Türkiye id card photo
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The requirements
| Print size | 50 x 60 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height, chin to crown | 70-80% The Interior Ministry circular that covers identity card, passport and driving licence photographs requires the face and hairstyle to be centred and fully visible and says the height of the face must be between 32 mm and 36 mm and cover 70 to 80 percent of the photo. The millimetre pair matches a 45 mm tall photo, so only the ratio is carried here. |
| Background | Plain background with no pattern and no shadow. White is preferred for dark hair, a mid tone grey for light hair. |
| Glasses | Allowed, as long as the eyes are fully visible with no glare and no tint. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Allowed, as long as the whole face is visible. |
| Ears | No |
| Photo age | 6 months |
| Also required |
|
Turkiye uses one biometric photograph standard for the identity card, the passport and the driving licence; the 2018 Interior Ministry circular says so explicitly. The pages and the regulation that describe the identity card photograph do not repeat a size, so the 50x60 mm here is the size NVI publishes for that same biometric photograph on its passport FAQ. Treat the size as sourced for the Turkish biometric photograph in general rather than quoted from an identity card page. Conflict to be aware of: the circular gives the face height both as 32-36 mm and as 70-80 percent of the photo, which only agree on a 45 mm tall photo, so this spec keeps the ratio. The circular PDF is a scan with no text layer, so its wording was read from the page images. Applicants who have completed fifteen must apply in person and the photograph is returned after scanning.
Applying in Türkiye
Türkiye is one of the countries where a photo you prepared yourself is genuinely useful. The General Directorate of Civil Registration and Nationality asks for one biometric photograph taken within the last six months, and you bring it with you. There is no accredited photographer scheme: NVİ states plainly that a biometric photo can be taken at any photographer's. Applications are made in person at a provincial or district civil registry office by appointment, and a representative cannot apply on your behalf.
The important difference here is the size, and NVİ publishes it as a warning rather than a specification. The photo is 50 by 60, on a white background with no pattern, and there must be no shadow on the background. The warning is not to cut it to 35 mm by 45 mm, which is the size most of the world uses. NVİ asks applicants to remind photographers of exactly this, because a photo submitted at the wrong size or on the wrong background either stops the application from being completed or causes the card to be cancelled at quality control.
The second common failure is about the copy rather than the photo. NVİ states that photocopies, computer-duplicated images and non-biometric photographs are not accepted, so scanning a single print to make more of them does not work, and neither does enlarging an old frame. A photograph is required at every age. Biometric data is collected from age seven, and biometric data together with a signature from age twelve.
Why photos get rejected here
The photo was cut to 35 by 45 mm
Türkiye uses a different size and NVİ warns about this specifically. A wrong size or background stops the application from being completed, or gets the card cancelled at quality control. Tell the photographer the size before they cut.
A photocopy or a computer-duplicated image
NVİ excludes photocopies, computer-duplicated photographs and non-biometric portraits explicitly. Scanning your one remaining print to make copies is not a solution; a new print is needed.
A background that is not white, or is patterned
The requirement is plain white with no pattern. Wallpaper texture, a colour gradient or a light grey wall does not satisfy it.
Shadow on the background
Photographs taken against a wall put the subject's shadow beside the head and make the background uneven. Standing a metre clear of the wall removes it entirely.
Reflection on lenses, or tinted glasses
NVİ requires the eyes to be clearly visible: no reflection on the lenses, no tinted lenses or sunglasses, and frames that neither cover the eyes nor are thick enough to.
A photo older than six months
The rule is the same for the passport and the identity card: taken within the last six months. A good photo from before that date cannot be used.
What helps
Tell the photographer the size
The warning comes from NVİ itself: do not cut to 35 by 45 mm. Saying that sentence at the counter is what prevents a wasted appointment later.
One photo is enough
An ordinary passport application asks for a single biometric photograph. There is no need to print a full sheet.
Pay the fee before the appointment
The fee and the booklet charge can be paid at a tax office, at PTT, at agreed banks or through ivd.gib.gov.tr. Arriving with the receipt shortens the appointment.
