-How to get a short-term residence permit in Turkey ?

-What are the different types of short-term permit in Turkey?

-What are the necessary documents for obtaining a residence permit for the first time and how to extend it?

These are the questions we would like to explain about in the post.

Under normal circumstances, the duration of your stay in Turkey depends on the type and duration of your visa. Of course, without the right to do any business and educational activities.

If you intend to stay in Turkey for longer time, you can apply for a short-term residence permit if you have the necessary conditions. At the end of that period, it could be possible (under certain conditions) to apply for an extension of your stay and continue to be present in this country by submitting documents showing that you have the necessary conditions to continue your presence in this country.

What is “Kimlik”?

The word “Kimlik” in Turkish is synonymous with “identity”. It is called a Turkish residence card. After accepting the application documents for residing and living in Turkey for foreigners, the Turkish Immigration Office gives them a card called “Kimlik”. And having this card means that you are a resident of Turkey. (Note that this does not mean Turkish citizenship and has no privileges to receive a Turkish passport).

You need to know that with this card, you will only have a residence and living permit in Turkey and you will not be allowed to work in Turkey. If you want to work in this country, you must get a work permit. However, obtaining a work permit in this country requires this residence card or “Kimlik”. If 6 months have passed since a person resided in Turkey and this residence was due to the purchase or rental of property, you can work in this country by obtaining the necessary permits.

What are the different types of short-term residence permits in Turkey?

Different types of short-term residence permit in Turkey are as follows:

1. Touristic residence in Turkey by renting a house.
2. Short-term residence in Turkey by buying a property.
3. Residence in Turkey through company registration.
4. Residence in Turkey by obtaining a work permit.
5. Studental residence in Turkey (by participating in training courses).
6. Residence through marriage and birth.

How to get a short-term residence permit in Turkey ?

IMPORTANT NOTE: Considering the density of foreigners in different regions of Turkey, the Ministry of Interior has published a list of prohibited areas in order to protect the population dispersion of foreigners living in different neighborhoods. From July 1, 2022 onwards, foreigners will not be able to receive short-term residence through renting nor buying a house in these neighborhoods. Therefore, if you intend to receive a short-term stay by renting or purchasing an apartment, be sure to check the neighborhood of your desired city and then take action.
For information, you can download the list of the Prohibited Neighborhoods in Turkey to Receive Short-Term Residence Permit.

As mentioned above, there are several types of short-term permit in Turkey. Now we will tell you how one should apply for each of them.

1. Touristic residence in Turkey by renting a house.

If before this, renting a house was the easiest way to get a residence permit in Turkey, now  according to the new laws and restrictions that have been imposed on all foreign nationals since February 15, 2022, this method will no longer be easy for everyone.

According to these new rules, you can receive a short-term stay only for a period of 6 months through renting a house, and after the end of this period, depending on the circumstances, you can extend your stay only for another period of 6 months.

Another very important condition is that for each person applying for residence, you must deposit an amount of about 40,000 liras in your bank account in Turkey, and you cannot withdraw this amount until the end of your stay. Of course, note that from this money you can spend an amount during the month, but at the end of the month you have to re-deposit the amount you have withdrawn into the account. The amount is not fixed and is different for each nationality and will be announced to the applicant on the day of the interview by an expert from the Immigration Office.

The very important point is that the possibility of rejecting the residence application in this way is very high and even with the completeness of the documents, it may still not be accepted by the Turkish Immigration Office and the applicant will be forced to leave Turkey within ten days and it will NOT be possible to reapply for residency within six months.

2. Short-term residence in Turkey by buying a property.

By buying a property with at lease $ 75,000 in Turkey’s big states (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Antalya, Mersin, Adana and Gaziantep) and in small states for minimum $50,000, you can get a residence in this country. But this residence is not permanent, but the same one-year or two-year residence that must be extended after expiration.

If you want to receive permanent residence and Turkish citizenship, please first read Turkish Citizenship post in our website. All needed conditions are explained in this post.

But why to buy a property in Turkey? And what are the steps to buy a property in Turkey? These are the questions that we fully discussed in Guide To Purchase a Property in Turkey post.

3. Residence in Turkey through company registration.

The third way to obtain or renew a residence permit is to register a company in Turkey.

