Turkish passport photo: 50 × 60 mm, not 35 × 45

What should you ask your photographer for?

NVI's archived "Biyometrik Fotoğraf Özellikleri" guidance sets out biometric photo requirements based on ICAO standards.

NVI says you can have biometric photos taken at any photographer.

You can use this request:

"Please take a biometric photo for a Turkish passport or ID, 50 mm × 60 mm, with a plain white background and no shadows. Please do not cut it to 35 × 45 mm."

That last instruction comes directly from NVI's warning to applicants.

Photos with the wrong dimensions or background can stop your application. An ID card can also fail quality control and be cancelled, requiring you to apply again.

How do you check your finished passport or ID photo?

Use this single checklist when requesting the photo and reviewing the print. It covers image requirements and print dimensions, including the rules for glasses and headscarves. It also includes the requirements for young children's photos.

Measure the print: 50 mm × 60 mm. Confirm both dimensions. Do not accept a print cut down to 35 × 45 mm as the Turkish format. NVI specifically asks you to remind the photographer about this cutting mistake.

Check when the photo was taken: within the last 6 months. If you plan to use an existing photograph, check its date before arranging another print.

Check the background: plain white, without shadows. Look for any pattern or shadow behind you. Review the background separately from your face, because NVI has lighting requirements for both.

Check your position and framing. Your face must be centred and fully visible, together with your hairstyle. NVI publishes no head-size number.

Check your eyes and direction of gaze. Your eyes must be open and clearly visible, with no hair covering them. You must be looking straight at the camera.

Check the lighting on your face. Light must fall evenly, without reflections or shadows. There must be no red-eye.

Check colour and clarity. The photo must be sharp, with good contrast, neutral colours and a natural skin tone.

If you wear glasses, check the lenses and frames. Your eyes must remain clearly visible. There must be no reflections on the lenses, and the frames must not cover your eyes. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are not allowed.

If you wear a headscarf, check the full visible face. Your face must be visible from the tip of your chin to your forehead. The scarf must not cast shadows on your face.

Check accessories and, for children, everything else in the frame. Apart from glasses or similar accessories you have to wear, NVI excludes items such as hats, caps and pipes. For a young child's photograph, no other people or objects may appear.

Inspect the physical print. There must be no stains or creases.

Keep the checklist with your finished photo for a final review.

Which mistakes need a closer look?

A correctly composed photo cut to the wrong size. This is the specific mistake behind NVI's 35 × 45 mm warning. Tell the photographer before printing and measure the result afterward. If you are abroad, keep the request tied to the Turkish passport or ID dimensions.

Glasses or a headscarf that obscure the required features. With glasses, check whether you can clearly see the eyes through reflection-free lenses. With a headscarf, check the face from chin to forehead and look for facial shadows.

A child's photo with a helper or object still visible. The rule covers the whole photograph, not only the child's face. Before using the print, inspect the area around the child for another person or any object.

For a browser-based check, pixtidy checks your photo without uploading it and makes a 50 × 60 mm print. Its head-size framing is its own, not an NVI measurement.

Common questions

Can you use a 35 × 45 mm photo for a Turkish passport or ID? Use 50 × 60 mm instead. NVI explicitly warns against cutting biometric photos to 35 × 45 mm, and incorrect dimensions can stop your application.

Can you wear glasses or a headscarf? Glasses must leave your eyes clearly visible, without reflections or frames covering the eyes; tinted lenses and sunglasses are not allowed. A headscarf must leave your face visible from chin to forehead without facial shadows.

Can someone hold a young child in the photo? No other people or objects may appear in the photograph. If someone helps position the child, check that neither the helper nor any object is visible in the finished image.

Does NVI specify a head-size measurement? NVI publishes no head-size number. pixtidy uses its own framing for the head size.

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