Types of residence permits in Turkey: short-term, family, student and long-term

Short-term residence permit: the most common type

The short-term residence permit is granted for many purposes and is issued for up to 2 years at a time:

• tourism and longer private stays,
• owning a home in Turkey; see residence permit by property,
• establishing business connections or investing,
• in-service training, scientific research and medical treatment,
• graduates of Turkish higher education institutions, under certain conditions.

The applicant needs sufficient financial means, health insurance and a registered address. A short-term residence permit does not give the right to work.

Family residence permit

The family residence permit is granted to the spouse, minor children and dependent adult children of Turkish citizens, Turquoise Card holders, refugees and foreigners holding a residence permit. It is issued for up to 3 years at a time and cannot exceed the sponsor's own permit.

• The sponsor must meet the conditions of sufficient income, suitable housing for the family and health insurance.
• Marriage and birth certificates are submitted with an apostille and a certified Turkish translation.
• A marriage concluded only to obtain a family residence permit (sham marriage) leads to cancellation of the permit and other consequences.

Student residence permit

The student residence permit is granted for associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies and is usually extended for the duration of studies or annually. Details are on student residence permit.

Long-term residence permit after 8 years

Foreigners who have lived in Turkey with residence permits for at least 8 uninterrupted years can apply for a long-term residence permit. Half of the time spent on a student residence permit is counted. Further conditions:

• no social assistance received in the last 3 years,
• sufficient income to support themselves and their family,
• valid health insurance,
• no threat to public order or public security.

Humanitarian residence permit and other types

• Humanitarian residence permit (Art. 46): granted at the Migration Authority's discretion in exceptional situations, such as the best interests of a child or where leaving the country is not possible.
• Residence permit for victims of human trafficking (Art. 48): granted for the protection and recovery of victims.
• Work permit: a valid work permit counts as a residence permit; see work permit in Turkey.
• Turquoise Card: gives qualified persons an indefinite right to work and reside; see Turquoise Card.

Switching between types of residence permits

If the purpose of the stay changes, for example through marriage, the end of studies or the sale of the home, a new application is made with the documents of the new type. Consistency between the declared purpose and the documents matters for extensions and, later, for long-term residence and citizenship applications. To avoid missing deadlines, see residence permit extension.

Official sources

• Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458
• Presidency of Migration Management
• e-ikamet