As explained before, from the beginning of 2022, the extension of touristic residence (through renting a house) for foreigners is so difficult and somtimes impossible. Therefore, this way could be a good solution for extending the short-term residence permit. Of course, it is better to register your company at least three months before the end of your touristic stay.

It does not cost much. You can register a company in Turkey for less than $ 1000. and if you really want to run a business in Turkey, you should know that according to Turkish law, you must register a company to start any kind of business. Setting up cafes and restaurants, hairdressers, tailors, etc. and even selling goods and services in Turkey all require company registration.

All the details about the types of companies in Turkey and which company is suitable for which activity, as well as all steps and needed documents are are already explained in our How to buy a property in Turkey post.

4. Residence in Turkey by obtaining a work permit.

This is one of the best ways to stay in Turkey, because after 5 years of continuous work in Turkey, you can get Turkish Citizenship and Turkish passport. To do this, you must work legally in Turkey and obtain a work permit, which is called “Çalışma İzni” in Turkish.

To find a job in Turkey, you must be fluent enough in Turkish language and have a professional skill in a business required in Turkey.

By the way, getting work permit in Turkey is not that easy. If you want to know the process and requires conditions, please read our How to Get Work Permit in Turkey post.

After receiving the work permit, you will be given a work residence in Turkey, which will have many benefits, such as free medical insurance and etc.

5. Studental residence in Turkey (by participating in training courses).

It will be possible to obtain a studental permit in Turkey in two ways. The first is to enroll in a Turkish university and actually studying in a field. And the second, which is mostly used for extension of residence, is registration in Turkish language courses of universities and institutions. It costs about 4 thousand liras for one year. By registering in these courses, you can receive a one-year studental residence permit and also solve the problem of extending your stay.

Who can apply for studental residence permit?

• Foreigners who do not have a family residence permit and must study in middle (In Turkey first 4 year accepted as primary school, second 4 year called as middle school) and high school. (Does not apply to people under the age of 18, but those who have turned 18 and are in the middle and high school category must obtain a studental residence permit).
• Students with postgraduate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in medicine, dentistry, who are studying at a higher education institution in Turkey, can obtain a residence permit.
• Foreigners who come to Turkey and receive training through government agencies and institutions will be allowed to stay during the training period.
• Foreigners studying in Turkey (primary, secondary) and all their expenses are covered by another person or institute and with the legal consent of their parents can receive a residence permit for one year.

Important points:

• Those who have studental residence are also granted residence permits for their spouse and children.
• If the study period is less than one year, the residence permit cannot be longer than the training period.
• Students must apply for Social Security Insurance (SGK) during the first three months of their first enrolment date, but if they do not apply in these three months, they must obtain private health insurance in Turkey.
• In Turkey, undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and doctoral students can work with a work permit. However, students who are in the bachelor’s degree category can get a work permit from the second year.
• If “Tomer” classes (specialized course for teaching Turkish language) are held only under the supervision of the university, you can receive studental residence permit. Tumor classes will cost about $ 200 to pre-register. “Tomer” events are often based on 6-month tumor courses.

Reasons for rejection, cancellation and non-renewal of studental residence.

• Failure to realize the reasons for which the student residence permit was issued.
• If a person cannot continue his education.
• If a person uses his / her study residence for other purposes.
• If the student is deported from Turkey and has received the letter of non-entry into Turkey.

6. Residence through marriage and birth.

To get a residence permit in Turkey when you marry a Turkish citizen, you will first receive a short-term residence permit, and after 3 years, if you continue living together, you can obtain Turkish Citizenship. However, certain conditions, such as not having the criminal record of the person whom you are marrying, are required by the Turkish Security Service in order for you to be granted citizenship.

For the birth of a child, Turkey is subject to the law of blood to grant citizenship. This means that the birth of your child in Turkey has no special privileges, and to receive citizenship, at least one parent must be a Turkish citizen in order for the child to be granted citizenship.

Steps and documents required to receive first short-term residence

1- 4×6 photos biometric photos (4 pcs)
You can refer to any of the photographers in your city and say that you need a biometric photo to get a residence permit; they know the specifications and number of photos. Just be careful. Do not forget to get the photos file via email from the photographer.

