ADDRESS REGISTRATION FOR FOREIGNERS
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Author: Attorney Cihat BALTAŞ / Istanbul / 25.02.2025
How to register my adress in Turkey ?
How to register my adress in Turkey? Address registration for foreigners and address registration procedures in Turkey are carried out by The Civil Registry Office(nüfus müdürlüğü) and Migration Administration (göç idaresi), and the first institution to apply for foreigners is the “Migration Administration(Göç İdaresi)”.
If the address is not empty, if there are names already registered at the address, then you need to contact The Civil Registry Office (nüfus müdürlüğü) after The Migration Administration (Göç İdaresi). However, you must first apply to The Migration Administration (Göç İdaresi), you cannot go directly to The Civil Registry Office. You must follow this application steps; first The Migration Administration, second The Civil Registry Office.
What is the legal basis for registering a foreign person in the address system?
In this case, article 26 of the Foreigners Law and article 22/12 of the YUKK implementation regulation should be taken into account.
Persons who have obtained a residence permit or residence permit from abroad must apply to the immigration office and register in the address registration system within 20 days at the latest from their entry into Turkey.
In addition, people who have obtained a residence permit in Turkey must register with the address registration system within 20 days at the latest after their residence applications are positive and they receive their residence documents. To register in the address registration system, it is necessary to apply to the Migration Administration.
If you are obtaining a residence permit for the first time in Turkey, you must register your address within 20 days at the latest after your residence permit is approved and your card is received. If you do not register your address within the legal period, you may be subject to an administrative fine.
How to Register an Address for Foreigners?
Foreigners must first have a foreign identity number in order to register their address. After obtaining their residence permit documents, foreigners can go to Migration Administration(Göç İdaresi) and register their addresses there.
Required documents for address registration:
1- Lease contract from notary (the contract must be written by a notary,It will be done inside the notary, an example is below)
2- Invoice issued on behalf of the person who will register the address (one of the electricity bill, natural gas bill, water bill) Note: Internet invoices are not accepted, but it has been seen that they are accepted in some mandatory cases.
3- Photocopy of title deed and DASK (earthquake insurance)
4- Residence permit card photocopy
These documents are generally required; the required documents vary in cases such as if the person is a student, if the person will stay with a friend, or if the person will stay with his/her spouse. You can find the answer that suits you from the frequently asked questions tab below or from the comments and ask your questions to us.
Exceptions to address registration for foreigners?
1- I want to register with a friend who is a tenant?
You have a friend who lives in rent (foreign or Turkish citizen does not matter) and you want to register yourself next to this friend.
In this case, first of all; The house/flat must be suıtable for the number desired to be recorded and not crowded at home. In other words, in the house/flat you want to register, there should be a link for you to live in humanitarian conditions. Immigration officers will not register you at this address if there are enough people staying at home.
Secondly: In the rent contract, your name must appear in the tenant section, together with the name of the person with whom you are registering the address. -No, you cannot have a lease agreement between yourselves, you must have a notarized lease agreement.
Third: The person with whom you will register your address will come with you to the immigration office and sign.
Fourth: Last two months’ bill(water,natural gas or electric) and settlement certificate(yerleşim yeri belgesi) in the name of the person you will register an address with.
Fifth: photocopies of ID cards for both people going to the immigration office.
Sixth: Dask certificate for the house
2-I have a friend who owns a house/flat and I want to register with him ?
First of all, the address of the landlord must be registered at the address where the house/flat is located. Your landlord friend must give a Foreign Guest Undertaking (taahhütname) from the notary public. If the landlord is married, his/her spouse must also be named in the Foreign Guest Undertaking (taahhütname).
Secondly: Together with the landlord, the address registration is made by going to The Migration Administration.
Third: Last two months invoice and settlement certificate in the name of the person you will register the address with.
Fourth: Photocopies of ID cards for both people going to The Migration Administration.
