General Directorate of Police, the traffic branch (driving licences), the licence branch (firearms) and the Directorate General of Migration (residence permits). The photo must be submitted within six months of the capture date.
Workflow after the shoot
The captured frame is sent to PhotoID Studio and the Turkey preset is selected. The app detects the face, levels the eyes horizontally, cleans the background to pure white, and crops the output to 50×60 mm at 300 DPI. Two copies are laid out automatically on 10×15 cm photo paper and the print goes to the printer with one click. If a Schengen or US format is needed from the same frame, the preset is simply switched.
Capture setup and direction
Seat the customer 1.5-2 m in front of the white backdrop with the shoulders parallel to the camera. The camera is mounted on a tripod and the lens stays at eye level. Standard setup: a 50-85 mm portrait lens, f/8 aperture, a softbox at 45°, a reflector on the opposite side. The customer is given the cue "chin slightly back, mouth closed, jaw relaxed, eyes fully open". No smile. Glasses: NVİ explicitly bans tinted and sunglasses lenses. Clear glasses are not technically forbidden, but glare is the most common rejection cause; studios recommend taking them off. For a customer in a headscarf, the forehead, eyebrows and chin line must remain visible.
Reasons for rejection at NVİ and police appointments
• The background is not pure white: cream, grey or tinted backdrops are not accepted. • Wrong format: a 35×45 mm Schengen print is rejected for Turkish procedures. • The head is too small in the frame; a wide portrait cropped from a phone photo. • Glasses glare or tinted lenses. • Hair or a headscarf covering the forehead, eyebrows or face line. • A hard one-sided shadow under the chin or on the cheek. • An archive frame older than six months from the capture date.
For studios shooting passport, ID card and driving licence photos in Turkey
Turkish studios are the first stop in civil registry, passport and driving licence processes. In provinces with heavy visa traffic, the same customer also asks for a US, Schengen or UK format. The PhotoID Studio Turkey preset locks the 50×60 mm white background and the head ratio; multiple country formats can be produced from the same frame in seconds.
Used For
- National ID Card
- Passport
- Driver's license
- Visa application
- Residence permit
- Firearms permit
- Military service certificate
- Student ID
- Stadium entry card
- Security guard ID
- Press card
- Blue card
Official Sources
Official websites where Turkey biometric photo size and requirements are verified:
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the Turkish biometric photo size in centimetres?
5×6 cm (50×60 mm). The same size is valid for the Turkish ID card, passport, driving licence, residence permit and firearms permit.
- How large should the head be in the Turkish photo?
The NVİ official spec does not state an exact percentage. In practice the head fills about 70-80% of the frame; the preset calibrates this automatically.
- Which format should a foreign customer use for a residence permit?
The same 50×60 mm. Turkey does not accept the Schengen 35×45 mm size for residence or visa procedures.
- Can both Turkey 50×60 mm and Schengen 35×45 mm be produced from one session?
Yes. From the same frame, two separate outputs are generated by switching the preset; the customer prepares photos for two documents in one session.
- Can the photo be taken with clear prescription glasses?
It is not banned, but glare is the most common rejection cause. To stay safe, studios recommend removing the glasses; tinted and sunglasses lenses are absolutely forbidden.
Create Turkey Biometric Photos
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