Residency Permits (ikamet) for Investors, Real Estate owners, business owners, medical purposes, students and long term residency
Turkish residency is the document that allows foreigners to legally entitled to reside in Turkey. Foreigners entering to a country will remain under the authority of the state according to international law.
Foreigners wanting to stay longer than the visa exemption period must obtain a residency permit. The residency permit is issued by the Provincial Immigration Administration and is in the form of a card involving the identity information and validity period of the foreigner.
How to apply for Turkish residency permit
Residency permit applications are made to the Provincial Immigration Administrations established in each province. At first, an appointment should be made with the Immigration Administration, then the documents should be wholly prepared and submitted to the Immigration Officer on the day of the appointment.
The residency permit application must be made before the visa exemption period is expired. One can make an appointment during the visa exemption period, and the appointment day does not need to be during the visa exemption period. Visa exemption periods vary depending on the nationality of the foreigner.
The residency permit application form is not a single type; it varies according to the residency permit type. Another point that should be kept in mind is that the information given should not be false. Here is a sample residency permit application form:
https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/Ikamet/BasvuruFormuOrnegi/BasvuruFormuBos?tur=3
Turkish Residency permit types and their requirements
Foreigners who have suitable accommodation conditions according to the following arrival purposes can apply for a Short-Term Residency Permit. Short term residency permit are valid for 1 or 2 years depending on the type. Here are the relevant purposes that Short-Term Residency are given to; research purposes, possession of immovable property in Turkey, establishing a business or having a business connection in Turkey, participation to in-service training programs, educational or similar purposes, accommodation with tourism purposes, receiving treatment (provided that they do not have one of the diseases that are considered a threat to public health), demand or the decision of the judicial or administrative authorities, changing from family residency permit to short-term residency permit, attending to Turkish learning courses, attending to education, research, internships and courses. Documents required for Short-Term Residence Permit are detailed below.
Short-Term Residency Permits (ikamet) in Turkey
Short-Term Residency Permits (ikamet) for Tourism purposes
- Residency Permit Application Form (https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/)
- Valid health insurance
- Translation of passport, original passport and photocopy of the passport or travel document (passport are translated at the Noter)
- Tax (vergi) receipt for the type of Residency permit (ikamet) (taxes are paid in the (Tax) vergi office
- Four photographs
- Rent contract showing that the house is rented to the person and attested in Noter.
Residency Permit Application Form should be applied from the official website and anyone can easily apply. Interview date or submitting date will be given with application form and everything should be submitting on that date in Goc or ikamet office.
Short-Term Residency Permits (ikamet) for Real Estate owners
- Residency Permit Application Form (https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/)
- Valid health insurance
- Translation of passport, original passport and photocopy of the passport or travel document (passport are translated at the Noter)
- Tax (vergi) receipt for the type of Residency permit (ikamet) (taxes are paid in the (Tax) vergi office
- Four photographs
- Official document showing that the house belongs to the person (Tapu or Title deed)
Residency Permit Application Form should be applied from the official website and anyone can easily apply. Interview date or submitting date will be given with application form and everything should be submitting on that date in Goc or ikamet office.
Short-Term Residency Permits (ikamet) for business owners, training and research or medical treatments
- Residency Permit Application Form (https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/)
- Valid health insurance
- Translation of passport, original passport and photocopy of the passport or travel document (passport are translated at the Noter)
- Tax (vergi) receipt for the type of Residency permit (ikamet) (taxes are paid in the (Tax) vergi office
- Four photographs
- Official document showing the business ownership or training and research programs papers or medical treatments papers from the hospital that belong to the person
Residency Permit Application Form should be applied from the official website and anyone can easily apply. Interview date or submitting date will be given with application form and everything should be submitting on that date in Goc or ikamet office.
Long term, Investor & other Residency Permits (ikamet) in Turkey
Residency Permits (ikamet) for Investor
Investor Residency Permits (ikamet) are given for those investor who invested $250,000 in Real Estate or $500,000 fixed deposit in the bank to apply for Turkish nationality
- Residency Permit Application Form (https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/)
- Valid health insurance
- Translation of passport, original passport and photocopy of the passport or travel document (passport are translated at the Noter)
- Tax (vergi) receipt for the type of Residency permit (ikamet) (taxes are paid in the (Tax) vergi office
- Four photographs
- Official documents showing the invested amount belongs to the person
Family Residency Permit (ikamet) in Turkey
Family Residency Permit is given to foreign spouse, minor foreign child or dependent foreign child, secondary protection holders, refugees and those who have lost Turkish citizenship pursuant according to Article 28 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. Documents required for Family Residency Permit:
- Residency Permit Application Form
- Original and photocopy of the passport or travel document with translation
- Tax (vergi) receipt for the type of Residency permit (ikamet) (taxes are paid in the (Tax) vergi office
- Four photographs
- Marriage certificate
- Original and photocopy of the sponsor’s ID card
- Document showing that the sponsor has sufficient and regular financial means during their stay
- Valid health insurance covering all family members
- Criminal record
- Document showing their registration to the Address Registration System
Student Residency Permit (ikamet) in Turkey
Student Residency Permit is required to be obtained by foreign students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, doctorate and associate degree programs affiliated with the Higher Education Institution. Documents required for Student Residence Permit:
- Residency Permit Application Form
- Original and photocopy of the passport or travel document with translation
- Tax (vergi) receipt for the type of Residency permit (ikamet) (taxes are paid in the (Tax) vergi office
- Four photographs
- Document showing that the student has sufficient and regular financial means during their stay
- Documents from the university showing that the student has joined in
- Student certificate
- Valid health insurance
Some universities process the Residency permit in the university itself.
Long-term Residency Permit (ikamet) in Turkey
Foreigners who have stayed in Turkey with a valid residence permit uninterruptedly and legally for at least eight years may be eligible for Long-term Residency Permit
Long-term Residency Permit: Documents required for Long-Term Residence Permit.
- To reside at least 8 years interrupted in Turkey
- Not benefiting from any type of social support provided by the state in the last 3 years.
- Having sufficient and appropriate resources to survive. (The income must be at least 500 USD per month.)
- Residency Permit Application Form
- Original and photocopy of the passport or travel document with translation
- Tax (vergi) receipt for the type of Residency permit (ikamet) (taxes are paid in the (Tax) vergi office
- Four photographs
- Not to pose a threat to public order and safety
written by Melisa Karayusufoglu / image: milligazete.com