Photo requirements
File, size and framing rules, and what makes photos fail.
DS-160
The DS-160,step by step
Everything you need before, during and after the online visa form.
What the DS-160 is
The DS-160 is the online application for every US nonimmigrant visa: visitor, student, exchange, work and transit. You complete it on the State Department's CEAC website before you pay the visa fee and book your interview in Ankara or Istanbul.
Submitting the form is free. Every applicant needs their own DS-160, children and babies included. The answers are compared with your documents and with what you say at the interview, so accuracy and consistency matter more than anything else.
How it works from Türkiye
Complete the DS-160
Fill in the form on CEAC in English, upload your photo and submit it.
Save the confirmation page
After submitting you receive a confirmation page with a barcode. Save it as a PDF straight away.
Pay the visa fee
Pay the application fee through the official appointment system for Türkiye.
Book the interview
Once the payment is registered, choose an appointment at the Embassy in Ankara or the Consulate General in Istanbul.
Attend the interview
Bring your passport, the confirmation page, the payment receipt and your supporting documents.
There is no DS-160 account
The DS-160 has no username or password. When you start, CEAC gives you an Application ID, a 10-character code beginning with AA. Write it down at once together with your security question and answer. Without them you cannot return to a form you have not submitted, and an unsubmitted form is deleted if you do not open it for 30 days.
Have this ready before you start
- Your valid passport, with its number and dates of issue and expiry
- A digital photo that meets the DS-160 rules
- Your travel plans: dates, the address where you will stay in the US, and who pays for the trip
- Your current job or school, and your work and education history
- Details of earlier US visits, previous US visas and any refusals
- Your social media usernames from the last five years
- For students and exchange visitors: your SEVIS ID and the school or programme details
DS-160 photo tool
Crop, size and check your visa photo in your browser. The photo never leaves your device.
DS-160 guides
Short guides for the parts of the form where applicants most often get stuck.
Save and retrieve
The Application ID, the 30-day limit and how to continue later.
Fix mistakes
What you can change before submitting, and what to do after.
Confirmation page
What the barcode page is for and how to keep it safe.
Questions
Does the DS-160 cost anything?
No. The form itself is free. The visa application fee is a separate payment that you make after submitting the form and before booking the interview.
In which language do I fill it in?
In English, using Latin letters. Only the field for your full name in your native alphabet takes other characters.
How long does it take?
Usually one to two hours if you have your documents at hand. CEAC logs you out after about 20 minutes without activity, so save your progress regularly.
Can a family use one form?
No. Each traveller needs their own DS-160 and their own confirmation page, including children.
Can someone else fill it in for me?
Yes, someone may help you, but you sign the form electronically and you are responsible for every answer. The form asks whether someone assisted you.
Prefer not to do it alone?
With the Silver Pass you fill in the DS-160 and we review it before you submit. With the Gold Pass we fill it in together with you.
VISADOX is independent and not affiliated with the US government. The DS-160 is free and is submitted only on the official CEAC website.
Call us now
Türkiye and US toll free, both on WhatsApp · Write on WhatsApp