Residence Permit in Türkiye
Turkey, which is the most hosting metropolises in the world, the junction point of the Asian and European continents, living 4 seasons at the same time, hosts a variety of cultural and social facilities, is one of the most preferred countries for living and investing by foreigners. Turkey has specified the duration of the visa or visa waiver which is 90 days are obliged to apply for a residence permit for foreigners for a longer period.
According to Law No. 6458 Foreigners and International Protection, the residence permit is a document permitted to stay in Turkey. Getting a residence permit, is mandatory for foreigners who decided to settle in Turkey or will stay in Turkey for more than 90 days within 180 days. The application for a residence permit can be submitted through the e-ikamet system. Determined an appointment day automatically by the system for the foreigners who complete their application through the e-ikamet system. Foreigners should be present at the migration management directorate in the city which they chose due to the day of the appointment. The residence permit application must be submitted before the VISA legal period expired. Pay the penalties are required for applications that are not made on time. Also, if these penalties have not been paid in time, Turkey entries may be banned from 1 year up to 5 years.
You can easily apply for or renew a residence permit by purchasing real estate in Turkey without any price limitation. The foreigner, who owns real estate in Turkey, is entitled to a residence permit with a spouse and children (under 18 years old). Also, foreigners who are residing in Turkey for five years with the legal residence permit, obtain the right to apply for Turkish citizenship (foreigners with other types of residence permits cannot have a right to citizenship).
Residency Types
AS FAR AS INVESTMENT is concerned, there are two types of Residence permit
1. Short-Term Residence Permit
For short-term residence permits, foreigners who own real estate in Türkiye or intend to establish a business or make business connections in Türkiye must submit the following documents to the relevant Provincial Directorate of Migration Management (İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü) once an application is submitted through the e-residence system. (e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr), short-term residence permits are issued for a maximum of two years as a principle. However, foreigners who intend to invest in Türkiye in amounts and scopes attested by the Council of Ministers, along with their spouse and children, may be granted a five-year short-term residence permit. Furthermore, these investors may apply for acquisition of Turkish citizenship or a long-term residence permit.
2. Long-Term Residence Permit for Foreigners
For long-term residence permits, foreigners who have continuously resided in Türkiye for at least eight years must submit the following documents to the relevant Provincial Directorate of Migration Management (İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü). Long-term residence permits are issued indefinitely; therefore, no extension application is required.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR RESIDENCE PERMIT
Foreigners must have the following conditions to apply for Short Term Residence Permit;
– To submit information and documents following the purpose of stay in Turkey
– Not being in a position to impede the application (invalid passport, late application, etc.)
– Having accommodation conditions following general health and safety standards
– If requested, a document showing a criminal record issued by the competent authorities of the country of nationality
– Address information to be resident in Turkey
Documents required for Short Term Residence Permit must be completed in full by foreigners and must be delivered completely by making sworn translation and notary approval. The Required documents are:
– Residence Permit application form.
– Passport, identity information, and processed pages’ original and photocopy (A passport with a validity of 60 days longer than the residence permit request is requested)
– Birth certificate for all the family members, should be original and attested by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish embassy.
– 4 biometric photos (passport photo size)
– Statement that has sufficient and regular financial means during stay (A minimum of 10,200 TL for a 1-year application, a minimum of 20,400 TL for a 2-year application, or a letter written by a bank indicating that there is an equivalent amount of foreign currency)
– Fully comprehensive health insurance or evidence of your social security in your country that is available in Turkey.
– Marriage certificate, it should be original and attested by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish embassy.
– Insurance period must cover the period of residence permit required.
– Originals and photocopies of land registry, TCIP, or rental contracts.
– Turkish tax number to pay fees in the tax office (You can visit www.goc.gov.tr for current fees)
– Place of residence taken from the civil registry to specify the current address of residence in Turkey. – A file with a cover to hold all documents together.
Rights conferred by a long-term residence permit
1. Without prejudice to acquired rights with respect to social security, and subject to conditions stipulated in applicable legislation governing the enjoyment of rights, foreigners holding a long-term residence permit shall benefit from the same rights as accorded to Turkish citizens with the exception of the provisions in laws regulating specific areas, and of:
a) compulsory military service;
b) the right of vote and be elected;
c) entering public service;
ç) exemption from customs duties when importing vehicles.
2. The Council of Ministers is authorized to partially or completely restrict the rights listed in the first paragraph.
Other conditions for getting citizenship in Turkey
The authorities are quite strict regarding citizenship in Turkey and are entitled to make a series of checks and also to ask for a lot of information. Here are other formalities and conditions that you should consider for getting citizenship in Turkey:
- The minimum age to apply for Turkish citizenship is 18 years.
- Before applying for citizenship in Turkey, you must prove that you have lived in this country for at least 5 years with a residence permit.
- You must also prove that you know the Turkish language and that you have enough funds to support your living in this country.
- A clear criminal record is also requested, and normally a good conduct certificate issued by the police is required.
Foreigners may apply for exceptional Turkish citizenship under certain conditions. For instance, they must purchase USD 500,000 worth of state borrowing instruments from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance in Turkey and held them for at least 3 years.
