Turkey (TR)

Turkey is a transcontinental nation straddling Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait, uniting 85 million people under a rich civilisational heritage stretching from the ancient Hittites and Romans to the Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire.

Capital: Ankara

Region: Europe

Language: Turkish

Currency: TRY (₺)

Cost of living: Very affordable (index 35)

Emergency: 112

Visa & Immigration

Entry and residence options for Turkey.

Visa-Free Access

Citizens of approximately 90 countries can enter Turkey visa-free for 90 days (for tourism/business, within any 180-day period). Key visa-free countries: Germany (90 days), Netherlands (90 days), France (90 days), Belgium (90 days), Japan (90 days), South Korea (90 days), Brazil (90 days), Argentina (90 days), Ukraine (90 days), Georgia (90 days without any visa). Citizens of USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and most EU countries can get an e-Visa online (evisa.gov.tr) — cost approximately USD 50–100 and extends the permitted stay. Turkey is NOT in Schengen — time in Turkey does not count against your Schengen 90/180 days. For stays over 90 days, an İkamet İzni (residence permit) is required regardless of nationality.

Turkey is NOT in the EU, EEA, or Schengen Area. All immigration is governed by Turkish national law — primarily the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (6458/2013). The key authority is the Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü (Directorate General of Migration Management — DGMM) — online portal: ikamet.goc.gov.tr. The Turkish system is increasingly digitalised but often overwhelmed — Istanbul appointments can be 2–4 months in arrears. Provincial cities have faster service. IMPORTANT: Always apply online at ikamet.goc.gov.tr — do not use intermediary agencies claiming to speed up the official process (scam risk). Do use licensed immigration lawyers (yabancılar hukuku uzmanı) for complex cases. Turkey's citizenship-by-investment programme is legally separate from the residence permit system — handled by a different government track.

e-Visa

e-Vize

USD 50–100 depending on nationality (check evisa.gov.tr for current fee)

Duration: Single entry (30 days) or multiple entry (90 days within 180 days)

Eligibility

Citizens of approximately 100 countries, including USA, UK, Australia, Canada, India, China, and others not in the visa-free programme.

Processing time

Immediate to 24 hours. Obtain before travel — do not rely on getting it at the border.

Requirements

✓Valid passport (minimum 6 months validity beyond stay)
✓Credit/debit card for online payment
✓Return ticket or onward travel documentation (may be checked at border)
✓Hotel booking or invitation letter (sometimes checked)

💡 Apply at the official Turkish e-Visa website (evisa.gov.tr) only — many scam sites charge higher fees for the same service. The e-Visa is NOT a residence permit — you cannot work on it and must leave when it expires.

Short-Term Residence Permit (Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni)

Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni

Application fee: approximately TRY 1,000–3,000 (ikamet izni değerli kağıt bedeli, adjusted annually). Card issuance fee additional.

Duration: 1–2 years; renewable

Eligibility

Foreigners wishing to stay in Turkey beyond 90 days who do not qualify for work or student permits. Property owners, language students, tourism, remote workers (foreign-sourced income), medical treatment, research.

Processing time

Online application first; then appointment at İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü. Istanbul appointments: 2–4 months backlog (2026). Other cities faster. Processing after appointment: 2–6 weeks.

Requirements

✓Valid passport (minimum 60 days beyond requested permit duration)
✓Completed online application at ikamet.goc.gov.tr
✓Proof of sufficient financial means (TRY equivalent of ~USD 500/month for duration)
✓Health insurance (private or proof of SGK enrollment)
✓Address proof (notarised rental contract or property title deed)
✓Biometric photos (4 x)
✓Notarised translation of passport pages (for some nationalities)

💡 CRITICAL: Apply well before your 90-day visa-free or e-visa period expires. Overstaying triggers a ban — typically 1 year ban for up to 10 days overstay; longer bans for longer overstays. Property owners (TAPU — property deed) have an easier time getting short-term ikamet. Remote workers: foreign-source income is a common basis but Turkish authorities may request evidence of income source.

Student Residence Permit

Öğrenci İkamet İzni

Application fee similar to short-term ikamet (TRY 1,000–3,000)

Duration: Duration of studies (maximum 1 year at a time, renewable)

Eligibility

Foreigners enrolled in an accredited Turkish educational institution (university, language school, vocational school).

Processing time

Similar to short-term ikamet — book appointment at Göç İdaresi promptly after arrival.

Requirements

✓University/school acceptance letter
✓Valid passport
✓Health insurance
✓Address proof
✓Biometric photos
✓Proof of financial means

💡 A student ikamet does not give the right to work in Turkey (unlike EU countries). Part-time work by students requires a separate work permit unless covered by internship provisions. Language school enrollment (TÖMER, etc.) is a common basis for this permit type.

Family Residence Permit

Aile İkamet İzni

Application fees approximately TRY 1,500–4,000

Duration: 1–3 years, renewable

Eligibility

Spouses and dependent children of Turkish citizens or foreigners legally residing in Turkey.

Processing time

1–3 months typically.

Requirements

✓Marriage certificate (apostilled and translated)
✓Sponsor must have minimum income (above minimum wage for single person + additional for each dependent)
✓Accommodation adequate for family
✓Health insurance
✓Biometric photos
✓Criminal record certificate (from home country — apostilled)

💡 The Turkish sponsor (spouse or parent with Turkish citizenship) must register at Göç İdaresi as the applicant's sponsor. Turkish Citizenship by marriage: 3 years of continuous marriage to a Turkish citizen allows application for citizenship. Different from EU countries — the marriage requirement is 3 years.

