Get a Turkish residence permit photo in the correct 5×6 cm size in seconds. Take a selfie at home, and our free photo maker crops it, sets a white background and checks the photo against the e-Ikamet rules.
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The Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) asks for a recent biometric photo with every application. Our free AI check validates your photo against each size and quality parameter below.
The Turkish residence permit, known in Turkey as the ikamet, gives a foreign national the legal right to live in Turkey for a set period. Foreigners who plan to stay in Turkey for more than 90 days need one, whether they come to work, study, join family or retire. The ikamet gives legal residency status and access to services such as healthcare and education. Every first application and every renewal includes a photo, so a correct photo is one of the first things to prepare.
The photo for a Turkey residence permit is 5×6 cm, which is 50×60 mm. A print made in a different size for another document will not match this format, so make a photo for this permit. As a digital file, our template is 600×720 pixels at 305 DPI, which prints sharply at exactly 5×6 cm. Your head takes up about 56.7% of the photo height, roughly 34 mm from chin to the top of the head, and the top of your hair sits about 16.7% of the height, roughly 10 mm, below the top edge. Our photo maker places your head at this size automatically, so you don't have to measure anything yourself.
Why do the head size and position matter? The photo on the card is used to recognise you, so the officer needs to see your face large and centred. If your head is too small, the photo shows too much background and shoulders; if it is too large, the top of your hair or your chin is cut off. Both are common reasons a photo is not accepted. A photo cropped by hand on a phone often gets the size right but the head size wrong, which is why we check both.
The Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM, Göç İdaresi) runs the ikamet system. Its e-Ikamet page on the required documents explains the documents that go with the application form. Along with the passport, proof of financial means, health insurance and proof of accommodation, you need a recent biometric photo: a colour photo of your face on a plain white background. Rules can change, so check the official DGMM pages before you submit your application.
The application starts online on the e-Ikamet portal, where you fill in the form and upload your photo. A blurry phone photo, a photo with a coloured wall behind you or a photo in the wrong size is a common reason to redo this step. Our tool gives you a digital photo in the 5×6 cm proportion, with a white background, ready to upload. Keep the file on your phone or computer, because you may need it again later in the process.
Before you upload, open the photo file and look at it at full size. Your face should be sharp, both eyes clearly visible, the background evenly white and the edges of your hair clean. If anything looks off, take a new photo: it costs nothing to try again, and a retake at home is much easier than a second trip to the migration office.
After the online form, you book an appointment and go to the DGMM office with your documents. If you want printed copies for your paper file, print the same photo you uploaded, so the photo in the file matches the photo on paper. To print, use the 305 DPI file and print it at 5×6 cm on glossy or matte photo paper. Cut the photos neatly along the edges, and check that the print is sharp, in colour and the right size before your appointment.
You can print the photo at home or at any photo print shop. The easiest way is to place several copies on a standard 10×15 cm photo sheet: four photos of 5×6 cm fit on one sheet, which gives you spare photos for other forms. When you print, choose "actual size" or 100% scale, not "fit to page", otherwise the printer changes the photo size. After printing, measure one photo with a ruler: it should be 50 mm wide and 60 mm tall. If it is not, check the scale setting and print again.
Turkey issues several types of residence permit, and all of them use the same photo format:
Whichever type you apply for, the photo follows the same 5×6 cm size and the same white background rule. Each type has its own extra documents, so check the list for your type on the DGMM website.
A residence permit can be renewed before it expires, and the renewal works much like the first application: you fill in the form, upload a photo and submit your documents again. Use a new, recent photo rather than the one from your last card, because the DGMM asks for a recent biometric photo each time. Apply early, as overstaying can lead to fines, deportation or a ban on re-entry to Turkey.
Health insurance that covers the length of your stay is mandatory for every residence permit. It can come from a Turkish insurance company or an international provider. The application is mostly in Turkish, though some DGMM offices may help in English. Our photo tool works in English, so at least the photo is one step you can finish without a Turkish form.