Ask about the student exemption
Students are exempt from the fee for an ordinary passport up to age 25, with no age limit for those studying abroad. In that case only the booklet charge applies.
Check the age rule for an identity card
A photograph is required for the identity card from the age of 15. For under-15s, a card without a photograph can be applied for through e-Devlet.
Babies and young children
A photograph is required at every age, babies included. NVİ states separately that for young children no other person or object may appear in the frame, which means a supporting hand must be out of shot. We did not find a published relaxation for infants on expression, gaze direction or open eyes, and because we did not find one we are not claiming it exists. If you photograph at home, lay the baby on their back on a plain white sheet and shoot from directly above. Biometric data is collected from age seven, and biometric data with a signature from age twelve. Where one legal representative cannot attend, a muvafakatname is required.
Glasses
Glasses are not banned, but the conditions are specific: the eyes must be fully visible, there must be no reflection on the lenses, tinted lenses and sunglasses are excluded, and the frame must not cover the eyes or be thick enough to. Reflection is the condition people fail, because it comes from the lighting rather than the eyewear and is usually invisible on a phone screen. Removing the glasses satisfies all four at once. The identity card guidance uses the same wording: the forehead, face and chin must be clear, and tinted lenses or sunglasses are not used.
Head covering
A photograph with a headscarf is explicitly accepted, and NVİ writes the condition as its own sentence: in photographs with a headscarf the face must be visible from the tip of the chin to the forehead, and no shadow may fall across the face. The covering itself is not the issue; concealing or shadowing the face is. Hats, caps and similar objects are not accepted. In practice two things are enough: set the covering back far enough that the forehead is uncovered, and photograph in window light rather than under a ceiling fitting, because an overhead source turns any fold of fabric into a shadow across the eyes.
Applying online
The appointment is booked online but the photograph is handed over as a print, and we found no route for uploading it. No pixel or file size limits are published on this page for that reason. Printed passports are delivered by PTT courier: according to NVİ, within 1 day to 56 provincial centres, 2 days to other provincial centres and at most 4 working days to district centres. An undeliverable passport waits 10 days at the PTT branch.
Questions about Türkiye photos
What size is a Turkish biometric photo, and why is it not 35 by 45 mm?
Türkiye uses its own size, and NVİ asks applicants to remind photographers not to cut prints to 35 mm by 45 mm. Applications submitted at the wrong size cannot be completed, or the card is cancelled at quality control.
Can any photographer take the photo?
Yes. NVİ states that a biometric photo can be taken at any photographer's, so there is no accredited photographer scheme as there is in Germany and France. Preparing and printing the photo yourself is also possible.
Can I scan an existing photo to make copies?
No. NVİ states explicitly that photocopies, computer-duplicated images and non-biometric photographs are not accepted.
Why is the Turkish passport fee quoted as two separate amounts?
Because it is a government charge plus a separate booklet charge. On 2 September 2026 the official tariff page showed 13,410.40 TL in fees plus a 1,351.00 TL booklet charge for a passport of more than three years and up to ten, a total of 14,761.40 TL. Shorter validities cost less, and the figures change often, so check the current tariff before paying.
How long does delivery take?
NVİ states that after printing, PTT delivers within 1 day to 56 provincial centres, 2 days to other provincial centres and at most 4 working days to district centres. Undelivered passports are held at the PTT branch for 10 days.
Is a photo needed for the identity card as well?
From the age of 15, yes: one biometric photograph taken within the last six months. For under-15s a card without a photograph can be applied for through e-Devlet, though a photo is required if the card will be used as a travel document.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
- T.C. Kimlik Karti islemlerichecked September 2, 2026
- Kimlik Karti, Pasaport ve Surucu Belgesinde Kullanilacak Fotograflar, circular of 14/03/2018, no 23948304-111.99-E.33059checked September 2, 2026
- Pasaport hizmetleri sikca sorulan sorular (passport service FAQ)checked September 2, 2026
- Turkiye Cumhuriyeti Kimlik Karti Yonetmeligi, article 9checked September 2, 2026
Reviewed by Editorial teamHow we check our numbers