Work Permit (Çalışma İzni)

Çalışma İzni

Application fee: TRY 5,000–15,000 for employer; employee usually free (employer bears cost)

Duration: 1 year initially; renewable for 2 years then 3 years; then unlimited work permit available

Eligibility

Foreigners employed by a Turkish employer. Employer must apply on behalf of the employee to the Ministry of Labour (Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı). Strict quota: 1 foreign worker per 5 Turkish employees. Minimum salary requirement: 6.5 times the minimum wage (approximately TRY 150,000+/month gross in 2026).

Processing time

2–8 weeks. Highly qualified and investors: faster track.

Requirements

✓Turkish employer must initiate application through e-İzin system
✓Employment contract for the position
✓Employer must meet 5:1 Turkish-to-foreign ratio
✓Minimum salary requirement met
✓Relevant qualifications/education documents (apostilled and translated)
✓Valid passport
✓Applicant must be outside Turkey when application submitted (or have a valid short-term ikamet)

💡 Work permit is both a work permit AND a residence permit — no separate ikamet needed. The 5:1 ratio is a significant constraint for small companies. Tech sector, healthcare, and highly skilled workers may qualify for exemptions. Once employed, the work permit also gives right to enroll in SGK (social security). Self-employment as a foreigner requires registering a company or sole trader — same work permit category applies.

Turkish Citizenship by Investment

Vatandaşlık Yatırım Programı

USD 400,000 minimum for real estate route (plus notary fees, taxes, agent fees of approximately USD 5,000–15,000)

Duration: Permanent citizenship

Eligibility

Foreigners making qualifying investments in Turkey: USD 400,000 minimum real estate purchase (most popular); OR USD 500,000 bank deposit; OR USD 500,000 government bonds; OR creating 50+ jobs; OR USD 500,000 venture capital fund investment.

Processing time

3–6 months from application to citizenship

Requirements

✓Purchase of real estate worth at least USD 400,000 (based on property appraisal)
✓Property must be held for minimum 3 years (annotated on TAPU / title deed)
✓Application through Tapu Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü (Land Registry) and Göç İdaresi
✓Clean criminal record
✓Health checks
✓Valid passport
✓No requirement to speak Turkish, live in Turkey, or renounce existing citizenship

💡 CRITICAL ADVANTAGE: Turkey allows full dual citizenship — you keep your original passport. Turkish passport: visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 110+ countries (2026). This is the world's most popular citizenship-by-investment programme by volume — tens of thousands of applications processed. Eligible family: spouse and children under 18 all get citizenship. Note: property price threshold raised from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000 in 2023. Very popular with Middle Eastern, Russian, Pakistani, Afghan, and other investors. Turkish citizenship also conveys right to live/work in Turkey indefinitely.

Turquoise Card (Yüksek Nitelikli Çalışma İzni)

Turkuaz Kart

No fee

Duration: Permanent work and residence rights in Turkey

Eligibility

Highly qualified foreign professionals and executives: senior managers of companies with minimum 500 employees; internationally recognised scientists and academics; investors creating significant employment; experts in digital, technological, or R&D fields.

Processing time

2–4 months.

Requirements

✓Nomination from employer or ministry
✓Proof of high qualification (academic, executive, or investment-based criteria)
✓Clean criminal record
✓Application through Uluslararası İşgücü Genel Müdürlüğü (UIGM)

💡 Turkey's equivalent of the EU Blue Card — for top-tier talent. Very selective and not widely used compared to other routes. Does not require 5:1 quota. Gives freedom to change employers within qualifying roles.

Digital Nomad Visa (Türkiye)

Digital Nomad

Dijital Göçebe Vizesi / Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni — Dijital Göçebe

Application fee: approximately TRY 1,000–3,000 (ikamet değerli kağıt bedeli, adjusted annually). Health insurance: separate private plan required.

Duration: 1 year (renewable)

Eligibility

Non-Turkish nationals aged 21–55 who work remotely for employers or clients based outside Turkey. Applicants must hold a university degree (or higher) and earn a minimum of USD 3,000/month from foreign-sourced remote work. Available to citizens of EU countries, OECD member states, Russia, Ukraine, and other approved nationalities. Turkey launched this programme officially in 2024 via the GoTürkiye digital nomad portal.

Processing time

GoTürkiye Identification Certificate: online, 1–5 business days. Subsequent ikamet appointment at Göç İdaresi: 2–4 months in Istanbul (2026 backlog); faster in Ankara, Izmir, Antalya.

Requirements

✓Valid passport (minimum 6 months validity from application date)
✓University degree certificate (bachelor's or higher)
✓Employment contract with a non-Turkish employer OR service/freelance contract with foreign clients
✓Bank statements showing consistent monthly income of at least USD 3,000 (last 3–6 months)
✓Biometric photo
✓Private health insurance valid in Turkey
✓Identification Certificate from GoTürkiye (apply at digitalnomads.goturkiye.com first)

💡 IMPORTANT (2026): Istanbul and Antalya neighbourhoods where foreigners constitute more than 25% of registered residents are CLOSED to new ikamet applications — this significantly limits options in popular expat areas. Before applying, verify your intended address is in an open district at the Göç İdaresi website. Start by applying for the Identification Certificate at digitalnomads.goturkiye.com, then proceed to the Turkish consulate in your home country for the residence permit sticker. The 120-day annual presence requirement is strictly enforced. Income must come from foreign (non-Turkish) sources — do not provide services to Turkish companies on this permit.

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