Turkey Residence Permit (ikamet izni)

Turkey Residence Permit (ikamet) / Author: Lawyer Cihat BALTAŞ / 12.11.2024

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Turkey Residence Permit (ikamet) is a document issued for foreigners who wish to stay in Turkey over then 90 days. Residence permits issued by Provincial Immigration Authorities(İl Göç İdaresi) in Turkey give foreigners the right to live in a certain time and place within the borders of Turkey. Residence permit does not replace a work permit, foreigners who want to work in Turkey must obtain a work permit.

After applying for a residence permit, 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;

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.

There are 6 types of residence permits in Turkey:

SHORT-TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT

There are 14 types of short-term residence permits that you can apply for in Turkey. Tourism residence permit, which is usually applied by foreigners in Turkey, is one of the 14 types of residence permits. People who visit Turkey usually suitable for only the conditions of Tourism residence permit and apply for this residence permit.

Types of short term residence permits:
1- Foreigners who will come to Turkey for scientific research purposes
2- Foreigners who have a house in Turkey.
3- Foreigners who will establish a commercial connection or business;
4- Foreigners who will participate in the vocational training programme
5- Foreigners coming to the country within the framework of international agreements or foreigners coming for education or similar purposes within the framework of Erasmus programmes
6- Foreigners coming for tourism purposes
7- Foreigners coming for treatment
8- Foreigners who are required to stay in Turkey by a judicial or administrative decision or upon their request.
9- Foreigners who will apply for a short-term residence permit with the elimination of the family residence permit requirement
10- Foreigners who will attend courses in Turkey to learn Turkish
11- Foreigners who will participate in education, research and courses in Turkey with the scholarship of their own state
12- Foreigners who graduated from university in Turkey.
13- Those who will not work in Turkey but will invest in the amount and areas to be determined by the state and their spouses and children will be able to apply for a residence permit
14- Residence permits are issued for citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for a maximum period of five years

For detailed information about these residence permits : Short Term Residence Permit 2024

For the necessary documents related to Short Term Residence Permit : Short Term Residence Permit Required Documents 2024

Documents Required for Short Term Residence Permit (İkamet)
1- Residence Permit Application Form
2- Four (4) Biometric Photographs
3- Passport Photocopy
4- Declaration of Material Possession
5- Receipt showing that the Residence Fee Tax and Card Fee have been paid
6- Foreign health insurance
7- Document showing that it is registered in the Address Registration System (settlement certificate)
8- Document showing the place of stay (lease contract in the form of a notary public)
9- UETS e-mail address (will be required for extension applications from 15 April 2024)

FAMILY RESIDENCE PERMIT

In order for a family residence permit to be issued in Turkey, a person who meets certain conditions must be present. These persons are called supporters in legal language. In the presence of these supporters, the relatives of the sponsor (only for the spouse and children) who are listed in the law have the opportunity to stay in Turkey by obtaining a family residence permit.

The sponsor does not need to be a Turkish citizen for a family residence permit. The spouse and children of a foreigner who has a residence permit or work permit with the right to legal stay in Turkey can apply for a family residence permit.

Who can be a sponsor for a family residence permit?
1) Turkish citizen
2) Persons who have stayed in Turkey for at least one year with a residence permit or foreigners who have a work permit
3) Blue card holders; those who voluntarily renounced Turkish citizenship
4) Persons under temporary protection, Refugees, Persons under international protection

For whom can a family residence permit be issued?
1- Foreign spouse
2- To one’s foreign child
3- To the minor child of the foreign spouse
4- If people have children who are dependent on them, a family residence permit can be obtained for this child.

18-year-old children who have completed the age of family residence permit status
A foreigner can stay in Turkey with a family residence permit until the age of 18. A child staying with a family residence permit can continue high school education with a family residence permit. Until the age of 18, the family residence permit also gives the right to education for individuals.

Persons who are 18 years old and have stayed in Turkey for at least 3 years can apply for a short-term residence permit. In this case, if they do not meet the other conditions, they must apply for a Tourism Residence Permit.

If the person who is 18 years old starts university, the person has to apply for a student residence permit. In this case, the person must apply for a student residence permit by using the I am applying for transition tab while applying.

