If you are searching for Turkish visa photo requirements, here is the direct answer: the clearest current Turkish government baseline we found is the Republic of Türkiye Turkish Consulate General in Los Angeles note dated 4 September 2024, which says the biometric visa photo should be 50 mm × 60 mm, on a white, patternless background, with the full face visible, no accessories that hide the face, and a photo date not older than 6 months. The same note adds one detail many search results miss: in the United States, a 2 × 2 inch print is also accepted by that mission. Source: Los Angeles consulate photo note.
That is the best starting point, but it is not the whole story. Some Turkish mission pages still publish different local intake instructions. An official konsolosluk.gov.tr announcement for India, for example, still asks for 2 biometric photos, white background, within the last 6 months, in 2.5 inch × 2.5 inch size. That means the safest rule is: treat the current mission page handling your appointment as final, while using the 2024 Los Angeles note as the strongest current biometric baseline. If you are comparing several visa routes at once, keep your broader file organized with Documents Required for Tourist Visa (2026 Guide) and then apply the Turkey-specific photo rules separately.
| Official source | Exact measurable rule | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Turkish consulate photo note (4 Sep 2024) | 50 mm × 60 mm | Use this as the clearest current Turkish biometric baseline. |
| Los Angeles Turkish consulate photo note | 2 × 2 inch accepted in the USA | U.S.-based applicants do not have to reject a standard American booth print automatically. |
| Los Angeles Turkish consulate photo note | Not older than 6 months | Old passport photos are risky even if the size is right. |
India mission announcement on konsolosluk.gov.tr |
2 biometric photos, 2.5 inch × 2.5 inch | Some missions still post local print instructions that differ from the newer LA note. |
| Barcelona/Kigali sticker-visa system pages | Upload your photo in the Visa Pre-Application flow | Sticker-visa applicants should expect a photo upload and a signed printed form, not just a generic checklist. |
| e-Visa FAQ | Apply at least 48 hours before departure | If you qualify for e-Visa, timing rules still matter even when your photo workflow is lighter. |
At a glance
- Treat 50 mm × 60 mm as the clearest current Turkish biometric baseline.
- In the United States, some Turkish missions explicitly accept 2 × 2 inch prints.
- Some local mission pages still publish different print instructions, including 2.5 inch × 2.5 inch.
- Use a recent photo on a white, patternless background with the full face visible.
Table of Contents
- Turkey visa photo size: why 50 × 60 mm is the current baseline
- Background, face position, glasses, and recency rules
- Where applicants actually upload the photo
- Mission-specific checks before you print anything
- Official sources
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Turkey visa photo size: why 50 × 60 mm is the current baseline
The strongest current official size rule is the 50 × 60 mm specification published by the Los Angeles Turkish consulate in September 2024. The note is unusually useful because it is not just a generic passport page. It explicitly says the guidance applies to visa, Turkish ID, and passport applications.
Two details make that note more valuable than most SEO pages:
- It gives an exact metric size: 50 mm × 60 mm.
- It recognizes a U.S.-specific real-world exception: 2 × 2 inch is commonly used in the United States and is accepted there.
Inference from the official Turkish pages: if you are filing through a different mission, you should not assume the U.S. print exception travels with you. That is especially important because other Turkish mission pages still show other local print sizes.
Here is the simplest way to think about it:
- Default Turkish biometric baseline: 50 × 60 mm
- U.S. mission carve-out: 2 × 2 inch may still work at the Los Angeles post
- Mission-level override: always read the page for the mission or visa application center where you will appear
If you want the multi-country overview first, Visa photo requirements (2026): size, pixels, background is the best cross-route companion. It helps keep Turkey, Schengen, UK, and U.S. photo rules from bleeding into each other.
Background, face position, glasses, and recency rules
Once the size is correct, most Turkish visa photo problems come from composition, not paper measurements.