Fifth: a copy of the landlord’s birth certificate “nüfus kayıt örneği” need from e-devlet (it will be checked whether the landlord is single or married)
Sixth: Dask certificate and copy of title deed for the house (DASK VE TAPU)
Note1: You need to pay attention to the closed address rule. Closed areas.
Note2: For the Wife/Husband of a Turkish citizen, the closed area and the requirement of having a name on the lease contract at the notary is not required. You can register with your marriage certificate or a document proving your marriage and other documents.
3- Spouse of a Turkish citizen (officially marriage)
The documents listed above are not required in this case. A Turkish citizen can register his/her spouse at an open or closed address. The Turkish citizen must go to the Migration Administration(Göç İdaresi) with his/her spouse and take the following documents with him/her;
a) Certificate of Settlement(Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi) of the Turkish citizen –What is a certificate of settlement?
b) Bill on behalf of a Turkish citizen
c) Marriage certificate or a document proving that he/she is married
d) Photocopies of identity cards of spouses
Assistance from a lawyer : Our BaltaşGlobal law office supports you in address registration. If you want to register your address with the help of a lawyer, you can get a price quote from our office contact information. Your detailed questions and information requests are subject to a fee in accordance with the scope of the attorneyship law. Please do not ask detailed questions for free. We have tried to help you with very high quality information in a very detailed way in the comments and in our article. If you are happy with the information and want to support us, you can comment to us from google.
How can I get which invoice
In short, in order to register their address, foreigners must register the electricity, natural gas or water bills of the flat they live in in their names.
There is an order of application for invoices.First natural gas (İGDAŞ), not electricity or water
Important; for individuals to receive the electricity and water bill in their own name in Istanbul, they must first have address registration documents. In this respect, foreigners who do not have an address record will not be able to take the electricity and water bill on themselves.
Foreigners who want to make a bill subscription must first apply for natural gas subscription, then water and electricity subscription.
How ı can get natural gas bill on my name?
People need to know the invoice installation number (Tesisat numarası) in order to receive natural gas invoices. They can go to the İGDAŞ Directorate with an old invoice and lease contract of the flat and have the invoice subscription procedures done there. Note: The subscription contract is sufficient for address registration, people do not need to wait for the invoice to come home.
Example of natural gas bill.
The translation of the following article lists the documents required for electricity subscription:
1- Certificate of residence
2- DASK insurance
3- Old bills no.
4- Ikamet card number
A sample of a rental contract drawn up at a notary (people should not make a rental contract among themselves and have it notarized, Migration Administration (Göç İdaresi) want rental contracts drawn up in a notary public. Must be written by notary officers. Must be in the notary template
Important!!!
With the documents listed above, address registration can be made by making an appointment with the provincial immigration authorities during working hours in Istanbul. With the update made on 24.06.2024, it is necessary to make an appointment to register an address.
“Migration Appointment System” has been switched to an appointment system since 24.06.2024. Foreigners are required to make an appointment through the migration administration appointment system for address registration.
Appointment can be made at the relevant address; https://randevu.goc.gov.tr/#/
Read and learn how you can make appoitment from online ; Guide to making an appointment
Where to Register an Address for Foreigners?
Unlike Turkish citizens, foreigners must first apply to the Provincial Immigration Administration(Göç İdaresi) for address registration. Provincial Immigration Administrations(Göç İdaresi) can only register to empty addresses. Namely; If the place where the foreigner wants to register an address has already been registered on behalf of a person, then the provincial immigration administrations(Göç İdaresi) cannot register the address by deleting the previously registered names, and in this case, it is necessary to go to the population directorate to register the address.
In summary, people have to go to the provincial immigration administrations first. Provincial immigration officials will check your address and if there are people registered at your address, they will tell you to go to the District Population Directorate where your address is located. In this case, you need to go to the District Population Directorate and change your address. It is necessary to make an appointment separately when going to the district population directorate. You cannot apply directly to the district population directorates, you have to go to the provincial immigration administrations first, and after the provincial immigration administrations write to the population directorates, you can go to the district population directorate(Nüfus Müdürlüğü).
