Residence Permit in Turkey

Residence Permit in Turkey 

Residence or residence permit in Turkey is an official document issued by the Directorate of Immigration in Turkey and given to people wishing to reside and live in Turkey legally, provided that they enter legally through land, sea or air crossings into Turkish territory.   

The type of residence varies according to its purpose, and we will explain all its types and conditions for applying for residence in Turkey.

Advantages of obtaining residence permit in Turkey : 

  1. Staying legally within Turkish territory. 

  2. The possibility of subscribing to the water, electricity, heating and gas meter. 

  3. The possibility of obtaining a work permit in the future. 

  4. The possibility of entering Turkey without the need to issue a visa. 

  5. Facilitating the process of obtaining a Schengen visa. 

  6. The possibility of opening a bank account in Turkey.

  7. Obtaining a Turkish driver's license.

  8. The possibility of entering some countries without a visa. 

Types of residence permits in Turkey 

The type of residence varies according to the purpose of the stay. The types of residence in Turkey are classified into: tourist residence, student residence, real estate residence, family residence, work residence, permanent residence, humanitarian residence, therapeutic residence, commercial residence, residence after graduation from the university. 

We will discuss all the conditions and advantages of these residence types in detail.


Tourist residence permit in Turkey

It falls under short-term stays, and tourist residence is the most common type of residence in Turkey and can be extended permanently.

Entering legally and applying for residence within the visa period only are the conditions for obtaining a tourist residence. 

Advantages of tourist residence permit in Turkey: 

  1. Stay legally 

  2. Entering Turkey without the need for a visa. 

  3. The possibility of renewing the tourist residence easily. 

  4. The cost of tourist residence in Turkey is low. 

  5. The possibility of issuing a work permit. 

  6. Assistance in obtaining a visa when you want to travel outside Turkey. 

  7. Obtaining a Turkish driver's license.

  8. The possibility of opening a bank account in Turkish banks. 

  9. Obtaining an identity number, and the possibility of extracting the electronic portal code in Turkey. 

Documents required to extract and renew tourist residence permit in Turkey: 

  1. Form of booking the date of tourist residence in Turkey.

  2. Health insurance.

  3. A copy of the passport and entry stamp. 

  4. Residence card fees and residence tax. 

  5. 4 personal photos. 

  6. Tax number. 

  7. A rent contract certified by the Noter.


Student residence permit in Turkey

Also called university residence in Turkey, this residence is granted to students registered in universities licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Higher Education (Presidency of the Turkish Higher Education Council)

Advantages of student residence permit in Turkey: 

The student residence shares with the tourist residence all the advantages, and the following features are added to it: 

  1. The possibility of granting student residence for a period of two years or more in the first application. 

  2. Students do not pay the residence tax, the residence card allowance is paid only. 

  3. Most universities allow submitting a residence file within the university without the need to review the immigration directorates. 

Documents required to extract and renew student residence permit in Turkey: 

  1. Form of booking a student residence appointment in Turkey.

  2. Health insurance.

  3. A copy of the passport and entry stamp. 

  4. Residence card fees. 

  5. 4 personal photos. 

  6. Tax number. 

  7. A rent contract certified by the notary, or a document issued by the student housing. 

  8. student document (Öğrenci Belgesi).


Real estate residence permit in Turkey

It falls under short-term residencies and real estate residency is granted to foreigners who own properties worth more than 75,000$.

The advantages of real estate residence are shared with the tourist residence in Turkey, and the following features are added to it: 

  1. The possibility of renewing the real estate residence easily. 

  2. Granting real estate residence for a renewable period of two years. 

Documents required to renew real estate residence in Turkey: 

  1. Form of booking a real estate residence appointment in Turkey.

  2. Health insurance.

  3. A copy of the passport and entry stamp. 

  4. Residence card fees and residence tax. 

  5. 4 personal photos. 

