Types of residence permits in Turkey and the reasons for rejecting the request for residency

What are the types of residence permits in Turkey?

A legal overview of the most important problems that a foreigner can face in Turkey.

Residence permit in Turkey: It has several types that differ according to the different forms of residence and its reason.

• Short-term residence permit
• Family residence permit.
• Student residence permit.
• Long-term residence permit.
• Humanitarian residence permit.
• Residency of victims of human trafficking.

1.   Short-term residence permit in Turkey

This type of residence in Turkey falls under the provisions of the Foreigners Law from 31 to 33, and International Protection No. 6458, in addition to Articles 28 and 29 of the Executive Regulations related to the application of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection.

Who is eligible for short-term residency?

1. Foreigners who came to Turkey for the purpose of practical research are required to obtain permission from the Turkish ministry to which the subject of their scientific research is related, and in the absence of any affiliation with any ministry, they are required to submit a statement related to the scientific research that will be conducted on Turkish territory.
2. Foreigners who own real estate in Turkey: the property is required to be residential to give its owner the right to apply for real estate residence in Turkey, and all members of the owners’ families can apply for residence by owning a share in this.
3. Foreigners who are in the process of establishing a business or commercial relations in Turkey: who want to obtain a residence permit for more than three months, a letter of invitation is required from the company or people who will work with them in Turkey.
4. Foreigners who will undergo a vocational training program in Turkey: In this case, the duration of stay is determined according to the type, duration, and location of the training, and is given over the length of the training program.
5. Foreigners who come to Turkey for educational purposes: According to agreements or student exchanges concluded by the Republic of Turkey with a foreign country, when applying for a residence permit, they are required to provide information and documents related to the educational purposes for which they came, and they are given a residence permit for the duration of the educational program to which they will be subject, and they are not required to have compulsory health insurance until three months have passed since the educational program.
6. Foreigners who wish to reside in Turkey for tourism: In this case, the residence applicant submits information about (the place of tourism, its duration...), then the application is evaluated, and permission is granted to stay based on this evaluation.
7. Patients who come for treatment in Turkey: whether they come in a personal or governmental capacity, and it is stipulated that they do not have diseases that threaten public health in Turkey, and these are required to have data proving that they have diseases, and documents that prove their ability to bear the burdens of treatment, and they are not required to have health insurance, and these are granted residence In proportion to the duration of treatment they need, patients who come for treatment in Turkey according to a health agreement concluded with the Turkish government can take two companions with them, who are also granted residency, unless the agreement does not provide for two companions, taking into account the provisions of Article 14 in the appendices General Law on Health Services No. 3359, which stipulates that no escort should be more than two persons and that the escorts are obligated to health insurance.
8. Foreigners who reside in Turkey according to a request or decision from a public or judicial institution: In this case, the duration of the residence permit is determined according to the period specified in the decision or request.
9. Foreigners who are entitled to move to a short-term residence permit after the terms of their family residence are invalidated.
10. Foreigners registered in Turkish language courses in an educational institution: authorized by the Ministry of Education, and they are granted residence permits twice at most.
11. Residency is granted to foreigners participating in training courses or educational activities sponsored by government institutions: for a period not exceeding one year, and they are not required to state their financial situation, and they are not required to have health insurance if the sponsoring government institution sponsored them during the training period.
12. Foreigners who have completed postgraduate studies in Turkey: are given residence for a period of one year, and for one time, provided that they apply for residence within the first six months after their graduation.
13. Foreigners who do not work in Turkey: however, have investments within the value determined by the Council of Ministers. They obtain residency for five years, as well as the wife and children unless they reach the legal age, to encourage investment and facilitate investors and support the economy in general.
14. A foreigner with citizenship in Northern Cyprus gets a residence permit for five years.

How long is the short-term residence in Turkey?

It is determined by a maximum of two years, except for the foreigners mentioned in Articles 13 and 14 above.

What are the conditions for a short-term residence permit in Turkey?

