A short-term residence permit is obtained by applying online through the e-ikamet system before your visa or visa-exempt period expires, submitting the documents to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management on the appointment day and paying the fees. Foreign nationals who will stay in Turkey longer than their visa or visa exemption allows, or longer than ninety days, must obtain a residence permit (YUKK Art. 19).
In this article, we cover the cases in which a short-term residence permit is granted, its requirements, the application steps, the deadlines and the remedies available if it is refused. For other matters such as work permits, citizenship and deportation, see our immigration law page.
What is a short-term residence permit, and how does it differ from other types?
The Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection (YUKK) classifies residence permits according to the purpose of stay (YUKK Art. 30); the details of implementation are set out in the Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (the Implementing Regulation). A short-term residence permit is granted to those staying for a specific purpose and for a limited period. If there is a more specific reason for staying, such as family, studies or work, the permit matching that purpose is applied for.
| Permit type | For whom | Duration | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term residence permit | Those staying for purposes such as tourism, property ownership, business connections or medical treatment | Up to 2 years under the Law; usually 1 year in practice | YUKK Arts. 31–33; Implementing Regulation Art. 28(1) |
| Family residence permit | The foreign spouse and children of a Turkish citizen or of a foreign national holding a residence permit | Up to 3 years at a time; cannot exceed the sponsor’s permit | YUKK Arts. 34–37 |
| Student residence permit | Those studying for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in Turkey | Linked to the length of studies | YUKK Arts. 38–41 |
| Long-term residence permit | Those who have stayed with a residence permit for at least 8 years without interruption | Indefinite | YUKK Arts. 42–45 |
| Work permit | Foreign nationals who will work in Turkey | Counts as a residence permit while valid | YUKK Art. 27 |
In which cases is a short-term residence permit granted?
A short-term residence permit may be granted in the following cases (YUKK Art. 31(1)):
- Those coming for scientific research
- Those who own real estate in Turkey
- Those who will establish business connections or set up a business
- Those attending in-service training programmes
- Those coming for education under agreements or student exchange programmes
- Those staying for tourism
- Those receiving medical treatment, provided they do not carry a disease considered a threat to public health
- Those required to stay in Turkey at the request or by decision of judicial or administrative authorities
- Those switching from a family residence permit to a short-term residence permit
- Those attending Turkish language courses, or education, research or internships through public institutions
- Those who completed higher education in Turkey and apply within six months of graduation
- Those making an investment of the scope and amount set by the President, and their families
- Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
A short-term residence permit may be granted for up to two years at a time; for investors and TRNC citizens the limit is five years (YUKK Art. 31(2), Art. 31(5)). The Implementing Regulation, however, provides for periods of up to one year at a time (Art. 28(1)), and in practice the permit is usually issued for one year.
Property ownership: In applications on this ground, the property must be a residence and must be used as such (Implementing Regulation Art. 28(3)). A provision added to the law in November 2024 gives the Ministry of Interior the power to set the nature and value of the property on which the permit is based (YUKK Art. 31(6)). The document list of the Presidency of Migration Management dated March 2025 requires the value of the residence on the date of acquisition to be at least the Turkish lira equivalent of USD 200,000, and the residence must not be used for income-generating purposes such as renting it out. As this threshold may change, check the current list before applying. For matters concerning the property acquisition itself, see our real estate law page.
What are the requirements for a short-term residence permit?
The requirements listed in the law are as follows (YUKK Art. 32):
- Relying on one of the grounds for stay listed in the law and submitting the related information and documents
- Not being among the foreign nationals who are refused entry to Turkey (YUKK Art. 7)
- Having accommodation that meets general health and safety standards
- If requested, submitting a criminal record certificate issued in their home country
- Providing the address where they will stay in Turkey
In addition, the Implementing Regulation requires valid health insurance covering the requested period and sufficient and regular financial means for the duration of the stay (Implementing Regulation Art. 22(6), Art. 22(13)). As a rule, the foreign national’s declaration of financial means is accepted; if it is not found convincing, documents are requested and sufficiency is assessed against criteria linked to the minimum wage. Since a higher income criterion may apply to tourism-based applications, check the current document list for your type of application.
Which documents are required?
According to the list published by the Presidency of Migration Management on the e-ikamet system, the common documents are:
- A signed residence permit application form
- A copy of the passport identity page and, if any, the visa page
- Two biometric photographs taken within the last six months
- Receipts showing payment of the residence permit fee and the card fee
- Health insurance covering the requested period
- A document or declaration on sufficient and regular financial means
- Documents on your address and accommodation: title deed, notarised rental agreement, hotel booking or a notarised undertaking from the person you are staying with
Additional documents are also requested depending on the purpose of stay; for example, the title deed and street-numbering certificate for property, or a travel plan for tourism. Documents obtained abroad generally require an apostille and a notarised Turkish translation.
How does the application work, step by step?
Under the law, a residence permit application is, as a rule, made to the Turkish consulate in the foreign national’s country (YUKK Art. 21). In the exceptional cases listed in the law and in practice, foreign nationals who are in Turkey apply to the governorships, that is, to the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management (YUKK Art. 22; Implementing Regulation Art. 21(2)). An application from within Turkey proceeds as follows:
- Online application: The application form is completed on the e-ikamet system and an appointment date is obtained. According to the Presidency of Migration Management, appointments are free of charge, and intermediaries asking for a fee should not be relied on.
- Payment of fees: The residence permit fee under the Fees Law No. 492 and the card fee under the Valuable Papers Law No. 210 are paid (Implementing Regulation Art. 23(1)(c)). Those who entered visa-free and are applying for the first time must also pay a single-entry visa fee, except citizens of exempt countries; citizens of some countries are exempt from the residence permit fee. As the amounts are updated periodically, check the current amount through the official channels of the Presidency of Migration Management.
