Turkey is one of the best countries for vacation. Many Europeans choose this country because of an affordable budget and a sufficiently high level of service. In addition, in this country, there is the possibility of various types of recreation - beach, excursion, combined, and even sports. There is the sea, mountains, and history here. But sometimes circumstances make it necessary to become not only a temporary visitor to Turkey, but also to emigrate here for a certain time, or forever.

Read more about obtaining Turkish citizenship through investment here.

What do you need to get a residence in Turkey?

If tourist Turkey is open to all visitors, mostly without unnecessary additional bureaucratic preparations (for example, without issuing a visa, even without a foreign passport, if you have an ID card), then registration as even a temporary resident of the country requires attention, time, and financial investment. Although, compared to some European countries, this procedure is much easier here.

The first stage of legalization in the country is the issuance of a temporary residence permit. It is issued for a year, so the registration procedure will have to be repeated annually. After five years of residence status, you can start the immigration naturalization process - submit documents for obtaining Turkish citizenship.

The Turkish authorities have identified several types of residence permits, which are issued on different grounds:

1. Short-term.

2. Long-lasting.

3. Family.

4. In connection with studies.

5. On humanitarian grounds.

6. For people affected by human trafficking.

The grounds for obtaining a short-term residence permit may be:

• Availability of real estate in Turkey;
• Tourism (if it is not enough in the amount of 90 days out of 180);
• Long-term treatment in the country;
• Studying, retraining, practice (studying the Turkish language, student exchange programs);
• Opening a business in Turkey.

A tourist residence permit can currently be extended remotely on the website like a Visa online. It is important not to violate the deadlines to avoid problems with fines and deportation.

A family residence permit is obtained in case of marriage with a citizen of Turkey, and family reunification. It is issued for 2 years if there is housing, health insurance, permanent income, at least the subsistence minimum of Turkey, and legal residence in Turkey for at least 12 months.

A residence permit in connection with studies is issued to foreign students of universities and colleges in Turkey for the period of study. The status does not entitle the relatives of the residence permit holder to apply for this status. At the same time, foreign students can start working quite legally already after the first year of study, albeit for a limited number of hours per week.

Opening a business and obtaining a residence permit on this basis is currently one of the most common ways to immigrate to Turkey, as the country has simplified the import and export of large financial sums. Business registration takes less than two weeks and does not require too much initial investment.

A long-term residence permit is issued if a legal immigrant in Turkey does not seek citizenship, so after 8 years he can get a permanent residence permit. To do this, you need to have a stable job and income, an insurance policy, and not receive state assistance during the last three years before the status is issued.

The humanitarian residence permit is granted to such categories of migrants as refugees, persons whose rights have been violated, and those affected by the civil war.

It is also possible to obtain a work permit visa in Turkey. At the same time, it is worth issuing a work visa - after drawing up an employment contract and obtaining a work permit. Since working illegally in Turkey carries heavy fines and deportation, you are barred from entering the country for five years.

Documents for applying for a residence permit

1. Foreign passport – notarized original and copy.

2. Sample application.

3. Photos for documents.

4. Issued medical insurance.

5. Housing rental agreement or TAPU (ownership of the real estate in Turkey).

6. Statement from the bank about the state of the accounts.

7. Certificate of no criminal record.

8. Duty payment receipt.

Depending on the type of permit, the list of documents may be supplemented. For permanent residence, this list is supplemented with a certificate of knowledge of the Turkish language, medical insurance, and confirmation of legal residence in Turkey for the last 5 years.

After completing the relevant documents, the Turkish immigrant receives an Ikamet - a certificate of a foreign person staying in the country on legal grounds. Or Kimlik - a document that functions as an internal Turkish passport.

The terms and cost of the registration service should be specified before submission. Our specialists can help you with this, and they will be happy to advise you and help you with the preparation of documents.