The conditions necessary for granting short-term residency are specified in Article 32 of the Foreigners Law, which are:

• Show the information and documents that show the purpose of the residence in Turkey.
• The person should not be one of those mentioned in Article 7 of the Foreigners Law, and they are:
• Persons who do not possess a passport or a document on its behalf, or who do not have a visa or a visa exemption, or who do not have a work permit or people who are proven to have forged these documents.
• Persons who do not possess a passport that is valid for a period of not less than sixty days from the date of expiry of the visa or from the date of an exemption from the visa or residence permit.
• Persons are banned from entering Turkey.
• The person must provide information related to the address at which he will reside in Turkey.

A short-term residence permit is refused, and canceled if granted, or not extended upon its expiry, in the following cases:

• Failure to meet one or some of the conditions required to obtain short-term residency.
• Evidence that the residence permit was used contrary to the purpose for which it was granted.
• The existence of a decision of deportation outside the borders of Turkey or a ban on entry to it.
• Violation of the required period of stay outside Turkey for foreigners who have entered it before.

2.   Family residence permit

This type of residence permit falls under the provisions of Articles 34 to 37 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, in addition to Articles 30 to 34 of the Executive Regulations related to the International Protection Law.

Who are the foreigners who are entitled to obtain family residence in Turkey?

It is obtained by foreigners belonging to each of the persons covered by Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 (people who were born with Turkish citizenship and exited Turkey with permission and lost their citizenship due to their exit and are still treated as a Turkish citizen), or foreigners who have obtained one of the types of Turkish residence permits, or refugees, or persons who are in a state of exceptional protection (who do not meet the conditions of asylum but whose return to their country poses a threat to their lives) from:

Learn more by reading our article on investing and obtaining Turkish citizenship

1. Foreign wife
2. Children under the age of puberty for the person or his spouse.

In the case of applying for family residence to more than one wife for one person, the family residence is given to one of the wives, but all foreign children of the father can obtain the family residence. If the guardianship of the children is entrusted to a mother outside Turkey, her consent must be obtained to obtain a residence permit for them. Children who obtain a family residence permit are granted the right to education in educational institutions until the age of 18 without being obligated to obtain a student residence permit.

Foreigners who previously obtained a family residence permit can apply for a short-term residence in the following cases:

• In the case of divorce, the condition of residing on family residence for at least three years due to marriage to a Turkish citizen (and in the event of domestic violence proven by a judicial decision, it is not required to meet the condition of family residence for at least three years).
• In the event of the death of the person justifying the family residence, his dependents can apply for a short-term residence permit in Turkey.
• Foreigners who have reached the age of 18 and who have previously resided in Turkey under a family residence permit for a period of not less than three years.

What’s the duration of a family residence permit in Turkey?

The duration of the family residence permit shall not exceed three years at a time. The duration of the family residence cannot exceed the residence period of the person causing it if he is a holder of a residence permit.

What are the conditions for granting a family residence permit in Turkey?

 These are the conditions specified in Article 35 of the Foreigners Law, which are:

• Availability of the necessary conditions for the person causing the family residence permit (that the person causing the family residence has health insurance that includes all members of his family, and that he has an income in which the share of one family member is not less than one-third of the minimum wage in Turkey, and that he does not have in his criminal record any crime that disturbs the family system during for the past five years, and to have been residing in Turkey at a specific address for at least one year).
• Availability of the necessary conditions in the family residing with the cause of the family residence (presenting documents proving their relationship to the cause, proving that he lives with them or intends to reside with them in one place and that the wife is over the age of 18).

What are the reasons for rejecting family residence permits in Turkey?

The family residence permit is rejected, and it is canceled if granted, or not extended upon its expiry, in the following cases:

• Lack of conditions for obtaining the family's permission, or its demise.
• Proof of using the family residence permit for a purpose other than that for which it was granted.
• A decision of deportation outside the borders of Turkey or preventing entry to it.

3. Student residence permit in Turkey

This type of residence falls under the provisions of Articles 38 to 41 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, in addition to Articles 35 to 39 of the Executive Regulations of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection.