2- Filling out the interview appointment form and get it printed:
To complete the appointment form (interview appointment) you should visit the website of the Turkish Immigration Office at e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr And carefully enter the relevant information separately for yourself and each family members. After completing the appointment form, the time of the interview at Immigration Office will be determined for you.

3- Registration of the rent contract in the notary public office (Noter) if your are applying through renting a house:
In Turkey, notaries are called “Noter”. You must register your rent contract with one of these offices. To do this, you need to have your passport (translated to Turkish) and house rent contract. Note that each family member needs a separate rent contract. For this reason, when registering a rent in “Noter”, you must adjust the number of the contracts based on the number of family members. The cost of registration in “Noter” is about 100 lira for each copy. It should be noted that from 2022, the presence of the landlord in the notary offices with identification documents is mandatory.

4- Getting “Numarataj” (official address statement) for the rented or purchased house from the municipality:
To get the official address statement of the house you have rented or purchased, you must go to the municipality of your place of residence with a) the copy of the tittle deed, b) the message of receiving the interview time determined by the immigration office and 3) your identification documents. Note that a separate “Numarataj” sheet is required for each family member.

5- Providing health insurance (not needed for those who have work permit):
People applying for residency in Turkey must obtain health insurance or “Sigorta” for themselves and their family members.
Health insurance companies for foreigners, which are accepted by the Turkish Immigration Office, each offer different coverage conditions under the contract and the cost of health insurance depends on the age of the applicants and the type of insurance and coverage conditions. For instance insurance cost for a person over 30 years old will be about 900 lira for one-year. The presence of the applicant is not necessary to get insurance and you only need an address in Turkey and passport details. After obtaining the insurance, the printout of the insurance form, which is printed on the letterhead of the relevant company and stamped on all its forms, must be delivered to the Immigration Office on the day of the interview.

6- Get your Tax Number
The Tax Number in Turkey or “Vergi Numarasi” is a 10-digit code that you can for various purposes, including buying property, buying and selling cars, obtaining a residence permit in Turkey, obtaining a work permit, opening a bank account, doing financial and administrative affairs, company registration and etc. From now on your payments will be made under this Number.
To obtain Tax Number for yourself and your family members, you can proceed in one of the following ways:
• Visit your city tax office in person and complete the relevant form with personal information and residence address.
• Visit the website http://ivd.gib.gov.tr and complete your details.

7- Paying residence tax and the cost of issuing the “Kimlik” card
To obtain a residence permit in Turkey, you must pay a fee as a tax. This amount is $ 40 for people under 18 and $ 80 for people over 18, which is calculated based on the daily rate of the dollar and is listed on the appointment form along with the cost of issuing a “Kimlik” card. You can pay these fees at the tax office.

8- Interviews with officers at the Turkish Immigration Office
On the date and time set for you, you have to go to your city’s Immigration Office and put all your documents in a special pink folder that you have to prepare already and go to the relevant officer and be interviewed.
The documents that you must have in your file, except for 4 pieces of photos and notarized rent contract (Tapu for those who have purchaesd a property – work permits for those who have applied through this way – Tomer course registeration document – Marriage Documents), address registration, tax and the cost of issuing the card deposit slips, health insurance, must include the original passport and a copy of the first page, and the page stamped with the last date of entry into Turkey (for each applicant), if you also intend to obtain residence for your family members, the original and a copy of the official translation of the marriage certificate, the original and a copy of the official translation of the children’s identity card . (Note that the necessary translations must have been made either in Your Country and sealed with the seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary and the Apostille, or at your country’s Consulate in Turkey).

If your documents and conditions are confirmed, after about 10 days, your card will be issued and sent to your address by post.
If your application for residency is rejected for reasons such as a second year tourist extension, a fake rent contract, invalid health insurance, etc., you will not be able to reapply for the same method of residence for up to 6 months, and you will receive a letter of deport. They give you a 10-day deadline to leave Turkey during this period, and when you leave, if you stay in Turkey longer than the validity of your initial visa, you will be fined for extra staying in Turkey.

IF YOU COULD NOT FIND YOUR ANSWER IN THIS POST, PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.