  6. Tax number. 

  7. A copy of the title deed.

  8. Earthquake insurance 


Family residence permit in Turkey

Family residence in Turkey is granted to both foreigners married to a person with Turkish citizenship and married to persons who have a work permit in Turkey and their children, and the duration of the family residence is linked to the duration of the work residence in this case. 

Advantages of family residence permit in Turkey: 

First: In case of marriage to a Turkish person: 

Family residence and tourist residence in Turkey share the same advantages, in addition to the possibility of applying for Turkish citizenship after 3 years have passed since obtaining family residence. 

Second: Spouse and children of the person obtaining the work permit: 

There are no additional advantages over the advantages of tourist residence. 


Work residence permit in Turkey

Persons residing in Turkey and working in Turkish companies, whether the company is owned by Turks or foreigners can apply for a work residence after both the company and the person meet the conditions for obtaining a work residence.

Advantages of working residence permit in Turkey: 

The work residence shares with the tourist residence all the advantages, and the following features are added to it: 

  1. The possibility of applying for Turkish citizenship after 5 years of the work permit. 

  2. The rest of the family members obtain family residency.

  3. Registration in the Turkish Social Guarantees Authority. 

  4. The work residence helps greatly in obtaining a European visa (Schengen visa). 

Required papers and conditions for obtaining a work permit in Turkey:

  1. Tourist residence valid for at least 3 months.

  2. Passport translated and certified by the Notary in Turkey.

  3. Notarized rent contract from the Noter. 

  4. Personal photos. 

  5. Pay the residence card fees and tax in case of approval of the work permit. 

  6. The company is required to have 5 Turkish workers for each foreigner.

Note: The application for the work residence is made by the company and its chartered accountant, unlike other residencies, the person cannot apply for the work residence himself, and obtaining the work residence is linked to the company's fulfillment of all conditions and the company's capital and its payment of all financial dues on a regular basis. 


Permanent residence permit in Turkey

People who have completed staying in Turkey for 8 years can apply for permanent residency. 

Conditions for obtaining permanent residence permit in Turkey: 

  1. Stay in Turkey for 8 years legally.

  2. Proof of sufficient income for living.

  3. A document proving that the person has not received social assistance in the last 3 years.

  4. Health insurance.

  5. Copies of the previous residence.

  6. A document that is not sentenced (not committing any previous crime)

  7. Rent contract, title deed or proof of housing from the Directorate of population 

  8. Personal photos. 

  9. Application form for permanent residence.


Humanitarian residence permit in Turkey

This residence permit is granted to passport holders without regard to its validity period, provided that the residence file is rejected and unable to renew residence in Turkey. It is granted to refugees coming from war countries only. 

Reasons for refusing to residence permit in Turkey 

  1. Not attaching all the required documents completely. 

  2. Book the appointment after the expiry of the previous visa or residence period.

  3. Those entering Turkey illegally are not granted residence permits.

  4. Violation of the conditions of residence in Turkey.

  5. Disturbing security and committing crimes in Turkey.

  6. The existence of judgments for previous crimes in Turkey or abroad.

  7. For individuals of nationalities who are not required to have a visa to enter Turkey, do not pay the visa allowance before applying for residency.

  8. Providing the residential address in areas that are not allowed to foreigners such as Fatih and Esenyurt, and neighborhoods and areas prohibited to foreigners are permanently updated through the website of the Directorate of Immigration in Turkey.

  9. In case of that the previous visa or residence period expires and leaves Turkey before the evaluation of the residence file is completed. 


Medical residence permit in Turkey

This residence permit is granted to foreigners coming for treatment at Tukey, and a reservation is required in a Turkish hospital. 


Commercial residence permit in Turkey

This residence permit is granted to businessmen wishing to establish business relations with Turkish companies, and its duration is only 3 months.


Residence after graduation from the university in Turkey

Students who have completed their university studies in Turkey can apply for a short residence permit for 6 months to complete the graduation procedures from the university.


Duration of receiving residence permit in Turkey

The Central Directorate of Immigration in the capital, Ankara, sends the residence card to the person through the post centers, and the residence assessment is completed between 15 and 90 days as a maximum. 