An appointment must be made from the population office(Nüfus Müdürlüğü).
Appointments should be taken from https://randevu.nvi.gov.tr/ – other population events tab (Diğer Nufus Olayları).
What happens if you do not register your address?
The penalty for not registering an address is an administrative fine (need to pay money for goverment). If it is determined that the person has not registered his/her address, he/she will be penalized with an administrative fine.
In addition, it is not possible to make transactions in banks or government institutions in Turkey without registering your address. When it is time to extend your residence permit, you will not be able to extend your residence permit if your address is not registered. Among the residence permit extension documents, the settlement certificate required after address registration is required.
Do you have any questions? Please feel free to contact us from the contact section. Your questions are answered confidentially and quickly.
Places Closed to Address Registration
On 19.10.2022, the Provincial Immigration Administration published a new announcement in addition to the above-mentioned list, making some districts in Istanbul completely closed to residence permits.
Districts Closed to Foreigners Address Registration:
*Avcılar
*Bahçelievler
*Bağcılar
*Başakşehir
*Esenler
*Esenyurt
*Fatih
*Küçükçekmece
*Sultangazi
*Zeytinburnu
Exceptions;
Persons who already have a residence permit and are still residing in closed districts can continue to reside at their registered addresses. In addition, people who have a residence permit before and reside in closed districts can apply for an extension at the same address within the legal period.
Foreigners who have come for treatment in Turkey can write closed district addresses if they give the hospital where they will stay. People who will be treated have to document that they will be treated in the hospital.
In addition, there is no difference between short-term residence permits and short-term residence permits in terms of ARTICLE 31/1-j. “Purchase of a house for at least 400.000 USD”. Foreigners who will purchase a house worth at least 400,000 USD and apply for a short-term residence permit before applying for citizenship are exempt from this address restriction.
Residence permit applications of students studying at universities in the closed counties are exempt from this address restriction.
Things to be careful when renting a flat in Turkey?
Address Registration Appointment
For address registration, it was previously possible to go directly to the immigration authorities without an appointment. However, with the amendment made on 24.06.2024, foreign persons who will register their address must make an appointment at https://randevu.goc.gov.tr/#/. It is no longer possible to go to the immigration authorities without an appointment.
How will you take your appoitment from Göç İdaresi? We explained for you detailed with photos, please click : https://www.baltasglobal.com/en/migration-management-appointment/
The paper on the side is taken from the wall of the migration administration centers.
In summary, it says that you are only entitled to 1 appointment in 30 days.
Which immigration office will you be registered?
UPDATE!!! – With the change made on 05.10.2024, you can now register your address by going to any immigration office in Istanbul. Example: A person living in Fatih can register their address by making an appointment at Pendik Migration Management.
The lists of immigration authorities that we have given below are no longer valid.
Maximum number of foreigners can register in the same flat?
In cases where foreigners do not rent a flat in their own name in Turkey, they can register their address with a friend or a relative. However, there are some situations that should be considered when registering an address with other people. At the beginning of these, it should be checked how many foreigners are registered in the house where the address registration will be made.
The article of law or regulations do not specify how many people can be registered in the flat. In other words, there is no written rule regarding how many foreigners can be registered in a flat. Authorised persons who register addresses at the Immigration Administration are authorised to take initiative and make an assessment on this issue, and immigration officers will evaluate the situation of the person who will register.
In practice, a maximum of 3 foreigners are registered in the same house. However, if the house has 4 rooms, 4 foreigners can also be registered. However, the registration of 4 foreigners in a flat with 3 rooms is not done by the Migration Management Officers. In any case, if there are more than 5 registered persons living in a flat, foreigners are not registered in this house. When registering a foreign address, the immigration officers look at the number of people living in the flat from the system and make an assessment according to how many rooms the flat has.