According to the 4 September 2024 Los Angeles consulate note, the photo should meet all of these checks:
- Full face visible and hair must not cover the face
- Sharp focus with correct contrast
- Head not tilted and not turned to either side
- Neutral facial expression with closed lips
- White, patternless background
- Eyes fully visible
- No glasses, earrings, hats, or other accessories that block the face
- Not older than 6 months
- The same rules also apply to children and babies
These are the kinds of quiet details that trigger avoidable intake problems. A print can be the right size and still fail because the background is textured, the face is slightly turned, or the photo looks older than the current appearance.
The official sample above matters because it shows the practical meaning of “full face visible” better than a generic text-only checklist.
The five numbers and rules worth memorizing
These are the most useful quotable facts from the official Turkish pages used in this article:
- 50 × 60 mm is the clearest current consular baseline for Turkish biometric visa photos.
- 2 × 2 inch is explicitly accepted by the Los Angeles mission in the United States.
- Your Turkish visa photo should be taken within the last 6 months.
- Some local mission pages still require 2 biometric photos rather than a single uploaded image plus form.
- Tourist passports on the Indian mission page are expected to be valid for an additional 6 months beyond the duration of visit.
That last point is not a photo rule, but it belongs in the same pre-submit check because people often discover both the passport-validity issue and the photo issue too late.
If your goal is not only a compliant portrait but a cleaner overall file, pair this page with Visa Document Mistakes: Hidden Errors That Cause Refusals before you upload anything.
Where applicants actually upload the photo
Turkey has two very different application paths:
- Sticker visa through a mission or visa application center
- e-Visa for eligible nationalities and travel documents
The official Turkish sticker-visa instructions are clear that applicants use the Pre-Application System of Turkish Sticker Visa and upload their photo and other required documents there. A Turkish mission page for Kigali says applicants should “fill up the forms and upload your photo as well as all the documents required,” then download and sign the pre-application form before the appointment. Source: Kigali mission instructions.
That matters because the phrase “Turkish visa photo requirements” can mean two different tasks:
- digital upload quality during pre-application
- printed biometric photo handed over at an appointment, if that mission still asks for it
The e-Visa flow is different. Türkiye’s official e-Visa FAQ says eligible travelers can apply online and are advised to do so at least 48 hours before departure. Source: e-Visa timing FAQ. The official eligibility FAQ also makes clear that only listed nationalities and travel documents qualify. Source: e-Visa eligibility FAQ.
Inference from the official sources: this article is most important for sticker-visa applicants, because those are the Turkish government pages that explicitly discuss photo upload and printed biometric-photo handling.
No official Turkish MFA YouTube explainer for the biometric photo rule itself surfaced during research. The official Ministry of Foreign Affairs video below is still useful if you qualify for the e-Visa route, because it shows the government’s online visa workflow from the official channel. Use the mission pages above, not the video alone, for the exact printed-photo and upload rules that apply to sticker-visa cases:
Mission-specific checks before you print anything
This is the section most other articles skip, and it is where Turkey becomes tricky.
The Turkish government’s own pages are not perfectly uniform across missions. Here are two official examples:
| Turkish government page | Photo wording | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles consulate note, updated 4 Sep 2024 | 50 × 60 mm, U.S. 2 × 2 inch accepted, white background, no accessories, within 6 months | Best current biometric baseline for a Turkish visa photo article |
India mission announcement on konsolosluk.gov.tr |
2 biometric photos, white background, within 6 months, 2.5 inch × 2.5 inch | Strong reminder that your appointment page can still override generic expectations |
The India announcement also says visa applications can be submitted as early as 6 months before the travel date, and that tourist passports should be valid for an additional 6 months beyond the duration of visit. Source: India mission announcement.
So the safest workflow is:
- Start with the 2024 Los Angeles biometric note to understand the current Turkish baseline.
- Open the exact Turkish mission or visa-application-center page for your city or country.
