Turkey Residence Permit (ikamet izni)

How to stay in Turkey longer than 90 days?

Turkey Residence Permit is for foreigners who wish to stay in Turkey over then 90 days. Residence permits issued by Immigration Authorities (İl Göç İdaresi) in Turkey give foreigners the right to living in Turkey legally as a foreigner. Turkey ikamet izni for foreigners does not replace a work permit, foreigners who want to work in Turkey must obtain a work permit.

After applying for Turkey immigration office appointment, it usually takes 30 days to receive the result. You can apply for a residence permit yourself or you can apply for a residence permit with the help of a lawyer. If you have entered Turkey legally and meet the necessary conditions, you can apply for a residence permit. It should be noted here that people who stay in Turkey illegally cannot apply for a residence permit.

Below we have explained in detail the necessary conditions for a residence permit.

We will explain to you detailed imformations about Documents required for Turkish residence permit;

Types of residence permit in Turkey

Let’s start by explaining how many types of residence permits there are in Turkey. There are 6 types of residence permits that you can apply for in Turkey. You can apply online by choosing the one of these residence permits whose conditions suit you. You must be logged in to Turkey for online application, it is not possible to apply from abroad.

In this article, we will give you information about residence permits and after reading our article, we will give you information that will make your job easier, such as residence permit costs, residence permit application process, residence permit application guide.

Turkey residence permit application guide

How to get a residence permit in Turkey?

Foreigners who wish to stay in Turkey with a residence permit are required to make a pre-application online at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/. After the pre-application, they will be given an appointment time and place. Then, the persons have to prepare the necessary documents for the residence permit until the appointment day. On the appointment day, people go to the appointment place with the necessary documents and physically submit their documents to the provincial immigration authorities.

After the necessary documents are submitted on the appointment day, the evaluation process of the Provincial Migration Administration begins. If the evaluation is positive, the residence permit card is sent to the address of the person by PTT cargo.

Turkey residence permit application guide is VERY DETAILED: How to Apply for a Residence Permit in Turkey?

Cost of applying for a residence permit

Fee amount tax : 2000-3000 Turkish Lira
Card fee: 810 Turkish Lira
Private health insurance: 3000 Turkish Lira
Other Items : Renting a house for an average of 30.000TL per month, lawyer’s fee ranging between 300 – 500 USD (if the application will be made with a lawyer)

How much does a residence permit cost : COST OF OBTAINING A RESIDENCE PERMIT IN TURKE

How long does it take to get a Residence Permit

How long do I have to wait after applying for a residence permit?

Residence permits are usually finalised within 30 days in Turkey.

After foreigners enter Turkey in accordance with the law;
Foreigners whose visa expires or who will stay in Turkey for more than 90 days must apply online to the Provincial Immigration Authorities before the end of their legal stay and make a residence appointment through the e-residence system. On the appointment date, the necessary documents should be prepared and the documents should be submitted to the Provincial Immigration Administration by being ready at the appointment place in person.

After applying for a residence permit, an appointment is given approximately 2 weeks later. After submitting our documents to the immigration administration on the appointment date, the result is notified to us approximately 2 weeks later. Accordingly, residence permit applications are finalised within 30 days in Turkey.

How Long Are Residence Permits Issued?

There are 6 types of residence permits. As a rule, there are residence permits for different periods according to each type of residence permit. In addition, the right to make a final assessment in the regulation of residence permit periods belongs to the Provincial Immigration Administration(Göç İdaresi).

Short-Term Residence Permit:
In practice, it is seen that it is generally given as 1 year.

Family Residence Permit: Family Residence Permit can be 1 year. Family Residence permit cannot exceed the duration of the sponsor’s residence permit.

Student Residence Permit Periods: It must be equal to the student’s education period.

Humanitarian Residence Permit: 1 year.

Long-Term Residence Permit: Long-term residence permits are issued indefinitely. There is no time limit.

Residence Permit and Health Insurance Condition

Individuals must have valid health insurance before applying for a residence permit. There are several ways for a person to have health insurance in Turkey. Generally, foreigners take out private health insurance for the duration of the residence permit they will request.

How to make health insurance for foreigners?
The foreigner can go to any insurance agency and get his/her health insurance, or he/she can search by “yabancı sağlık sigortası” on google and can easily get his/her insurance from some reliable insurance agencies online.

Exit from Turkey after application

The application for a residence permit must be made from within Turkey. However, you do not have to stay in Turkey while waiting for your residence permit result.

