Residence Permits for Foreign Nationals in Türkiye: Procedure and Legal Basis

Foreign nationals who will stay in Türkiye longer than the period allowed by their visa or visa exemption, or longer than ninety days, must obtain a residence permit. The permit is the document that establishes a foreign national's legal status in the country; employment, family reunification and any future citizenship application all depend on it.

Residence permits are governed by Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection. The law provides for six types of permit, each with its own conditions, durations and grounds for cancellation.

When is a permit required, and who is exempt?

The rule is straightforward: if you will stay longer than the period allowed by your visa or visa exemption, or longer than ninety days, you need a residence permit. A permit that is not put to use within six months of issue ceases to be valid.

The law exempts certain foreign nationals from the requirement. The principal categories are:

• Those arriving for up to ninety days with a visa or under a visa exemption, for the duration of the visa or exemption.
• Holders of a Stateless Person Identity Document.
• Diplomatic and consular officers serving in Türkiye, and family members notified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Staff of representations of international organisations whose status is fixed by agreement.
• Those within the scope of Article 28 of Law No. 5901, that is, Blue Card holders.

Those who will remain in Türkiye after the circumstances giving rise to the exemption have ended must apply to the governorship for a residence permit within ten days.

The six types of permit

The law lists the types exhaustively. The table below gives the framework; the detail follows.

Short-term residence permit

This is the type most often applied for. The law lists who may be granted one: those coming for scientific research, those who own immovable property in Türkiye, those establishing a commercial connection or a business, those attending in-service training programmes, those coming under student exchange programmes, those staying for tourism, those receiving medical treatment, those required to remain by decision of a judicial or administrative authority, those transferring from a family residence permit, those attending Turkish-language courses, those attending education, research or internships through public institutions, those who have completed higher education in Türkiye and apply within six months of graduation, those making investments of a scope and amount to be determined, and citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

As to duration, the rule is up to two years at a time. Permits granted for investment and to citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus may be issued for up to five years at a time. A permit for a Turkish-language course may be granted no more than twice, and the post-graduation permit once only, for up to one year.

The conditions for a short-term permit are: advancing one of the grounds listed in the law and producing the supporting documents; not falling within the category of foreign nationals refused entry to Türkiye; having accommodation meeting general health and safety standards; producing a criminal record certificate if requested; and providing the address at which you will stay in Türkiye.

Family residence permit

A family residence permit may be granted to the foreign spouse of a Turkish citizen, a Blue Card holder, a foreign national holding one of the residence permits, a refugee or a person with subsidiary protection status, and to their own or their spouse's minor or dependent foreign child. Each permit may not exceed three years and may in no case exceed the duration of the sponsor's own residence permit.

The law imposes conditions not only on the applicant but on the sponsor. The sponsor must:

• Have a monthly income not below the minimum wage in total and not below one third of the minimum wage per person in the family.
• Have accommodation meeting general health and safety standards appropriate to the size of the family, and health insurance covering all family members.
• Show by criminal record certificate that they have not been convicted of any offence against the family order in the five years preceding the application.
• Have been resident in Türkiye with a residence permit for at least one year.
• Be registered in the address registration system.

The one-year residence condition does not apply to everyone. It is not required of those holding a residence permit for scientific research or a work permit, of Blue Card holders, or of foreign nationals married to Turkish citizens.

The applicant, for their part, must show that they live with the sponsor or intend to do so, must not have entered into the marriage in order to obtain a family residence permit, and each spouse must have completed eighteen years of age.

Divorce and marriages of convenience

On divorce, a foreign national married to a Turkish citizen may be granted a short-term residence permit provided they have held a family residence permit for at least three years. Divorce therefore does not necessarily bring the family residence to an end; a route to a different permit is provided.

The law makes an important exception here: where it is established by court decision that the foreign spouse was a victim of domestic violence, the three-year requirement does not apply. The same applies on the death of the sponsor, where a short-term permit may be granted without any period requirement.