Family Residence Permit Requirements for the sponsor
The sponsor must have the necessary financial income, must be staying in Turkey for at least 1 year or have a work permit, the sponsor must have health insurance covering all family members, the sponsor must have a clean criminal record

Conditions for the person who wants to obtain a family residence permit
To be a spouse or child, to have entered Turkey by legal means.

Family residence permit required documents;
1-Documents required for the applicant
2-Documents for the sponsor

Documents required for the applicant:
1- Residence Permit Form
2- Four (4) biometric photographs
3- Photocopy of passport
4- Payment receipt for the residence tax and card fee
5- Marriage certificate or photocopy of the document showing that you are married. For the child; document showing his/her parents.

Documents for the sponsor:
1- Copy of passport or copy of identity card
2- Valid health insurance covering all family members.
3- Proof of sufficient and regular financial means.
4- Certificate of criminal record
5- Certificate of Settlement – taken from e-government
6- Document showing the place to stay – lease contract or photocopy of the title deed if you will stay in your own home

STUDENT RESIDENCE PERMIT

Student residence permit is a form of residence permit issued for primary, secondary, university or doctoral students in Turkey.
With a family residence permit, people can continue their education without a student residence permit until the age of 18.

The parents of the person receiving a student residence permit cannot request a family residence permit based on this residence permit. The student cannot be in a supportive position for his/her parents.

How many years can a student residence permit be issued?
In practice, the student residence permit is issued for 1 year and the student renews the residence permit every year.
The duration of the student residence permit cannot exceed the duration of the foreigner’s university education in any case.

What are the Conditions for Student Residence Permit?
1- To be one of the foreigners who will study associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate in a higher education institution in Turkey.
2- Having the necessary health insurance.
3- To have entered Turkey legally
4- Have an address in Turkey

Student Residence Permit Required Documents
1- Application Form
2- Original and Photocopy of Passport or Passport Substitute
3- Four Photographs: Must be taken within the last 6 months, must be white and biometric.
4- Valid Health Insurance
5- Student Certificate (You can take from e-devlet)
6- Document Showing Your Address Information – If you rent a house, the lease contract, if you live in a dormitory, the document showing that you are staying in the dormitory.
7- Residence Permit Document Fee and Residence Permit Fee

How to Apply for a Student Residence Permit?
Student residence permit applications differ slightly from normal residence permit applications. In order to apply for a student residence permit, it is necessary to apply online at the e-residency immigration administration address. As a result of the application made from the e-residency address, the immigration administration is visited and fingerprinted without waiting for the appointment day. After the fingerprint is given, your documents are delivered to the university where you are a student without waiting for the appointment day and the university sends the documents to the immigration administration on your behalf. Approximately 3 weeks after the application, the residence permit result information comes as a message to the mobile phone number you have given.

LONG-TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT

Foreigners who meet certain conditions in Turkey are granted a long-term residence permit upon application.

What are the conditions for a long-term residence permit?
*To have stayed in Turkey for 8 years without interruption.
*Refugee, conditional refugee and subsidiary protection status holders, humanitarian residence permit holders, temporary protection holders are not entitled to long-term residence permit.
*Not to have received social assistance from the state in the last three years.
*Having sufficient and regular income; Here, having a certain salary, receiving interest income from the money in the bank, having income from the real estate owned by the person are the reasons for sufficient regular income for the Migration Management.
*Having valid health insurance
*Not to pose a threat to public order or public security. Your criminal record must be clean and you must not have committed a crime in Turkey.

How many years of Long Term Residence Permit can be issued?
A long-term residence permit is issued indefinitely. There is no specific time limit. The long-term residence permit holder obtains the right to stay in Turkey indefinitely.

Long-term residence permit Required Documents
1- Residence permit application form.
2- Passport Photocopy
3- Four (4) biometric photographs
4- Photocopy of previous residence permit cards
5- Original of the document showing that no social assistance has been received in the last three years. It can be obtained from district governorships.
6- A document showing that the applicant has sufficient and regular financial means – the income must be at least the net minimum wage. If there is a family member, the income must not be less than one third of the minimum wage for a family member. Income commitments of third parties are not accepted at this point.
7- Criminal record
8- Certificate of Place of Residence
9- Document showing the place of stay – Lease contract or home ownership.
10- Valid health insurance
11- Proof of payment of the residence permit fee and residence permit card fee.