A visa and a residence permit are different documents. The ikamet is the permit for foreigners who stay in Turkey for more than 90 days, and you apply for it through the DGMM. A visa is a separate document with its own photo rules, so do not assume a photo made for one fits the other. Our 5×6 cm template is made for the residence permit; for entry, see the visa page linked at the bottom of this article.
The photo is only one part of the file. According to the DGMM, a residence permit application usually includes:
Documents in another language may need a Turkish translation. Put the photos in a small envelope inside your folder, so they stay clean and flat until the officer asks for them.
You may need the same photo in two forms. The digital photo goes into the online form on e-Ikamet; a printed copy is handy for your paper file at the appointment. Make both from one photo file, so they match. Our download gives you a digital photo for the upload and a print-ready photo at 305 DPI, so one photo session at home covers both. Do not scan a printed photo to upload it: a scan loses sharpness and often adds a grey tint to the white background.
Once the DGMM office accepts your file, the residence permit application goes into processing. Processing time varies, and you can follow the status online on the DGMM portal. When the residence permit is approved, you receive your ikamet card. That is one more reason to take a clear, well-lit photo you are happy with: the card is the document you carry and show for the length of your stay. The card must be carried at all times while you are in Turkey.
A good photo starts with light. Stand facing a window during the day, so soft light falls evenly on both sides of your face. Avoid a lamp directly above you, which casts shadows under the eyes, and avoid direct sunlight, which makes you squint. Turn off the flash if the room is bright enough; a flash often leaves a shiny spot on the forehead and red eyes in the photo.
Next, think about the camera. Hold the phone at eye level, about an arm's length away, or better, ask someone to take the photo from one to two metres away. A selfie taken too close makes the nose look larger and the ears smaller, so a photo taken by someone else usually looks more natural. Use the main camera if you can, as it gives a sharper photo than the front camera. Take several photos and choose the sharpest one.
Finally, your appearance. Wear everyday clothes in a colour that stands out from a white background, so your shoulders don't blend into it. Keep your hair away from your eyes and the edges of your face. Take off glasses, hats and headphones. Look straight into the lens with a neutral face, mouth closed and both eyes open, and keep your head level, not tilted.
The appointment at the DGMM office is where you submit your file in person, so it pays to arrive well prepared. Put your documents in the order of the official list, so nothing gets lost in the pile. Bring your passport, your application form and your appointment details. If a document is not in Turkish, bring the translation along with the original. Arrive a little early, as offices can be busy.
Language can be a hurdle. The process runs mostly in Turkish, and only some DGMM offices may offer help in English. If you do not speak Turkish, it helps to write down your application number, your permit type and your address in Turkish before you go, or to bring someone who can translate. Simple preparation like this makes the visit shorter and calmer.
Three documents cause the most questions after the passport. First, proof of financial means: you show that you can support yourself for the whole stay. Second, health insurance: a policy from a Turkish insurance company or an international provider that covers the full length of the residence permit, not just a few months. Third, proof of accommodation, usually a rental agreement in your name. Check the dates on each document against the period you ask for, because a gap between them is easy to miss and slows the file down.
Keep an eye on the expiry date on your card. Overstaying a residence permit can result in fines, deportation or a ban on re-entering Turkey, so apply for renewal well before the end date. Set a reminder a couple of months ahead; that leaves time to gather new documents, take a fresh photo, book an appointment and deal with any request for extra papers.
Plain, everyday clothes work best. Choose a dark or mid-tone top, such as navy, grey or green, which contrasts with the white background; a white shirt can blend into it and make your shoulders disappear. Avoid busy patterns, big logos and shiny fabrics. Small earrings are fine, but large jewellery that catches the light is better left off. Comb your hair and make sure it does not cover your eyebrows or eyes. If you wear make-up, keep it natural, so the picture looks like you on an ordinary day.
After you upload a photo, the tool finds your face, straightens the photo, crops it to the 5×6 cm size and places your head at the right height. It then removes the background behind you and replaces it with plain white. Last, it checks the result: head size and position, a straight pose, open eyes, a neutral expression, even light and a sharp image. If a check fails, you see what to fix before you download, and you can retake the photo for free as many times as you need.