Conversely, where there is reasonable suspicion before a family residence permit is granted or extended, the governorship investigates whether the marriage was entered into solely to obtain a permit; supervision may also take place after the permit is granted. Residence permits obtained through a marriage of convenience and subsequently cancelled are not counted towards the residence periods provided for in the law.

Student residence permit

A student residence permit is granted to foreign nationals pursuing associate, undergraduate, master's or doctoral studies at a higher education institution in Türkiye. Those in primary or secondary education whose maintenance and expenses are met by a person or body may be granted permits of one year at a time for the duration of their studies, with the consent of their guardian or legal representative. Where the course is shorter than a year, the permit may not exceed it.

Two points come up often. First: a student residence permit confers no right whatever on the student's parents or other relatives to obtain a residence permit. Second: associate, undergraduate, master's and doctoral students in formal education may work provided they obtain a work permit; for associate and undergraduate students that right begins after the first year.

Long-term residence permit

Foreign nationals who have remained in Türkiye with a residence permit for at least eight uninterrupted years, or who meet the conditions determined by the Ministry, are granted an indefinite residence permit by the governorships with the Ministry's approval. The conditions for transfer are:

• Having remained in Türkiye with a residence permit for at least eight uninterrupted years.
• Not having received social assistance in the preceding three years.
• Having a sufficient and regular source of income to support oneself and any family.
• Holding valid health insurance.
• Posing no threat to public order or public security.

Holders of a long-term residence permit enjoy the rights granted to Turkish citizens, save for the obligation to perform military service, the right to vote and stand for election, entry to public office, exempt importation of a vehicle, and the provisions of special legislation.

The permit is cancelled in two situations: where the holder poses a serious threat to public order or public security, and where they remain outside Türkiye for more than one uninterrupted year for a reason other than health, education or compulsory public service in their own country.

Refugees, conditional refugees, those with subsidiary protection status, holders of humanitarian residence permits and those under temporary protection have no right of transfer to a long-term residence permit.

Humanitarian and human-trafficking-victim permits

A humanitarian residence permit may be granted by the governorships, with the approval of the Directorate General and for periods determined by the Ministry, without the conditions applicable to other permits. The situations listed in the law include the best interests of the child, the inability to carry out removal despite a deportation decision, recourse to judicial remedies against the relevant measures, and extraordinary circumstances. Holders must register in the address registration system within twenty working days of issue.

Foreign nationals in respect of whom there is strong suspicion that they are, or may be, victims of human trafficking are granted a thirty-day residence permit by the governorships. The conditions applicable to other permits are not required; the permit may be extended for periods of up to six months, but may not exceed three years in total.

Where and how to apply

Under the law, the rule is that applications are made to the consulates of the country of which the applicant is a national or in which they are lawfully present. The law separately lists the situations in which an application may be made to a governorship from within Türkiye. These include long-term, student, humanitarian and human-trafficking-victim permits; transfers from a family permit to a short-term permit; applications by a parent holding a residence permit in respect of a child born in Türkiye; and applications for a permit matching a new purpose where the basis of the existing permit has ended.

Applications are made through the e-ikamet system, and attendance at the provincial or district directorate of migration management on the appointment day is required. As to passports, the law sets a clear measure: the passport must be valid for sixty days longer than the permit applied for. The permit issued is in turn sixty days shorter than the validity of the passport.

Where information or documents are missing, assessment of the application may be deferred until the deficiencies are made good. The law requires applications to be concluded within ninety days at the latest.

Extension applications

Residence permits are extended by the governorships. An extension application is made from sixty days before the permit expires and in every case before expiry. Applicants are given a document exempt from fees; with it they may remain in Türkiye until a decision is taken, even after the permit has expired.

Extended permits run from the expiry date of the previous permit, so applying early costs no time.