How to calculate the duration of uninterrupted stay in Turkey – number of days?
When calculating the number of days of stay in Turkey for a long-term residence permit, the calculation is made by going backwards from the date of application. The duration of the foreigner’s stay in Turkey with a residence permit is calculated. Periods of stay abroad and periods of stay in the country without a residence permit are not taken into account when calculating the duration.

If there is a 180-day interruption within 1 year, then the day counting is reset to zero and the day counting is continued starting from zero. The foreign person must remain in Turkey without interruption.

If he/she has spent more than 1 year abroad in the last 5 years, it is accepted that there is a deduction.

Persons who spend more than 6 consecutive months without residence in Turkey are also considered to have made a deduction.
The previous periods of foreigners who have been deported are not taken into account.

We should also pay attention to Article 28;

Interruption in residence
ARTICLE 28 – (1) In the implementation of the provisions of this Law, stays outside Turkey exceeding a total of six months in a year or exceeding a total of one year in the last five years, except for compulsory public service, education and health reasons, shall be considered as interruption in residence. In the residence permit applications of those who have interruption in their residence period or in their transition to another residence permit, the previous permit periods shall not be taken into account.
(2) In the calculation of uninterrupted residence permit periods, half of the student residence permits and all of the other residence permits shall be counted.

HUMANITARIAN RESIDENCE PERMIT

Who are the foreigners who can be issued a humanitarian residence permit?
In the best interests of the child, a humanitarian residence permit may be issued for the child’s mother.
When the foreigners cannot be removed from Turkey or it is not deemed reasonable or possible for them to leave Turkey despite a deportation order or a ban on their entry into Turkey

How many years can a residence permit be issued?
Organised for 1 year

RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

How to Apply for a Residence Permit?

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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions [Residence Permit]

Is it necessary for people with a work permit to obtain a residence permit?

The work permit is treated like a residence permit. In other words, people who have a work permit do not need a residence permit. They can stay in Turkey as they wish during the work permit.

What is Residence Permit Fee?

The residence permit fee is the price taken by the state for the work and transactions done for foreigners, regulated in the fees law. After applying online to the provincial immigration administration for a residence permit, the residence permit fee can be paid online or by going to the tax office in person with the accrual number generated by the system.

You can read our article in which we explain in detail how the residence permit fee is paid online: How is the residence permit fee paid?

When should the Residence Permit Fee be paid?

After the residence permit application is made online, a residence permit application form is created by the system. An accrual number is created on the residence permit application form and payment can be made online through the interactive tax office with this accrual number.

Payment can be made after the online application, because we need the accrual number generated by the system to make the payment. And also, among the documents we need to prepare for the residence permit, there is a receipt of payment of the residence fee. In this respect, the payment must be made online after the residence permit application is made and within the period until the appointment day.

Residence Permit Address to Stay in Turkey

In this condition, you have to show your place of stay to the immigration administration. There are several methods to prove the place of stay, you can use them by choosing the one that suits you best.
a) Your own home
If you have a house of your own, a copy of the deed is sufficient. At the time of the appointment, the original title deed must be taken with you.
b) Rental Agreement
If you are staying in an apartment with a rental agreement, a notarized copy of the rental agreement. If you are staying in places such as hotels, hostels, dormitories, signed documents proving your stay in these places.
c) Staying with a third person
If you want to stay with the third party, it is necessary to have a notarized commitment of the third party. If the third person is married, the commitment of the spouse is also required.

Important Note: Within the scope of combating irregular migration across Turkey, some neighborhoods in some provinces will not be shown as addresses in residence permit applications. In this context, the Ministry of Interior has declared some neighborhoods as closed neighborhoods. With the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, applications made from closed neighborhoods will be rejected.

Can I go abroad during the residence permit evaluation process?

As a result of the first application, the applicant is given an application document by the Immigration Administration. Persons can enter and exit Turkey, provided that they return within 15 days with approved copies of this application document and fee receipts.

Should a criminal record be taken for all family members when applying for a family residence permit?

Hayır, sadece destekleyici için adli sicil kaydı hazırlanmalıdır.

Can I show my friend’s house as the address for the residence permit?

