How to Obtain a Residency Permit in Turkey in 2025?
In 2024, you can obtain a residency permit in Turkey through various methods. One common method for residency in Turkey is obtaining a tourist visa, which has become impossible with the new laws in Turkey. If you stay in Turkey, you can apply for temporary or permanent residency.
For temporary or permanent residency in Turkey, you can apply through investment, study, work, or marriage to a Turkish citizen. Temporary residency is usually issued for one to three years and can be extended. However, you can apply for permanent residency provided you have temporary residency, and it is issued upon having at least 5 years of temporary residency, Turkish language proficiency, and sufficient livelihood.
1. Short-term Permits
– Tourist: For individuals who come to Turkey for leisure and sightseeing.
– Student: For individuals who intend to study at universities or educational centers in Turkey.
– Family and others: For family members or individuals who need residency due to proximity or other special cases.
2. Long-term Permits
– Work: For individuals who are seeking job and work opportunities in Turkey.
– Student: For continuing education as a student at universities and educational institutions.
– Family: For family members of individuals who have work or student permits.
Furthermore, if your first residency permit expires, you can change it to another type of permit.
For example, if you initially obtained a tourist permit and then decided to study, you can change your residency permit to a student permit. This possibility gives you the option to adhere to different conditions and regulations in Turkey by changing your permit.
The short-term residency permit in Turkey is a limited possibility for a period of one year, usually issued to individuals who need to reside in this country for various reasons. This duration can be for a full year, or in special cases, it might be issued for a period of six months. Applications for this type of residency permit are subject to a number of basic conditions and guarantees. Applicants must be adults and have the financial ability to cover their expenses during their stay in Turkey. This means that work permits are not granted to holders of this permit, but remote work may be possible under special conditions.
Also, information regarding other family members who are accompanying the main applicant must be requested separately. This short-term residency is an opportunity for individuals to be present in Turkey for a certain period for various reasons such as education, research, or other non-work related goals and to benefit from the beauties and opportunities of this land. In 2024, the process of obtaining any type of residency permit in Turkey still consists of similar stages without essential changes. However, some criteria and conditions may have minor changes, for example, the minimum cost of real estate.
The steps for obtaining a residency permit are as follows:
1. Gathering the required documents.
2. Filling out the application form on the Directorate of Migration website.
3. Preparing for the in-person interview.
4. Waiting for the decision of the Directorate of Migration.
5. Receiving the residency card by mail at the declared address.
Note that the required documents must be submitted in person, and all family members who are applying for residency, including children, must be physically present. Overall, this process provides individuals with the opportunity to easily obtain their desired residency permit in Turkey by complying with the stipulated conditions and benefiting from the country’s facilities.
A significant innovation in Turkey’s immigration policies is the imposition of new restrictions on initial residency permit applications in some areas of large cities, where the number of foreigners residing there has exceeded 20 percent of the normal limit. Individuals who had previously successfully obtained residency permits in these areas are not affected by these changes and can renew their residency permits under the previous conditions.
Before applying for a residency permit, it is essential that you obtain a local tax identification number from the tax service website (which is done online and free of charge) and also have a local SIM card to register your phone number on the application form.
Tourist Residency:
Considering that the tourist residency permit, or what is known as tourist residency in Turkey, is the most popular type of residency permit among foreigners, individuals can benefit from this permit for residency in Turkey. For example, out of the 153,000 Russians who migrated to Turkey in 2022, 132,000 of them held tourist residency permits.
Since 2023, the rules for granting tourist residency permits in Turkey have become significantly stricter. Now, not only is a rental contract or hotel reservation for a specified period required from foreigners, but a tourism plan has also become mandatory. To obtain the initial tourist permit, you must collect a set of documents. These documents include local health insurance, digital photos in a specific format, an international passport with a minimum validity of six months, and a form filled out on the Turkish immigration service website. Recent changes in the rules for granting tourist residency permits indicate increased scrutiny and more stringent requirements from the immigration service. From now on, ensure that all required documents are submitted accurately and according to the new guidelines.
Property Residency:
Since October 16, 2023, the minimum cost for purchasing real estate to obtain a residency permit in Turkey has changed. In the past, this minimum amount was around 50,000 USD for small cities and 75,000 USD for large cities like Istanbul and Antalya, but it has now increased to 200,000 USD.
Changes in the number of properties have also been affected by these changes. Previously, you could purchase several property units if their total cost was more than the specified minimum, but now the focus is on one piece of real estate and its cadastral value. Also, the property purchase residency permit can be applied for by all family members, including the spouse and children under 18. Disabled children under the guardianship of their parents can apply for a residency permit regardless of age. Note that only one spouse can obtain a residency permit based on property ownership. Other family members can initially obtain tourist residency and then apply for family residency from their second year of residency in the country.