Breaks in residence: the most misunderstood rule

This is the rule that decides applications turning on periods of time, such as long-term permits and citizenship. Under the law, and excepting compulsory public service, education and health reasons:

• Stays outside Türkiye exceeding six months in total in any one year, and
• Stays outside Türkiye exceeding one year in total within the last five years,

count as a break in residence. Where there has been a break, earlier permit periods are not counted in an application for a residence permit or on transfer to another permit. An accumulation approaching eight years can therefore fall out of account through a single long absence.

A second rule directly affects students: in calculating uninterrupted residence, student residence permits count for half, and other residence permits in full.

Refusal, cancellation and non-extension

Refusal of an application, non-extension or cancellation of a permit, and notification of those measures, are carried out by the governorships. Here the law gives the administration not only power but a duty to consider: in taking these measures, regard is had to the foreign national's family ties in Türkiye, length of residence, situation in the country of origin and the best interests of the child, and the decision may be deferred.

The decision is notified to the foreign national, their legal representative or their lawyer. The notification also sets out how rights of objection may effectively be exercised and the other rights and obligations arising in the process.

Grounds for refusal and cancellation vary by permit type, but those common to all are: failure to meet the required conditions or their subsequent disappearance; a finding that the permit has been used for a purpose other than that for which it was granted; and the existence of a valid deportation decision or ban on entry to Türkiye.

An amendment made in 2024 introduced special rules of procedure for actions brought against the refusal of a short-term residence permit application or the cancellation of such a permit. They cover when the case file is deemed complete, the period applicable where notification cannot be effected, and the fact that whether a hearing is held is at the court's discretion.

Does a work permit count as a residence permit?

Yes. The law provides that a valid work permit and a Work Permit Exemption Confirmation Document count as a residence permit. A foreign national holding a work permit therefore does not need a separate residence permit.

Those arriving in Türkiye with a residence and work permit obtained from a consulate must register in the address registration system within twenty working days of entry.

Frequently asked questions

• I arrived on a tourist visa — can I extend it? A visa is not extended. For stays exceeding ninety days or the visa period, you must apply for the type of residence permit whose conditions you meet.
• What if my permit expires while my extension application is pending? The document issued on making the extension application allows you to remain in Türkiye until a decision is taken.
• How long can I travel abroad? The thresholds are set out in the law: stays exceeding six months in total in one year, or one year in total in the last five years, count as a break. Education, health and compulsory public service fall outside this.
• Does time on a student permit count towards a long-term permit? Under the law, student residence permits count for half.
• Does my student permit give my family any rights? No. The law expressly provides that a student residence permit confers no right on parents or other relatives.
• I am married to a Turkish citizen — must I wait a year for a family permit? The one-year residence condition imposed on sponsors does not apply to foreign nationals married to Turkish citizens.
• Will my permit be cancelled if I divorce? A foreign national married to a Turkish citizen may be granted a short-term permit provided they have held a family permit for at least three years. That requirement does not apply where domestic violence is established by court decision.
• Can I obtain a permit by buying property? Property ownership is one of the grounds listed in the law, but the nature and value of the qualifying property are determined by the Ministry. The criteria in force should be confirmed before applying.
• How long does a decision take? The law requires applications to be concluded within ninety days at the latest. Where documents are missing, assessment may be deferred until the deficiencies are made good.
• What can I do if I am refused? The decision is an administrative act, and the notification sets out how rights of objection may be exercised. Depending on the grounds, the deficiency may be remedied and a fresh application made, or the matter taken to administrative court.

How we work on these files

We identify which type of permit fits your situation and check the file before it is filed — passport validity, accommodation, income and insurance. We examine your entry and exit records against the break-in-residence rules and, where there is a plan directed at a long-term permit or citizenship, structure the periods accordingly. We conduct applications, extensions and changes of permit type; and where a permit is refused, cancelled or not extended, we examine the grounds and identify the course to take.