Renewal of residence permit in Turkey

All types of residence in Turkey can be renewed when the conditions are met.

Those wishing to renew their residence permit must submit their applications before the expiry of the previous residence period to avoid rejection of the renewal application, those wishing to renew their residence permits can be submitted 60 days before the end of the residence. 

Documents required to renew residence permit in Turkey:

There are no additional conditions for renewal of residence, the same documents must be submitted when renewing the residence application.

How to apply for residence permit in Turkey

  1. Book an appointment to obtain residency.

  2. Preparing health insurance.

  3. Notarization of the rent contract or housing document.

  4. Extracting the tax number and paying both the card allowance and the tax.

  5. Preparing 4 biometric photos.

  6. Preparing a copy of the passport and visa, if any, in addition to the last entry stamp to Turkey.

  7. Going to the date of residence on the specified date, preferably at least an hour before the time of the appointment.

  8. When the papers are handed over to the immigration officer, he will hand you an official document or stick the reference number on your passport. 

  9. Follow up the status of the application through the website. 

Additional documents requested from families with children under 18 years of age.

In case of that the whole family submits the residence file in the presence of both the father and the mother, a legal guardianship document is requested from the father to the mother or from the mother to the father. 

In case of that one of the parents is outside Turkey, he is required to have legal guardianship of the person in Turkey.

In both cases,children are granted residency based on the residence of their guardian. 

This guardianship can be conducted in the notary departments spread in Turkey and do not need any additional documentation when conducted in Turkey, as for the legal tutelages that were issued from outside Turkey, they need either to document the consulate of the country from which they were issued or they are documented with international documentation Apostil and then translated into Turkish and certified by the notary public in Turkey.

Health insurance for the issuance and renewal of residence permit in Turkey

The immigration directorates require attaching a health insurance document to apply for residence in Turkey from the age of 18 to 65 years. 

The health insurance policy for foreigners in Turkey is not required for children under 18 years old and the elderly over 65 years old. 

There are many companies that provide health insurance services and this service is divided into 3 types as follows: 

  1. Health insurance for residence in Turkey: 

These companies offer the service of issuing a health insurance policy for foreigners in Turkey at reduced prices, but this type of health insurance does not include treatment in Turkish hospitals except for a small percentage. But it is the first and most requested option from foreigners in Turkey wishing to apply for residency.

  1. Universal health insurance: 

This type of health insurance can be provided in the residency file, in addition to benefiting from the discounts provided by both government and private hospitals, which reach 90 percent of the value of treatment, this type of insurance is considered high costs and reaches more than 15 times the first type. 

  1. Turkish social guarantees: 

This health insurance benefits both workers in Turkey and students of the Turkish scholarship, and it can be used in the residency file on the one hand, and it can be used in treatment services in Turkish hospitals in general. 

Health insurance prices in Turkey

Health insurance prices in Turkey vary every year, and vary according to the company and the age of the person . 

The age of 18 to 35 is the least expensive in health insurance prices, and the cost increases with age to reach its peak for people from 60 to 65 years old. 

Important note: Imtiyaz, thanks to its relations with insurance companies in Turkey, grants a discount of up to 50% to its customers on the value of health insurance for foreigners in Turkey.

Your short and useful guide to applying for residence permit in Turkey

  1. Choose the appropriate type of residence for you, if you come with a study, commercial or therapeutic visa, you cannot apply for a tourist residence. 

  2. Book the appointment of residence before the expiry of the visa period in case of applying for the first time, and before the end of the residence period in case of an extension of stay. 

  3. Students are exempted from paying residence tax in all Turkish states. 

  4. Students who study the Turkish language, whether in private centers or Turkish universities, cannot obtain study residency, with the exception of students registered in Turkish universities at various academic levels, but studying the preparatory year for the Turkish language. 

  5. Violators and married to a Turkish person can obtain family residency, provided that their entry into Turkey is legal with a stamp on the passport. 