- Follow the local page if it gives a more specific print count, paper size, or appointment instruction.
- Keep the rest of your evidence pack separate from the photo rules so a Turkey-specific exception does not spill into your other visa files.
If you are also preparing a European file, photo requirements for German visa is a useful comparison because Germany’s Schengen route usually sits on 35 × 45 mm, not Turkey’s current 50 × 60 mm biometric baseline.
Related guides
If you're checking photo compliance before filing, these companion guides help:
- Korean Visa Photo Size: Exact Specs for 2026 Applications
- Brazilian Visa Photo Size: eVisa + Consulate Rules
- Visa photo requirements (2026): size, pixels, background
- Travel Visa Checker: What to Verify Before You Submit
Official sources
- Republic of Türkiye Turkish Consulate General in Los Angeles, “Guidelines on biometric photo for visa, Turkish ID and passport applications”: https://losangeles-cg.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/ShowInfoNote/411309
- Turkish Consular Services announcement, India mission requirements and procedures: https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/Home/ShowAnnouncement/339693
- Turkish Consular Services announcement, new online pre-application visa procedure: https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/Home/ShowAnnouncement/248017
- Turkish mission instructions for Kigali (upload your photo in the pre-application system): https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/Home/ShowAnnouncement/390835
- Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visa information for foreigners: https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa
- Türkiye e-Visa FAQ, recommended application timing: https://evisa.gov.tr/en/info/how-long-before-my-travel-date-should-i-apply-for-e-visa/
- Türkiye e-Visa FAQ, eligibility list: https://evisa.gov.tr/en/info/who-is-eligible-for-e-visa/
- Turkish Embassy in Santiago announcement linking to the official e-Visa walkthrough video: https://santiago-emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/ShowAnnouncement/349621
FAQ
What is the current Turkish visa photo size?
The clearest current Turkish government baseline is the 4 September 2024 Los Angeles consulate note, which says the biometric visa photo should be 50 mm × 60 mm. If your mission page gives a different local print instruction, follow that appointment page. Source: Los Angeles consulate note.
Can I use a 2 × 2 inch photo for a Turkish visa?
If you are applying through the Los Angeles Turkish consulate, yes: that official note says 2 × 2 inch is commonly used in the United States and is accepted there. Do not assume that exception applies everywhere outside the U.S. Source: Los Angeles consulate note.
How many photos do I need for a Turkish visa application?
It depends on the mission workflow. An official Indian mission announcement still asks for 2 biometric photos, while other Turkish mission pages emphasize uploading your photo during the pre-application step first. That is why the local mission page matters. Source: India mission announcement, Kigali pre-application instructions.
Does a Turkish visa photo need a white background?
Yes. The current Los Angeles Turkish consulate note says the background should be white and patternless, and the photo should show the full face without shadows. Source: Los Angeles consulate note.
How recent should the Turkish visa photo be?
The Turkish consulate note in Los Angeles says the photo must not be older than 6 months. The Indian mission page used in this article repeats the same within the last 6 months rule. Sources: Los Angeles consulate note, India mission announcement.
Do e-Visa applicants need the same Turkish visa photo workflow?
The public e-Visa FAQ pages focus on eligibility and timing, not on printed biometric photo instructions. Based on the official pages reviewed here, the strict photo-upload and mission-appointment workflow is most relevant for sticker-visa applicants. Sources: e-Visa timing FAQ, e-Visa eligibility FAQ.
Conclusion
The safest way to handle Turkish visa photo requirements is to start from the clearest current Turkish government baseline: 50 × 60 mm, white background, full face visible, no face-blocking accessories, and a photo taken within 6 months. Then do the second check most applicants skip: open the exact Turkish mission page where you will apply and see whether it still asks for 2 printed photos or a different local print size.
If you want the same rigor across the rest of the file, not just the portrait, review how Vidicy works and then create your account when you are ready to stress-test the rest of your documents before submission.