Marriage in Turkey: Standard or Biometric Photo, and How Many? Rules by Municipality

Standard or Biometric Photo for a Marriage in Turkey?

There is no single answer, because the municipality's list decides the type. Article 20 of Turkey's marriage regulation asks only for a “vesikalık fotoğraf”, a standard ID photo, in the marriage file; it does not say biometric and gives no size. The municipalities say three different things: Adana Metropolitan writes that “biometric photos are not accepted”, Üsküdar that “biometric photos are not valid”, Çankaya rejects “large biometric pictures”, while Osmangazi in Bursa asks for the “features of a biometric picture”. Eight of the twelve lists read state no type at all.

In NVİ's definition a biometric photo is “50 mm x 60 mm, on a white and plain background” (NVİ Istanbul, in Turkish). The practical rule: if the list rejects biometric photos or only says “vesikalık”, prepare a 4.5×6 cm (45×60 mm) standard ID photo; if it says “biyometrik”, a 5×6 cm (50×60 mm) biometric one; if unsure, call the marriage office. Details are on the biometric vs standard ID photo page.

How Many ID Photos for a Marriage? 3, 4 or 5 per Person

The municipality also sets the number; the regulation gives none. NVİ's marriage procedures page (in Turkish) speaks of “four photos to be given each”, but the regulation in force contains no such number. Most lists still ask for four: eight of the twelve say 4, Kadıköy and Üsküdar 5, Osmangazi in Bursa 3, and Selçuklu in Konya gives no number.

Turkish forms such as “4'er”, “5'er” or “3'er” mean the number applies to each spouse, so where four per person are asked the couple brings eight. Kadıköy writes “5 adet” and Çankaya “4 Adet” without saying whether that is per person or per couple; ask there before you apply. Mind copies too: Kadıköy says “photocopies or photos duplicated on a computer are invalid”, and Nilüfer does not accept copied pictures either. Instead of scanning an old print, get a new print from its file on photo paper: guide to copying ID photos. Numbers for other documents are in the guide to how many ID photos you need.

What Should a Marriage Photo Look Like? The Rules and the Headscarf

The rule is in the fifth paragraph of Article 20, amended in 2014: the photo must be “in colour and frontal with the head uncovered, taken in civilian clothes and, to show the person's current appearance, taken within the last six months.” So it is in colour, faces the camera, shows the head uncovered and civilian clothes, and is at most six months old. There is no separate rule for size, background or expression, and none of the lists read names a background colour.

The exception is in the same paragraph: “Headscarf photos of women are also accepted provided that the forehead, chin and face are uncovered.” Ankara Metropolitan asks for a photo showing “the forehead, chin and face completely”, Çankaya “provided the forehead and chin are uncovered”. Tie the scarf just above the forehead and keep the eyebrows and chin clear; technique and examples are in the headscarf rules guide.

Civilian clothes exclude uniforms; Çankaya rejects “photos in uniform” explicitly. There is no rule for a suit or a colour; a plain top that stands out from the background works well, see the clothing and colour guide. Where a municipality asks for biometric, a white background and a neutral expression are also required. The frames below show the most common mistakes in ID photos.

Does the Health Report Need a Photo? The Photo in the Family Booklet

The second photo question in the file is the health report. Most municipalities want it with a photo: Ankara Metropolitan asks for a “health report with a picture, approved”, Üsküdar for a report “with a photo, stamped and signed”, Çankaya for one stamped and signed over the picture, and Adana, Esenler, Osmangazi, Selçuklu and Antalya also mention a report with a photo.

The report's photo falls under the Health Reports Regulation, in force since 19 May 2026. The premarital report is issued by the family doctor with whom one of the couple is registered, or by another doctor, when the couple apply together, and it is approved electronically. The photo is taken with a camera at the health facility; in primary care, such as at a family doctor, taking one is not even mandatory, and the regulation does not ask for a printed photo. If the municipality wants a “report with a photo”, tell the doctor from the start or ask the municipality.

The photo's last stop is the family booklet: under Article 55 “the photos of the wife and husband are glued side by side on the first page of the family booklet”, so prepare both in the same size. At the application you show an ID card with a photo (Article 18), and Nilüfer does not accept a worn one; if you renew your Turkish ID, the Turkish ID card photo must be 50×60 mm biometric.

How Do You Prepare the Marriage Photos? Two People, One Order

In the wizard, pick the document by the list: the 45×60 mm standard ID photo for a municipality that rejects biometric photos or only says “vesikalık”, the 50×60 mm biometric photo for one that asks for biometric. The AI sets the size and head ratio and whitens the background; it checks light, expression, gaze and glare on glasses for free before payment and shows point by point what does not pass. In a headscarf photo, also check yourself in the preview that the forehead and chin stay clear.

Add your partner's photo to the same order: each photo is analysed separately and printed on its own sheet, with one payment and one package. In both sizes one 10×15 sheet gives 4 photos. A print order arrives on professional photo paper, cut and shipped; a digital file stays on the order page in your account, so if an extra photo is needed you re-download the sheet.

Do the Photo Rules Change When Marrying a Foreign National?

No. Under Article 12 of the regulation, if one spouse is a foreigner the marriage is performed by municipal marriage offices and population directors, and the principles and procedures for Turkish citizens “also apply to foreigners”; the colour, frontal, six-month photo rule is the same for a foreign spouse. Üsküdar says so plainly: “the health report and ID photos will be requested from the foreign national at the time of application.”

What changes is the paperwork. The foreigner's certificate of capacity to marry must be issued by the competent authorities of their country or its mission in Turkey and be “duly certified”; documents from honorary consulates are not acted on (Article 20). For a spouse who does not speak Turkish, the marriage officer can use an interpreter, whom the couple bring to the ceremony (Article 27). Üsküdar asks people to get the details from its marriage office “since the required documents may differ for each country”, and does not accept a foreigner without a visa or residence permit. The residence permit photo is a separate rule: Turkish residence permit photo.