Recent changes indicate increased scrutiny and more stringent requirements from the immigration service. Be sure to ensure that all required documents are submitted accurately and according to the new guidelines.
Family Residency in Turkey
Family residency permits are issued to spouses of Turkish citizens and their children (born before marriage and not joint). To obtain this residency permit, it is necessary to provide a certificate from the Ministry of Interior confirming that the foreigner who has entered the country has not committed family crimes and has not been suspected in cases such as domestic violence or similar offenses.
In addition, support from the spouse – a Turkish citizen, as well as sufficient income to support the family are mandatory. Another important point is the absence of any indication of a fictitious marriage. Spouses must live together and share a home. Also, foreign nationals who were married to Turks but divorced due to domestic violence are also entitled to apply for a family residency permit. The valid duration for this type of residency is usually one year. Foreign spouses and young children who have resided legally in Turkey for more than one year can also apply for family residency.
Student Residency:
For everyone who intends to study in Turkey, after registering at the university, they can easily apply for a student residency. After completing the documents and getting an interview appointment, according to the new immigration laws, they submit the file to their university and can receive their residency card through the university.
Foreigners who are studying at Turkish universities can obtain a student residency permit. This residency permit is renewed every year and is granted for the duration of studies. The holder of this permit can transfer to another university in the same city or from one faculty to another.
After completing studies, if studies are stopped due to completion or expulsion, the residency permit is essentially suspended. Within six months after graduation, you can apply for another residency permit. This additional period allows graduates to stay in the country, and during this time, they can look for a job, get married, buy property, or start a business.
Humanitarian Residency
Humanitarian residency permits are granted to foreigners who cannot leave the territory of Turkey due to certain reasons, including severe illness, old age, or a difficult pregnancy. This permit can also be granted to foreign citizens who cannot return to their home country due to serious threats such as torture or the death penalty in their homeland. Mothers of children born to Turkish citizens can temporarily obtain a humanitarian residency permit, provided their previous residency permit has expired. In this case, the authorities can reasonably believe that the mother’s presence is of great importance to the children.
Residency for Victims of Human Trafficking
This residency permit is issued by the Immigration Service to individuals who are identified as victims of human trafficking. The process of obtaining this residency permit is complex due to various regulations and conditions and may have unique differences in each case.
Long-term Residency in Turkey in 2024
Foreign individuals who have resided legally in Turkey for at least 8 years can apply for a long-term residency permit, such as a residency permit for purchasing property (Note: Property purchase typically leads to a short-term permit first, not a long-term one based on prior residency). In this process, the authorities consider various aspects such as the applicant’s ability to support themselves and their family (e.g., young children). Applicants should not be seeking to benefit from government aid during their stay in the country.
It is necessary to provide bank statements related to the flow of funds in the bank account over the past 8 years. It is also important that the applicant has followed the country’s laws, especially immigration laws, and has no violations of visa-free stay conditions, tax debt, or criminal records. To apply for this type of residency, foreign individuals must have lived in Turkey for at least 8 years. During this period, it is possible to travel abroad for a maximum of 90 days per year. Before applying for this type of residency, it is necessary to contact the Population Affairs Office (Nüfus Müdürlüğü) to ensure that the applicant has spent a sufficient number of days in Turkey or not. The procedure for submitting documents here is similar to the procedure for submitting documents for regular residency. Individuals need to gather a package of documents, fill out a form on the immigration services website, and personally visit the competent authorities on the scheduled day.
Cost of Registering Residency in Turkey in 2024: New Laws
The processing fee for obtaining residency in 2024 is 150 USD. This amount includes the government fee for issuing the residency card, translation office fees and translator services, and health insurance costs. The total cost of obtaining residency may reach up to 1000 USD, depending on the set of documents needed for collection, the number of people for whom health insurance needs to be purchased, and other related factors.
Kimlik, Identity Card, or Residency in Turkey – What is the difference?
Kimlik and İkamet (residency) are two different concepts, although both refer to a small card with a photo. Kimlik is Turkey’s domestic passport issued to citizens of this country. The Kimlik card has a photo of the individual taken at age 15 and needs to be renewed every 10 years to update information. Kimlik is not issued to foreign citizens; you can only obtain a Kimlik card after acquiring Turkish citizenship, for example, by purchasing property worth at least 400,000 USD or investing 500,000 USD in government financial instruments, or by marrying a Turkish citizen. Therefore, there are very significant differences between these two cards: Kimlik holders can participate in elections and both vote and be elected as candidates. They can hold some government responsibilities as doctors, guides, or veterinarians (which is only possible for citizens in Turkey).
On the other hand, residency provides several other rights, including obtaining a local driver’s license, enrolling children in public kindergartens or schools, accessing family doctors and public clinics, and paying only a part of healthcare costs (the rest is covered by insurance).
