Visa regime, residence permit and citizenship of Turkey

Contents of the article:

• Foreigners in Turkey
• Visa regime in Turkey
• Visa for property owner
• Grounds for obtaining a residence permit
• Family residence permit in Turkey
• Work residence permit in Turkey
• Residence permit for property owners
• Residence permit for pensioners
• Other residence permits
• Documents for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey
• The procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey
• How to renew a residence permit
• Simplified acquisition of Turkish citizenship for investors
• How much does it cost to obtain a residence permit in Turkey?
• Why they may refuse to provide a residence permit
• What does a residence permit in Turkey give: rights and obligations

There are a lot of foreigners permanently living in Turkey. Moreover, the most numerous national groups are not from the Middle East region, as one might think, but from Germany and Bulgaria. This is due to large waves of emigration after the Second World War, the 1989 Bulgarian revolution and the conflict in the Balkans. Due to the situation in Syria, thousands of locals have moved here in recent years for a quieter life.

Russians also love Turkey - among the local residents there are more than 30,000 immigrants from the Russian Federation. And judging by statistics, this number will grow. Türkiye is among the TOP 10 popular countries for purchasing real estate; Russians alone purchase about 1,000 properties here every year. Surely some of the owners are planning to move to Turkey.

Source: Wikipedia, data for 2015.

Visa regime in Turkey

Türkiye is a visa-free country for Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Kazakhstanis. When crossing the border, you will only need a valid passport with a minimum validity of 4 months. They have the right to request proof of financial solvency (at the rate of $50 per day) and a return ticket, but in practice they do this extremely rarely.

You can stay in Turkey without a visa: 90 days per six months for Ukrainians, 60 days for Russians, 30 days for Belarusians and Kazakhstanis. At the same time, you are allowed to cross the border any number of times, the main thing is that the total period of stay in the country does not exceed the specified limits. Foreigners must independently count the days allowed for their stay (if an error is discovered, they will be issued a fine or a ban on entry into Turkey).

Türkiye regularly changes the rules for foreigners staying in the country (usually towards simplifying the regime). You can always check with local embassies and consulates for current information.

• Embassy of Turkey in Moscow
• Consulate of Turkey in Kazan
• Consulate of Turkey in Novorossiysk
• Embassy of Turkey in Minsk
• Embassy of Turkey in Kyiv
• Embassy of Turkey in Astana

Pay attention! If foreigners leave Turkey within 15 days after the end of the visa-free period, they will have to pay a fine. If later, then in addition to a fine, a ban on entry into the country will be imposed for a month. If the fine is not paid, the ban may be extended for five years.

If you need to stay in Turkey longer, you can apply for a long-term visa. Submission of documents occurs in two stages. The first is filling out an application on the consulate website . The second is the personal submission of documents on the specified date.

Documents can be submitted to the Aliens Affairs Department of the Security Directorate (Emniyet Müdürlüğü Yabancılar Şube Müdürlüğü) in Turkey or to the consulate in your country. Please note that applications for long-term visas take approximately two months to be processed.

Number of tourists in Turkey

Source: Turkish Ministry of Interior

Visa for property owner

Owning real estate in Turkey is a sufficient basis for obtaining a long-term visa. For this you will need the following documents:

• Printed visa application form
• Two color photographs (size 5x6)
• A copy of the pages of the international passport containing personal data
• A copy of the TAPU (certificate of ownership), the original must be carried with you when submitting documents.
• Bank account statement or income certificate at the rate of $50 per day of stay in Turkey (The bank can be either Turkish or Russian).
• A copy of the page of the national passport where the residence permit or registration is located.

After receiving a positive response to the visa request, the applicant brings his passport to the consulate for a visa to be affixed. The duration of this procedure is up to 5 days.

Residence permit in Turkey

Conditions for long-term residence in Turkey are regulated by the Law on Foreigners and International Protection. Its text in Russian can be found here .