In case of staying with the 3rd person, the 3rd person must give a notarized undertaking. If the third person is married, the spouse must also make a commitment.

Is it necessary to obtain a residence permit for the child? (Family Residence Permit)?

Individuals are required to apply for the family residence permit type for their children. In some cases, they may also apply for one of the other types of residence permits. Foreigners should research the necessary conditions for their children and apply for a residence permit type that meets the conditions. Supporter for family residence permit
a) For his wife
b) For himself or his spouse’s children under the age of 18
c) For himself or his spouse’s dependent children (dependence means economic or physical dependence)

The family a residence permit can be obtain.

Can documents obtained from the e-government be used in residence permit applications?

Yes it can be used.

Is it possible to apply for a residence permit with an expired passport?

One of the documents required to obtain a residence permit is that you must have a passport with a validity period of at least 60 days more than the requested residence permit. In this respect, applications made by passport holders who do not have at least 60 more valid days will be rejected.

Do I Need to Have Money in the Bank for Residence Permit Applications?

The first thing to be said is for short-term residence permit applications. For the most frequently applied short-term residence permit types in our country, the income statement made during the online application is sufficient. In addition, if the administration requests additional documents to support your income statement, then we must submit a document to the administration.

Some exceptional short-term residence permit applications require money in the bank. These are investment-based short-term residence permits.

In terms of family residence permit, there is no rule that the sponsor has money in the bank, but the sponsor must have an income equal to 1/3 of the minimum wage per family member and the total income must not be less than the minimum wage in any case. However, having money in the bank is proof that people have income during the residence permit period and can be used instead of regular income.

In long-term residence permits, the rule is to have a regular income, and having money in the bank may create the opinion that you will have sufficient income during the residence permit.

How Long Does It Take for Residence Permit Applications to be Concluded?

İkamet izni başvuruları en geç 90 gün içinde sonuçlandırılmaktadır. Uygulamada yoğunluğa ve illere göre farklı sonuçlanma süreleri de görmekteyiz.

Which Documents Can Be Requested for Proof of Financial Income in Residence Permit Application?

* Retirement card
* Retirement pension allocation document
* Bank passbook *Credit card information
* No lien certificate *Bank deposit income certificate
* In case of rental income, a copy of the lease contract and title deed not older than two years
* Copy of tax plate for people who own a company *Company balance sheet and income statement for the last three years

In case the documents showing income are obtained from abroad, notarized copies of the Turkish sworn translator translation should be brought.

What Happens After My Residence Permit Application Is Rejected? Do I have the right to apply again?

In cases where the residence permit request is rejected, the expired residence permit is not extended or the residence permit is canceled, the decision is notified to the foreigner or his/her lawyer. The appeal against the residence permit refusal does not stop the 10-day period.

Individuals can file an administrative lawsuit against the decision through a lawyer (they have the right to file a lawsuit within 60 days).

In addition, persons whose residence permit applications are rejected cannot apply for a residence permit for the same purpose again within 6 months.

Do I have to pay a fee to get a Residence Permit Appointment?

No, Residence permit appointment can be obtained free of charge from the official website of the Provincial Immigration Administration, https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/. The main items that you need to pay fees during the residence permit process are the residence permit fee, the residence permit card fee, and private health insurance.

Where and how are residence permit fees and card fees paid?

The first thing to be said is that in order to be able to pay the residence permit fee and the card fee, this fee must have accrued. In other words, we must first apply for a residence permit via the address https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/ and after the appointment application is completed online, the residence permit fee and card fee that we must pay will be accrued. The system automatically gives us an accrual number after the appointment application and with this accrual number, we can make payment by credit card at https://ivd.gib.gov.tr/ of the Interactive tax office.

In short, there are two ways to pay the residence permit fee and card fee:
1) Online payment via interactive tax office
2) Payment by going to the tax office in person

Here is our article in which the residence permit fee and how the card fee is paid are explained in detail:

After applying for a residence permit, from what day does my residence permit period start?

The residence permit is initiated from the date the visa or visa exemption expires. Residence permit extension applications are initiated from the date your other residence permit expires.

When should we pay the residence permit fee and residence permit card fee?

İkamet izni harç bedelini ve kart bedelini randevu tarihinden önce ödenmesi gerekmektedir.