A residence permit is a permit that allows foreigners who want to stay in Turkey for more than the period allowed by their visa or visa exemption or more than 90 days. The residence permit, which is issued to ensure public safety and order and minimize potential risks, is a requirement of international law.
What is the Duration of a Residence Permit?
Foreigners who want to stay in the Republic of Turkey for more than 90 days must obtain a residence permit. After obtaining the residence permit, the foreign person must come to Turkey within 6 months. Otherwise, the obtained residence permit will be considered invalid.
What are the Conditions for Obtaining a Residence Permit in Turkey?
The condition for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey is not to be among the persons who are not allowed to enter the country and who will not be granted a visa.
1) Those whose entry into Turkey is prohibited,
2) Those who cannot justify their purpose of entry into Turkey, transit through Turkey, or stay in Turkey with valid reasons,
3) Those who are considered objectionable in terms of public order or public safety,
4) Those carrying one of the diseases considered as a threat to public health,
5) Those who are suspects or convicts of crimes that constitute grounds for extradition,
6) Those who do not have a passport or a document replacing a passport with a validity of at least 60 days beyond the end of the visa, visa exemption, or residence permit period,
7) Those who do not have valid health insurance covering the duration of their stay,
8) Those who do not have sufficient and regular financial means to cover the duration of their stay in Turkey,
9) Those who do not accept to pay the debts and fines arising from a visa violation or previous residence permit.
These are the general conditions for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey.
What are the Types of Residence Permits in Turkey?
1. Short-Term Residence Permit
A short-term residence permit is the type of permit that is easier to obtain compared to other residence permits. Persons mentioned in Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection can obtain a short-term residence permit. For those who are not included in the last two clauses of the relevant article, a short-term residence permit is granted for a period of “two years.” Persons holding a short-term residence permit must specify their address of stay in Turkey. Applications for a short-term residence permit are made to the consulates of the Republic of Turkey in the country of citizenship or residence of the foreigner.
According to Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, persons who will be granted a short-term residence permit are listed below:
– Foreigners coming for scientific research (It is necessary to present the permission document related to the scientific research at the application stage.)
– Foreigners who own immovable property in Turkey (The immovable property must be in the status of a residence.)
– Foreigners who will establish a commercial connection or business (In this context, it is possible to present invitation letters sent by companies as a basis.)
– Foreigners who will participate in in-service training programs (It is necessary to present documents showing who will provide the training, how long it will last, etc.)
– Foreigners who will come for education or similar purposes within the framework of agreements to which the Republic of Turkey is a party or student exchange programs (The permit period to be granted will be equal to the education period.)
– Foreigners who will stay for tourism purposes
– Foreigners who will receive treatment provided they do not carry one of the diseases considered a threat to public health (Here, the permit period is granted considering the treatment period. Only the person receiving treatment can benefit from this permit, companions cannot benefit from this permit.)
– Foreigners who are required to stay in Turkey based on the request or decision of judicial or administrative authorities
– Foreigners who will be transferred to a short-term residence permit if they lose the conditions for a family residence permit
– Foreigners who will attend Turkish language courses (This course must be an approved course by the Ministry of National Education.)
– Foreigners who will participate in education, research, internship, and courses in Turkey through public institutions (It is granted for a maximum period of 1 year.)
– Foreigners who apply within six months of graduating from higher education institutions in Turkey (It is granted for a maximum period of 1 year in one go.)
– Those who do not work in Turkey but will make an investment in the scope and amount to be determined by the Council of Ministers and their foreign spouse, the minor or dependent foreign child of themselves and their spouse (The upper limit is 5 years.)
– Foreigners who are citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (The upper limit is 5 years.) can obtain a short-term residence permit.
2. Long-Term Residence Permit
Foreigners who have stayed in Turkey continuously for at least 8 years with a residence permit or who meet certain conditions determined by the Ministry of Interior can be granted an indefinite residence permit by the governorships with the approval of the Ministry. A foreigner holding a long-term residence permit has the right to reside indefinitely. The conditions for obtaining a long-term residence permit are as follows:
– Having stayed in Turkey with a residence permit continuously for at least 8 years,
– Not having received social assistance in the last 3 years,
– Having sufficient and regular financial means to support themselves or their family, if any,
– Having valid health insurance,
– Not posing a threat to public order or public safety.
Persons who are not eligible for a long-term residence permit are:
– Refugees,
– Conditional refugees,
– Persons with secondary protection status,
– Persons with humanitarian residence permits,
– Persons under temporary protection.
3. Student Residence Permit
It is issued for foreign students residing in Turkey. A student residence permit is granted to the following persons:
– Foreigners attending primary and secondary education if they do not have a family residence permit,
– Foreigners studying at associate degree, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels in higher education institutions in our country are granted a residence permit for the duration of their education.
In a student residence permit, it is required to present information and documents showing that the foreigner will study in Turkey, not to be among the foreigners not allowed to enter Turkey, and to provide address information where they will stay in Turkey.
4. Family Residence Permit
It is the residence permit granted to the foreign spouse, the foreign child of themselves or their spouse who is a Turkish citizen or has a residence permit. This residence permit is also granted to the minor or dependent foreign child of refugees and persons with secondary protection status, or their spouses.
A family residence permit is issued for a maximum period of 3 years at a time. The duration of the family residence permit cannot exceed the duration of the residence permit of the person on whom the family residence permit is based.
5. Touristic Residence Permit
It is a type of short-term residence permit applied for by foreigners who want to stay in Turkey for tourism purposes.
The conditions for obtaining a touristic residence permit are as follows:
– Not being among the unacceptable passengers,
– Having accommodation conditions that meet general health and safety standards,
– Requesting a residence permit stating that they will stay for tourism purposes and presenting the necessary documents,
– Providing a criminal record certificate issued by the competent authorities of the country of citizenship or legal residence if requested,
– Providing address information where they will stay in Turkey.
How to Obtain a Residence Permit for Foreigners?
The preliminary application for obtaining a residence permit for foreigners is made through the e-residence system on the website of the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management. After the preliminary application, a pre-registration form must be filled out. After the application, an appointment date and time are given to the applicant. The foreigner must submit the pre-registration form and the required documents to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management on the specified appointment date and time. Residence permit applications are not yet accepted from abroad.
According to the legal regulation, the residence permit application is concluded within a maximum of 90 days. This period starts from the date when the information and documents are fully delivered to the competent authority. In practice, the residence permit is issued within an average of 10-30 days.
What are the Durations of Residence Permits?
– As a rule, short-term residence permits can be granted for a maximum of 2 years each time.
– A family residence permit is granted for a maximum of 3 years each time. However, the duration of the family residence permit cannot exceed the duration of the residence permit of the supporter.
– A student residence permit is issued to cover the duration of the education of the foreigner. In addition, if the education period of the foreign student is less than 1 year, the student residence permit cannot exceed the education period.
– A long-term residence permit is granted indefinitely to the foreign person applying.
– Tourism residence permits, treatment residence permits, and residence permits obtained by purchasing real estate are granted for a maximum of 2 years each time.
Both residence permit and work permit applications and appointment requests are made online, and the procedures require experience and knowledge due to their complexity.
In this regard; One of our solution partners, Ömer Faruk BOZKURT, has followed and concluded the work and transactions related to work permits and residence permits (residence cards) of approximately 10,000 employees of Chinese companies in previous periods. Due to his excellent knowledge of bureaucracy and the follow-up system, quick and positive results can be obtained instantly.