Grounds for obtaining a residence permit

Most often, foreigners receive a residence permit (in Turkish, ikamet) on the grounds of “family reunification”, “study” and “work” in Turkey. The number of residence permits issued to property owners is growing every year.

Types of residence permits in Turkey issued in 2017

Source: Turkish Ministry of Interior

Family residence permit in Turkey

A residence permit can be obtained by spouses and minor children of the applicant (a Turkish citizen or a foreigner with a residence permit).

In addition to proof of family ties, you will need:

• Live in Turkey for at least one year (for main applicant)
• Have a monthly income of at least the established minimum level (each family member must have at least 1/3 of the “minimum salary”)
• Have a place to live (owned or rented property)
• Have health insurance
• Have no dangerous infectious diseases or problems with the law (no convictions for crimes for 5 years - for all family members)

Please note: documents issued in Russia (for example, a marriage certificate or a birth certificate) will need to have an apostille.

Interestingly, Russians and Ukrainians are among the main applicants for family residence permits in Turkey.

Family residence permits issued in 2017

Source: Turkish Ministry of Interior

A family residence permit can be issued for a period of up to 2 years. The main thing is that the period of validity of the residence permit for the main applicant is longer.

Work residence permit in Turkey

According to the new rules, a valid work permit in Turkey can be used as a residence permit. In other words, there is no additional requirement to submit an application for ikamet.

Residence permit for property owners

Owning real estate in Turkey is a sufficient basis for obtaining a short-term residence permit. At the same time, the cost of real estate does not matter - both owners of luxury villas and cheap apartments can receive ikamet.

Please note: in order to obtain an ikamet on this basis, all applicants must be recorded in the TAPU (certificate of ownership of real estate). If, for example, the apartment is registered only in the name of the husband, then the wife can receive a family residence permit.

The maximum validity period of a residence permit for property owners is 1 year. Then it needs to be extended.

Residence permit for pensioners

There is no special “pension residence permit” in Turkey. Typically, foreign pensioners who want to spend more than 90 days here per six months apply for a residence permit on the grounds of “ownership of real estate,” “treatment,” or “tourism.” If you do not own an apartment, you can provide a lease agreement concluded for a year. A pension certificate and a certificate of pension payments can also serve as proof of financial solvency.

Other residence permits

A short-term residence permit (up to a year) is also issued to those who want to vacation in Turkey (tourism), undergo medical treatment, study the Turkish language, improve their qualifications, start their own business, or conduct scientific research.

Please pay attention! Since 2017, a short-term residence permit will not be canceled if its holder stays outside Turkey for more than 120 days.

Documents for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey

Depending on the basis for obtaining a residence permit, the list of required papers changes. Students must provide certificates from universities, relatives - evidence of family ties, businessmen - documents for the company. You can find out more about the list of documents for different reasons on the information portal of the Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs . As an example, let’s take a “package” that a property owner must put together.

Documents for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey for property owners:

• Application form for issuing a residence permit (to fill it out, you first need to obtain a TIN - taxpayer number - in Turkey, it can be obtained free of charge from the tax office at the place of registration)
• 4 photos
• Original and copy of passport (passport validity must be at least 60 days longer than the requested residence permit)
• Bank statement showing the availability of funds for living (at the rate of $6,000 per year per person)
• Copy of TAPU (certificate of ownership of real estate)
• Certificate from the Cadastral Department (certifying that TAPU is valid)
• Valid medical insurance (which includes emergency care, treatment in a clinic, treatment in a hospital). You can calculate the cost of the policy here .

Officially, since 2015, documents for a residence permit must be submitted to the Turkish consulate in your country. Meanwhile, the preparatory regime is still in effect (2018), and migration offices in Turkey continue to accept applications.

The procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey

Since 2015, Turkey has had an electronic registration system for submitting documents (there is even a Russian-language version on the website). You will be asked to select one of three tabs - “issue the first residence permit”, “extend the residence permit” or “change the status of the residence permit”.