  6. Prepare the residence papers before the appointment date, but if the residence papers are not completed on the appointment date, go to the appointment and you will be given an additional period to complete the papers. 

Discounts and advantages of applying for residence permit in Turkey with Imtiyaz

  1. A highly experienced staff in applying for residency in Turkey and following up on legal affairs in Turkey on an ongoing basis.

  2. Obtaining a discount of up to 50 % in health insurance services for foreigners in Turkey. 

  3. Benefit from the service packages provided by Imtiyaz Company (you can review the service packages via the following link) 

  4. Completing all document translation operations thanks to the presence of 5 certified translators. 

  5. Complete all procedures in the shortest time in one place only. 

Frequently asked questions about residence permits in Turkey:

  1. What is residence in Turkey? 

It is a document that is granted to foreigners wishing to legally reside in Turkey, and it has several types, most notably: tourist residence, student residence, work residence. 

  1. What are the conditions of residence in Turkey? 

The conditions of residence vary according to their type, but there are several common conditions, including the documented rent contract, personal photos, residence card fees, date of residence, health insurance.

  1. What is the cost of tourist residence?

The cost varies according to age, ranging from 50 to 300 dollars. 

  1. What is the cost of student residence in Turkey?

The cost of student residence ranges from 50 to 100 dollars. 

  1. Is it possible to renew the tourist residence in Turkey?

Yes, the tourist residence can be renewed periodically, provided that the required documents are completed and the rules not violated.

  1. Is it possible to obtain a work permit without obtaining a tourist visa?

Theoretically, it is possible to obtain a work permit without a tourist visa, but in practice it is not possible due to the very difficult conditions for obtaining a work permit without a tourist residence.

  1. Is it possible to obtain student residence permits for students who study Turkish without university admission? 

A university admission and a student document are required to obtain student residence in Turkey, students who study Turkish in universities can apply for tourist residence according to the item of learning the Turkish language

  1. Is it possible to obtain a tourist residence for those who entered Turkey according to a study visa?

It is not possible for those who entered according to a study visa to apply for a tourist residence, it is required to apply for student residence first, and the type of residence can be changed in the future.

  1. Is it possible to obtain a student or family residence permit to enter according to a tourist visa to Turkey?

Yes, it is possible to obtain family residence or student residence for those who entered according to the tourist visa to Turkey. 

  1. Is it possible to obtain real estate residency for those whose real estate value does not exceed 75,000$?

Unfortunately, according to the last amendment issued in 2022, the price of the total real estate must be at least 75,000$ to obtain real estate residence.

  1. What are the reasons for refusing tourist residence in Turkey?

There are several reasons, including: filling in the data during renewal incorrectly, using a fake address, attaching false documents, invalid passport, invalid health insurance, breach of security, committing a crime in Turkey or abroad. 

  1. What are the residence offices in Turkey?

There are many offices specialized in applying for residence in Turkey and completing all procedures for different types of residences, you must choose a suitable residence office with a good reputation to apply for residence by it in order not to cause refusal to reside in Turkey. 

  1. Is it possible to obtain a tourist residence permit for those who entered Turkey illegally?

Foreigners who entered Turkey illegally cannot obtain a tourist residence permit in Turkey.

  1. Is it possible to open a bank account for those who have a tourist residence?

Yes, holders of tourist residence can open bank accounts in Turkey.

  1. Is it required to have a residence permit to establish a company in Turkey? 

The residence is not requirement to establish a company in Turkey, companies can be established according to the passport only.

  1. Is it possible to register in Turkish universities, whether public or private, without having a Turkish residency?

Yes, Turkish universities do not require a residence permit to register in them.

  1. Can certificates be equivalenced without having a residence permit in Turkey?

The high school diploma can be equivalenced without residency, but the university certificate cannot be equivalenced without a Turkish residency. 

  1. What is the duration of the evaluation of the residence application? 

The residence application is evaluated within a maximum period of 90 days. 

  1. How can I know the status of the residence application?

You can inquire about the residence application through the website of the Directorate of Immigration in Turkey or by calling 157. 

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