The first thing to be said is that people can go abroad with their application documents after the residence permit application is made and while they are in the evaluation process. While people are in the waiting process, even if they do not have an identity card, they can enter and exit abroad with their application documents.

With the application document, people can enter and exit Turkey for a maximum of 15 days each time.

Document proving sufficient and regular financial means for the duration of the residence permit Turkey

IMPORTANT UPDATE

The Immigration Administration announced at the beginning of January 2025 that, starting from this date, documents proving financial income must be included in the application documents for extension applications. Individuals applying for a tourism residence permit or other types of residence permits must include a document showing bank transactions from the past three months as proof of financial income in their application file.

Your residence permit application can be obtained from the preliminary approval unit even without a financial income declaration. The preliminary acceptance unit may not be very careful in checking the documents due to high volume. However, if your financial income statement is not in the file, it will be rejected when the file is reviewed by experts. Applying for a residence permit without a financial income statement is a waste of your time and money.

HOW TO PROVE FINANCIAL INCOME FOR A RESIDENCE PERMIT?
Methods for Proving Financial Income
You must go directly to the bank and obtain a bank statement with a wet signature and stamp. Your regular income may include regular interest income from the bank, regular rental income, salary income, etc. To prove this, you must request documents from the banks that were issued within the last 3 months and show the last 3 months. Larger sums of money held in the bank are considered suspicious by the Migration Directorate. The criterion sought by the Migration Directorate is sufficient income deposited regularly into the bank for at least three months. The Migration Directorate views larger sums of money deposited into the bank with suspicion, as they may have been deposited using someone else’s money.

As a general rule, you must have an income equivalent to the monthly 1,5 minimum wage. As of the date this article was written (April 2, 2025), this amounts to 22,104.67 TL. However, you should not rely solely on this figure, and if you have more money, you must prove it to the Migration Directorate.

Legal basis:
For short-term residence permit applications, a regular and stable income is required pursuant to Article 15 of Law No. 6458.

Is a letter of undertaking from third parties sufficient as proof of financial income?
A letter of undertaking provided by third parties (foreigner guest undertaking letter) is not sufficient for proving financial income for residence permit applications. The foreigner guest undertaking letter is only useful for indicating the address of the person. Support from a third party is accepted only if the person is an immediate relative who has a legal right to stay in Türkiye.

What Should I Do If My Residence Permit Application Is Rejected?

Recent Developments Regarding Residence Permit Rejections in Türkiye

In recent days, it has been observed that individuals who have lived in Türkiye for years with a tourism residence permit without any issues are now facing rejections due to insufficient proof of financial income.
If you have applied for a residence permit for years without any problems, starting from March 2025, if you fail to provide financial income documentatio, your application will be definitively rejected under the new policies of the Directorate General of Migration Management.
⚠️ Important Note: Your application must be submitted according to the details we have explained above.

Objection to Residence Permit Rejection
Where to File an Objection?
Objections can be submitted in Istanbul at the objection unit located in Kumkapı.
How long does it take for an objection to be concluded?
Objections are typically concluded within 1.5 months.
Does filing an objection delay your obligation to leave Türkiye within 10 days?
No. Even if you object to the rejection, it does not give you the right to stay in Türkiye. You must wait for the result outside the country.

Filing an Administrative Lawsuit Against the Rejection
Can I file a lawsuit?
If you have a valid and justifiable reason, filing an administrative lawsuit is recommended. However, if you do not, filing a lawsuit against the rejection will only result in a waste of time and money.
Does filing a lawsuit allow me to stay in Türkiye? What if I request a stay of execution (injunction)?
Filing a lawsuit does not delay your required departure from Türkiye. Filing a lawsuit does not give you additional legal stay rights. The result of the lawsuit must be awaited outside of Türkiye.
Do not trust anyone who says: “We will file a case, and you can stay in Türkiye during the process.”
Even if you file a case with a request for a stay of execution, in practice, you still cannot obtain a residence permit. You must wait for the administrative court’s final decision.
🔹 Note: In practice, unless there is a very strong reason, courts do not grant a stay of execution in residence permit rejection cases.

Frequently Asked Questions [Residence Permit]

Lawyer Cihat BALTAŞ

Lawyer Cihat BALTAŞ graduated from Police College in 2006, Police Academy in 2010, Yalova Law Faculty in 2016 with a degree and has worked and specialised in foreign law throughout his professional life. Cihat BALTAŞ, who is currently working as a lawyer in Kadıköy, Istanbul, is the founder of BaltaşGlobal law and consultancy office.

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