Who is eligible to obtain a student residence permit in Turkey?

• Students in the first and second stages of education who do not have family residence permits (and we mentioned that foreigners who have a family residence permit can continue education in Turkey until the age of 18 without obtaining a student residence, and when they reach the age of 18 they must obtain a student residence to continue their university studies).
• Foreign students who are registered in any educational institution affiliated with the Higher Education Council to study a bachelor’s or master’s degree or specialization in medicine ... etc. The student can obtain a student residence permit, and after obtaining it, he can be a reason for his family (wife and children to obtain family residence) and not He has the right to be a cause for people of other degrees of kinship.

What’s the duration of a student residence permit in Turkey?

In the case that the period of time for the educational period that the student will spend in Turkey is less than a year, the period of residence granted may not exceed the period given for the educational activity, and in case it exceeds that, it is given for a renewable year, provided that the student is responsible for his expenses by the Turkish Grant Foundation or by real or legal persons inside or outside Turkey.

What are the conditions for obtaining a student residence permit in Turkey?

• Show documents and information showing the student's purpose of staying in Turkey.
• The student should not be one of the persons mentioned in Article 7 of the Foreigners Law, and they are:
• Persons who do not possess a passport or a document on their behalf, or who do not have a visa or a visa exemption, or who do not have a work permit, or who have been proven to have forged these documents.
• Persons who do not have a passport valid for a period of not less than sixty days from the date of expiry of the visa, visa exemption, or residence permit.
• Persons that are prohibited from entering Turkey.
• Provide information on the address of residence in Turkey.

Health insurance for students in Turkey

According to the general provisions, a foreign student is not required to have any additional health insurance if he applies for public student health insurance within three months from the date of registration. As for students who have lost their right to public health insurance due to a delay in insurance registration for more than three months, they require private health insurance.

The rules and principles that university students must follow when changing branches, universities, or colleges:

The student’s residency remains effective when changing the branch or college in the same educational institution and when changing the educational institution in the same state, provided that the student informs about this change in the transitional period between the two institutions, colleges or branches, and if the education period is short, the residency is extended to the end of the education period.

In the case of moving from one state to another, the applicant shall apply to the presidency of the state to which he is transferred, to break the residence and obtain new permission until the end of the education period.

Is the student entitled to work in Turkey?

Undergraduate and postgraduate students can work in Turkey provided they obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Labor, except for first-stage university students; They are not entitled to do so until after the end of the first school year.

Find out more information by reading our article on obtaining a work permit and residence in Turkey

What are the reasons for rejecting student residence in Turkey?

The student’s residence permit shall be rejected and canceled if granted, or not extended upon its expiry, in the following cases:

• Failure to meet the conditions required for obtaining a student residence permit or its demise.
• If it is proven that the student is unable to complete the educational process.
• If it is proven that the student’s residence permit was used for a purpose contrary to that for which the permission was granted.
• A decision of deportation outside the borders of Turkey, or the prohibition of entry to it.

4. Long-term residence permit in Turkey

This type of residence falls under the provisions of Articles 42 to 45 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, in addition to Articles 40 to 43 of the Executive Regulations related to the application of the Law of Foreigners and International Protection.

Who is entitled to obtain a long-term residence permit in Turkey?

Foreigners who have stayed in Turkey under a residence permit for a period of at least eight continuous years, and foreigners who fulfill the conditions specified by the Foundation for Migration Policy, are granted a long-term residence permit with the approval of the Turkish Ministry of Interior.

Those who are refugees or persons under subsidiary protection and holders of humanitarian residence are not entitled to obtain a long-term residence permit in Turkey.

What’s the duration of a long-term residence in Turkey?

There is no fixed length of stay for these stays.

What are the conditions for obtaining a long-term residence permit in Turkey?