- Submission of documents: On the appointment day, the documents are submitted in full to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management. If you are notified of missing documents, they must be completed within thirty days; otherwise, the application is removed from processing (Implementing Regulation Art. 22(1)).
- Application certificate: Those who complete their application are issued a residence permit application certificate, which gives the right to stay in Turkey until the application is decided (Implementing Regulation Art. 21(8)–(9)).
- Assessment: The application is decided within ninety days at the latest (YUKK Art. 21(5)).
- Delivery of the card: If the application is approved, in practice the residence permit card is sent by PTT (Turkish Post) to the address given in the application. It is therefore important to provide your address and phone number correctly.
- Address registration: A foreign national who obtains a permit from within Turkey must register in the address registration system within twenty working days at the latest from the date the permit document is delivered (Implementing Regulation Art. 22(12)).
Which deadlines should you watch?
| Matter | Deadline | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| First application from within Turkey | Before the visa or visa-exempt period expires | Implementing Regulation Art. 21(2) |
| Completing missing documents | 30 days from notification | Implementing Regulation Art. 22(1) |
| Decision on the application | Within 90 days at the latest | YUKK Art. 21(5) |
| Address registration | 20 working days | Implementing Regulation Art. 22(12) |
| Renewal application | Opens 60 days before expiry; must be filed before expiry | YUKK Art. 24(2) |
| Stay after refusal or non-renewal | Up to 10 days | Implementing Regulation Art. 22(11) |
| Lawsuit at the administrative court | 60 days from service | İYUK Art. 7 |
When should you apply for renewal?
A renewal application may be filed from sixty days before the residence permit expires and, in any case, before it expires. Applicants are given a document that is not subject to fees; with it, the foreign national may stay in Turkey until a decision is made, even if the permit has expired (YUKK Art. 24(2)).
Two points are important for renewal. First, spending more than one hundred and twenty days in total outside Turkey within the last year, other than for compulsory public service, official duty, education or health reasons, is a ground for cancellation and non-renewal of the permit (Implementing Regulation Art. 29(1)(c)). Second, a finding that the permit is used for a purpose other than the one for which it was granted has the same consequence (YUKK Art. 33(1)(b)).
Restrictions in practice: closed neighbourhoods and tourism-based applications
Neighbourhoods closed to residence: The Ministry of Interior announced that, as of 1 July 2022, neighbourhoods where the proportion of foreign residents exceeds 20 per cent were closed to new residence permit procedures; according to the announcement, about 1,200 neighbourhoods were covered. The list may be updated over time. Before renting or buying a home, check whether the address is open to residence permits.
Tourism-based applications: In an announcement dated 2 December 2019, the Presidency of Migration Management stated that, from 1 January 2020, tourism-based applications and renewal requests by foreign nationals who had already held tourism-based permits for one year or more in total would not be approved unless they presented a new ground for stay. This practice was suspended from 8 September 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In tourism-based applications, the applicant’s declaration on their travel plan is assessed, and information or documents may be requested (Implementing Regulation Art. 28(7)).
Administrative practices of this kind may change frequently. Before applying, check the current announcements of the Presidency of Migration Management and of the relevant Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.
What happens if the application is refused or the permit is cancelled?
Decisions on refusal, non-renewal and cancellation are served on the foreign national, their legal representative or their lawyer; the notification must also set out the remedies available against the decision (YUKK Art. 25(2)). The document issued after a refusal or non-renewal only allows a stay of up to ten days (Implementing Regulation Art. 22(11)). A deportation decision is taken against a foreign national whose renewal application has been refused and who does not leave Turkey within ten days (YUKK Art. 54(1)(j)).
Since no special time limit is provided for lawsuits concerning short-term residence permits, under the general rule an action for annulment may be filed with the administrative court within sixty days of service of the decision (İYUK Art. 7). Before filing a lawsuit, it is also possible to apply to the administration within the same period to have the decision withdrawn; this application suspends the time limit for filing a lawsuit, and if no reply is given within thirty days the request is deemed rejected (İYUK Art. 11). Under an amendment made in November 2024, in lawsuits against the refusal of a short-term residence permit application or the cancellation of the permit, whether to hold a hearing is left to the court’s discretion (YUKK Art. 31(7)).
Filing a lawsuit does not in itself stop the decision from being enforced (İYUK Art. 27(1)); a request for a stay of execution should therefore be considered separately. The time limit is different for deportation decisions: a lawsuit against them may be filed within seven days of service (YUKK Art. 53(3)).
What are the consequences of staying without a permit?
A deportation decision is taken against foreign nationals who exceed their visa or visa-exempt period by more than ten days, and against those who exceed the duration of their residence permit by more than ten days without an acceptable reason (YUKK Art. 54(1)(e), (g)). Fees and penalties for the period exceeded must be paid (YUKK Art. 56(2)); residence permit applications by those who do not pay these debts are refused (Implementing Regulation Art. 22(10)). An administrative fine also applies to those who do not leave the country within the period granted with a deportation decision (YUKK Art. 102(1)(c)).
Foreign nationals who are deported are banned from entering Turkey; as a rule, the ban lasts up to five years (YUKK Art. 9(2)–(3)). An entry ban may not be imposed on foreign nationals who apply to the governorship to leave before their situation is detected and who pay their administrative fines, provided that they do not exceed the overstay periods set by the Ministry (YUKK Art. 9(4)). Whether an entry ban is imposed may depend on the length of the overstay and the individual’s circumstances.
Before you apply
Not leaving the application until the last days of your visa or visa-exempt period, preparing documents suited to your purpose of stay from the outset and keeping your address details up to date help the process run smoothly. For an assessment specific to your situation, you can contact our office.