Attention All Foreigners Registering Address
It is a legal obligation to register your address within 20 days after obtaining a residence permit. If you do not register your address within 20 days, there is no sanction in practice. However, you cannot extend your residence permit, open an account at the bank, or register your child for school without registering your address in Turkey.
When you register your address, do not register at an address where you will never live. Do not rely on those who find you a fake address and register your address to unreal addresses where you will never live.
Approximately 2 months after you register your address, the police will check your home and check whether you are really at the address.
We share the warnings made by the Migration Management (Göç İdaresi) with you. These posters were prepared by the Migration Management (Göç İdaresi) , not by BaltasGlobal:
FAQ?
Does it have to be an empty house? I have a rental contract and two other people are also living there and registered already. Immigration has not been able to register me – and the Nufus also has not been able to. So must I rent an empty apartment or can I continue with my current rental agreement?
I don’t think you should rent a new house. You need to provide more detailed information to understand your situation. You can get more detailed information about your question by sending a message to our Whatsapp contact number.
Hi,
I was denied last week of address registration at the Provincial Administration of Immigration as my lease contract was dated September 2021 although there is stipulation of automatic renewal. They still wanted me to submit a new contract but our landlord refuses to issue a new written one.
Would be grateful for an advice on how to proceed.
Thanks.
Hı, I can actually give you information by examining your documents. You can send us your documents via our Whatsapp.
Hello, I am a foreign student and I had registered my address in Edevlet two years ago. This year I renewed my ikamet and it came positive but the address has been removed from my edevlet account! What should I do to get it back? I am living in the same apartment and I have also have a bill on my name.
Hello,If everything is normal,you will re-register your address.
Make an appointment with the migration office. You can go with your rental contract, utility bill and ID card to register.
Your lease must be notarized.
We can only find out from the migration office why your registration was deleted. If the police came to your home and could not find you, it may be difficult to register again.
Hello, i want to ask if i need taahatütname or not ,my student id will finish soon and i changed my adres , the new house is under my friend (turkish, egyptian) name so does she needs to go with me to the noter and make this paper or i can go directly with her to change the adres and take nufus to reapply for kimlik, because i did this before with my turkish flatmate and we didn’t need to go notarized any paper.
Hello
There is new rules about adress registration. Your friend cant give you taahhütname in thıs situation. You need to put your name the contract with your friend.Taahhütname is okey when your friend is owner of flat. And your friend need to come with you.
Hi, I have a question and a comment.
Question: how long does it typically take for Immigration Directorate to send address change notification to Population Directorate; how will an applicant know when this process is complete?
Comment: I understood change of address notification as a legal requirement but only to inform after the fact (ie göç website states “no less than 20 days after..”), not to seek prior approval; however, there are severe restrictions on appointments and long waiting times, while the inability to obtain electricity or water subscriptions for up to a month or maybe even longer places the foreign resident in danger of health issues, and restricts basic human rights such as access to potable water, while risking breach of immigration rules regarding accommodation being required to offer appropriate living standards. Additionally, prospective landlords may not be prepared to wait until the tenant has jumped through all these hoops before they can move in.
All foreigners in İstanbul should have been alerted to these changes beforehand in my opinion. My life has been turned upside down for the past 3 weeks all because I had no idea about any of this nonsense despite having lived here more than 5 years.
I hope someone with deeper pockets than mine will take the Immigration Department to court!
Hı, Thank you for your comment.
Immigration Directorate (Göç İdaresi) sends a paper to Population Directorate(İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü). And this paper says “… person will come and please make her/hım adress registiration” and generally after sent thıs paper, you can make appoitment from Population Directorate(İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü) and go there and registered your adress. Generally it depends about time, but generally after sent paper you can go Population Directorate(İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü) one week later. And when you go to Population Directorate(İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü), if your document is full, you can complete the registeration.
This progress not an application, it is ended in one day.
for more information please feel free to ask questions via our whatsapp number.