• The foreigner must fulfill the conditions mentioned in Article 43 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, which are:
• The foreigner must have resided at least eight years without interruption in Turkey (4 years for holders of student residence in accordance with Article 38 of the Law on Foreigners and Temporary Protection)
• The foreigner should not have received any social assistance during the last three years.
• The foreigner has a source of income sufficient for his livelihood, and sufficient for his family if any.
• The foreigner must have valid health insurance.
• The foreigner should not pose a threat to public order and security in Turkey.

What rights does a long-term residence permit in Turkey grant?

A foreigner with a long-term residence permit in Turkey enjoys all the rights of a Turkish citizen except to run for office, be elected, perform military service in Turkey, hold government jobs and enter a car while retaining social security rights.

What are the reasons for rejecting a long-term residence permit in Turkey?

• That person poses a real threat to the public order and security in Turkey.
• The long-term residence permit is canceled if the foreigner resides outside Turkey for a period of more than one year continuously, with the exception of residence for education or medical treatment, or the performance of compulsory service in his country.

How to reactivate a long-term residence permit in Turkey?

A request to re-activate the long-term residence permit is submitted personally in accordance with legal principles, in the consulates of the Republic in the country in which he resides if outside Turkey, and in the state if he is inside Turkey and the new application is required to achieve residence in Turkey for eight years, and the applicant shall receive the result of the application within a maximum period of one month.

5. Humanitarian residence permit in Turkey

This type of residence falls under the provisions of Articles 46 and 47 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, in addition to Article 44 of the Executive Regulations related to the Law of Foreigners and International Protection.

Who is entitled to obtain a humanitarian residence permit in Turkey?

• The child, if obtaining it is in the best interest of him.
• It can be obtained by foreigners against whom a decision of deportation was issued outside the borders of Turkey, or denied entry to it, and then it was found that their exit from Turkey is not possible.
• Foreigners who are not subject to a deportation decision outside the borders of Turkey, even if they fulfill the conditions of expulsion under Article 55 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, and are:
• The foreigner who proves that he will be subjected to torture in the country to which he will be deported, or that there is a death sentence against him, or any inhumane practice awaits him.
• Foreigners whose life is seriously threatened by age, health status, pregnancy...
• People who receive some support, because they are victims of human trafficking.
• Foreigners who have been subjected to psychological, physical, or sexual violence, until their treatment stages are completed

How long is the humanitarian residency in Turkey?

Humanitarian residency is granted by the State and with the approval of the Ministry of Interior for one year, subject to extension.

What are the reasons for rejecting humanitarian residence permits in Turkey?

The residence permit shall be canceled or rejected to be extended by the State and with the approval of the Ministry in the event that the conditions fulfilled for granting the humanitarian residence permit are not fulfilled.

Other matters related to humanitarian residency in Turkey

A foreigner who has a humanitarian residence permit is obliged to register his residence address on the address system within a maximum period of 20 working days from the date of granting the residence permit.

Humanitarian residence permit holders can apply to convert their residence to any type of residence (except for long-term residence) if they meet the necessary conditions for obtaining the required residence permit.

6. Residence permit for victims of human trafficking

This type of residence falls under the provisions of Articles 48 and 49 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, in addition to Articles 45 and 46 of the Executive Regulations related to the Law of Foreigners and International Protection.

Who is entitled to obtain residence permits for victims of human trafficking in Turkey?

Foreigners who have been victims of human trafficking, or who are suspected of being victims of it, can obtain a residence permit for victims of human trafficking in Turkey.

How long is the residence permit for victims of human trafficking in Turkey?

The process of regulating the residence permit for victims of human trafficking takes thirty days, and the permit is granted for a period of six months, subject to extension, provided that the total period does not exceed three years.

What are the conditions for obtaining a residence permit for victims of human trafficking?

What are the reasons for rejecting the residence of victims of human trafficking in Turkey?

The residence permit of a victim of human trafficking shall be canceled, not granted, or not extended, in the following cases:

• Contact between the foreign victim and the criminal made him a victim on the victim's personal initiative.
• Non-compliance of the foreigner with his obligations.
• If it is proven that the foreigner is not a victim of human trafficking.

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