When several family members apply, each application includes its own recent photo, so prepare one for every person, children included, in the same 5×6 cm size on a white background. Take a child's photo with the child lying on a white sheet or sitting against a white wall, take several shots, then pick the one where the eyes are open and the face is straight. Our AI crops each photo to 5×6 cm and replaces the background, so you can make photos for the whole family from home, free of charge.
Numbers like 600×720 pixels and 305 DPI can look confusing, but the idea is simple. Pixels describe the digital file: 600 dots across and 720 dots down. DPI, or dots per inch, tells the printer how tightly to pack those dots on paper. At 305 dots per inch, 600 dots cover just under two inches, which is 5 cm, and 720 dots cover 6 cm. So the same file works on screen and on paper without any resizing on your part. If you open the file in an editor, avoid scaling or compressing it again, since every extra edit can soften the image.
After the download, give the file a clear name, for example with your name and the date, and save a copy somewhere safe, such as cloud storage or email to yourself. Keep the original as it is: do not crop it again, add a frame or send it through a messaging app that compresses images, because these steps lower the quality. If you apply from a phone, check that the file is in your gallery or downloads folder before you open the form, so you can pick it quickly when the upload field appears.
The picture in your file should show you as you look today. If you have grown or shaved a beard, changed your hairstyle a lot, or a child has grown since the last application, a new picture is the safer choice. The application asks for a recent photo, and an up-to-date image avoids doubts when your face is compared with it. Taking a new one at home takes a couple of minutes, so there is little reason to reuse an old print.
Before you upload, hold your phone at arm's length and look at the image as a stranger would. Can you see both eyes clearly? Is the background evenly white, without a grey corner or a shadow behind the ears? Is the face centred, with space above the hair and the chin fully visible? Is the expression calm, with the mouth closed? If the answer to each question is yes, you are ready. If not, retake it now rather than after the appointment.
Young children rarely sit still, so plan for several tries. Choose a time when the child is rested and fed. Lay a baby on a plain white sheet and take the picture from directly above, keeping your own shadow out of the frame. For a toddler, a white wall and a helper who makes a sound just above the camera to catch their attention work well. Hands and toys should stay out of the frame, and the child's mouth should be closed if possible. Pick the sharpest shot with both eyes open and let the tool do the cropping.
If you also need a photo for another document, the photo size may differ. See our Turkish passport photo, Turkish ID card photo, Turkey visa photo and Turkish driving licence photo pages for their size and rules.
Hold the phone at arm's length, camera at eye level, or ask someone to take the photo. Our tool crops the photo to the 5×6 cm size and straightens it.
Look into the lens with a neutral face and your mouth closed. Take off glasses and hats, and keep your hair away from your face.
Face a window for even daylight and avoid direct sunlight, which leaves hard shadows in the photo. The AI replaces the background with plain white.
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Our AI check catches these photo mistakes before you download your photo.
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Don't smile
Mouth open
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No fashion headwear
Head tilted
Shadow behind head
Large earrings
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Use your phone camera or a photo you already have. Everything runs online in your browser.
The tool crops the photo to the 5×6 cm size, sets a white background and checks every requirement.
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The photo size is 5×6 cm (50×60 mm). As a digital file, our template is 600×720 pixels at 305 DPI, with your head taking up about 56.7% of the photo height.
A plain white background with no shadows, patterns or objects behind you. Our photo maker sets a white background automatically.
Only if it is 5×6 cm on a white background and still recent. If your existing photo is a different size, make a new photo in the right size.
Yes. Use daylight, keep a neutral face, take off your glasses, and let our tool fix the photo size, crop and background.
You upload it on the e-Ikamet portal of the Directorate General of Migration Management when you fill in the application online.
The DGMM asks for a recent biometric photo with each application, so take a new photo for a renewal rather than reusing the photo from your old card.
Yes. Each application includes a recent photo, so a child applying with the family needs their own photo in the same 5×6 cm size with a white background.
Yes. The digital photo, the AI check and the download are free; only the optional retouch costs $5.99.
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