You will then be asked to fill out an application for document review. All fields marked in red must be filled in correctly. A confirmation code will be sent to the specified phone or e-mail to continue filling out the application.

After filling out the form, you will be given a complete list of documents required for your type of ikamet. The system will also automatically determine the branch to which you will need to come. Then you will be able to book a date and time for the rendezvous (it will not be possible to cancel or reschedule this date; failure to appear is tantamount to cancellation of the application).

In addition, the site itself will calculate the amount of the duty for you. You will need to bring a payment receipt to the meeting at the migration office.

If your visa or visa-free stay has expired, you cannot leave Turkey before submitting documents, otherwise you will have to pay a fine for overstaying days. After the rendezvous, you can leave for 15 days while you wait for the residence permit card in the mail.

As a rule, residence permits are sent to property owners within two weeks, but they may be delayed.

How to renew a residence permit

Typically, ikamet in Turkey is issued for 12-24 months. It can then be renewed using the same electronic application system. After 8 years, you can obtain permanent residence – a permanent or long-term residence permit that does not require renewal.

Permanent residence in Turkey

If the total period of stay in Turkey under a residence permit has reached 8 years, and the period of absence has not exceeded 365 days over the last 5 years or more than 180 days a year, then you can obtain an indefinite residence permit.

Holders of permanent residence in their rights are practically equal to citizens of the country. They have the opportunity:

• Vote and be elected to governing bodies
• Hold public office
• Import vehicles
• Serve in the armed forces

But unlike citizenship, a permanent residence permit can be revoked if the foreigner stays outside Turkey continuously for more than a year. The exception is treatment, education and compulsory public service.

Turkish Citizenship

After five years of residence in Turkey, if you have a residence permit, you can apply for citizenship. It is important that the applicant must speak Turkish. The following documents are submitted along with the application:

• details of all the applicant’s passports, as well as the civil passports of his parents, translated into Turkish and certified by a notary office;
• a copy of the document confirming the receipt of a residence permit, which expires in at least six months;
• if the person is married and has minor children - a document confirming marital status and documents for children, translated into Turkish and certified by a notary office;
• a document from the Ministry of Education or the Turkish Consulate confirming knowledge of the Turkish language;
• certified health certificate;
• income certificate certified by a notary office;
• two color photographs.

If you marry a Turkish citizen, citizenship can be obtained after three years. To do this, you must submit a corresponding application within a month from the date of registration.

Simplified acquisition of Turkish citizenship for investors

Foreigners who make a significant contribution to the Turkish economy can immediately obtain a Turkish passport.

You can apply for citizenship in the following cases:

• Purchase of real estate worth $250,000 or more (the property must remain owned for three years)
• Investment of $500,000 in production in Turkey
• Deposit $500,000 in a Turkish bank or purchase government bonds for the same amount with an obligation to maintain the assets for three years
• Creation of at least 50 jobs in Turkey

How much does it cost to obtain a residence permit in Turkey?

The main cost of a residence permit is the purchase of insurance. The cost of the policy depends on many parameters, but on average €60-150 per year (may be more for children and elderly people). There may also be costs for notary services, for example, if it is necessary to certify a lease agreement. It’s worth budgeting about €50 for this.

The state fee for a residence permit in Turkey varies depending on the foreigner’s country of origin and the type of residence permit he is requesting. For example, the fee for an annual residence permit for the purpose of tourism for Russians will be about €27. The exact amount of the state fee will be calculated for you by the electronic system after submitting an application for a residence permit.

Why they may refuse to provide a residence permit

Türkiye is friendly to foreigners, and obtaining a residence permit here is not difficult. But they can also refuse if:

• The applicant does not meet the requirements for issuing an Ikamet
• It was revealed that the purpose specified in the application for a residence permit does not correspond to the actual one (for example, a fictitious marriage)
• Fake documents detected
• The applicant has a valid deportation order or an unpaid fine for violating the Turkish visa regime

What does a residence permit in Turkey give: rights and obligations