The Republic of Turkey is known and loved by tourists from all over the world. And over the past few years, Turkey has established itself as an economically developed country with excellent investment climate and favorable conditions for moving to permanent residence.
Turkish residence permit – This is a document that gives foreigners the legal right to reside in the territory of an eastern state. Turkey is not a member of the EU, so it has its own rules for issuing residence permits, which are different from European countries.
In our expert article you will find all the useful information about what gives a residence permit to Turkey< /span>, what are the conditions for obtaining and types of ikamet.
Types of residence permits in Turkey
The laws of the Republic of Turkey provide for several types of residence permits for foreigners:
Short-term residence permit
Available for registration:
- researchers and participants in research, training programs, internships;
- real estate owners;
- official partners of Turkish businessmen and investors;
- patients of medical clinics;
- tourists;
- exchange students;
- foreigners taking language courses in Turkey;
- citizens who have lost the right to family ikamet (for example, upon reaching adulthood);
- university graduates;
- Cypriots.
Validity of short-term residence permit – from several months to 1-2 years, depending on the reasons for registration. The exception is Cypriots, who can apply for a residence permit for up to 5 years with the possibility of extension. There are also no restrictions for foreign owners of real estate to renew their Ikamet card.
Family residence permit
Involves the issuance of a card to the immediate relatives of a foreigner (children under 18 years of age, husband/wife), regardless of the ikamet type. Maximum duration of residence permit – 3 years, possibility to apply for an extension.
For more information on how to obtain a residence permit in Turkey for a child, what rights foreign children have and what privileges a child born in Turkey will have, read our article "Citizenship and residence permit in Turkey for a child".
Student residence permit
Issued to students of Turkish educational institutions for the entire period of study who do not have a family residence permit.
Long-term residence permit
Long-term residence permit is classified as an indefinite residence permit. It is issued by foreigners who have continuously resided in the resort state for 8 years, regardless of the type of ikamet previously received. A permanent residence permit gives the same rights to foreign citizens as to Turks, except for the opportunity to participate in elections and serve in military and government positions.
Humanitarian residence permit
A fairly rare type of residence permit, issued in special cases. For example, if a foreigner subject to deportation cannot leave or obtain a residence permit in any other country.
Residence permit for victims of human trafficking
The main condition for issuing – official recognition of a foreign citizen as a victim of human trafficking or the presence of serious grounds that the person may become one.
Let's take a closer look at Residence permit in Turkey when purchasing real estate, since the changes that occurred in 2022 worried many investors from abroad.
According to the new rules, from April 26, 2022, foreigners wishing to obtain a residence permit under TAPU, that is, on the basis of a certificate of ownership, will have to buy an object at a price from:
- $75,000 for large cities and capital provinces;
- $50,000 for other settlements.
The price is determined by licensed specialists. The resulting conclusion is attached to the package of documents for Ikamet.
We would like to remind you that previously any real estate, regardless of the price tag, was eligible for a residence permit under TAPU.
If the property costs less than the amount required by law, foreign buyers may apply for a tourist residence permit. Tourist residence permit in Turkey 2022guarantees the owner the same rights as ikamet under TAPU . The only difference is that with a tourist card, foreigners will not be able to claim citizenship of the Republic of Turkey after 5 years. This period of stay will not be taken into account.
Attention!
All owners of apartments in Turkey who entered into sales contracts before the date of entry into force of the amendment to the law (until 04/26/2022) receive a residence permit under TAPU regardless from the cost of the object.
New procedure for obtaining a residence permit through real estate: current requirements after October 16, 2023!
Starting October 16, 2023, the conditions for obtaining a residence permit based on real estate have undergone significant adjustments. For those who became the owner of real estate and received a certificate of ownership (TAPU) after the specified date, it is critical that the cadastral value of the property is not less than $200,000 in lire equivalent on the day of registration. In addition, make sure that your property is located in an open area for obtaining a residence permit.
Main innovation — transition to cadastral valuation instead of estimated value. This means that new properties purchased after October 16, 2023 will not require additional assessments. But, if your TAPU was issued between April 26, 2022 and October 16, 2023, then you should be guided by the old requirements with an estimated value of $75,000.
These adjustments apply not only to the initial receipt of a residence permit, but also to its subsequent extension or change in the type of ikamet.
And also, we should expect quick changes in the Turkish Citizenship by Investment program. Preliminary rumors indicate a possible increase in the investment threshold to $750,000 or even $1 million.
As for the tourist residence permit, there is no clarity here yet, but you should be prepared for unexpected changes.
What does a residence permit in Turkey provide
Any type of residence permit in Turkey gives you the right to live in a resort state and freely cross its border to enter or exit. Planning to claim a “gold” status after 5 years. passport, please note that the period of stay outside the Republic of Turkey is limited to 6 months in total for the entire five-year period.
Turkish residence permit – this is a guaranteed right to receive free education in kindergartens, schools, universities, as well as registration of state health insurance SGK with broad coverage of the costs of treatment and medications.
As you know, in the spring of 2022, many Turkish banks refused to issue current accounts to Russian citizens without a valid residence permit. The presence of any type of Ikamet guarantees trouble-free account opening for foreigners, regardless of citizenship.
Conditions for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey
How to obtain a residence permit in Turkey by TAPU, and what conditions must be met for foreigners &ndash ; Let's look into it in detail.
The procedure consists of several steps:
1. After purchasing the property and re-registering the TAPU in your name, fill out an application on the website https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/.
2. Preparation of documents.
Let's consider what documents are needed for a residence permit:
- Passport – original and copy with translation into Turkish. A copy of the passport is certified by a Turkish notary office. The validity period of the identity document must exceed the period of the requested Ikamet by at least 60 days.
- TAPU – original and copy.
- Assessment by an expert commission on the value of real estate, which is the basis for an application for a residence permit.
- Photo – 4 things. Almost every photo studio in Turkey knows the size and type of photographs when submitting documents to ikamet.
- Medical insurance policy and a copy of the contract with insurers. The duration of the insurance must cover the duration of the residence permit. The cost of the policy is determined by age and ranges from 600 to 2000 TL per year.
When filling out an application on the Migration Department website, the foreigner indicates his income. In some cases, department officials ask to present a bank statement or other documents confirming solvency. Therefore, we recommend preparing an income statement in advance.
An important point: if the Migration Department requires you to supplement the list of documents, you have 30 days to provide them. Otherwise, the application will be canceled and the entire procedure will have to be completed again.
3. Meeting at the Migration Service. At the rendezvous, the inspector checks the applicant's documents and asks a number of formal questions before certifying the application.
Foreigners pay a state fee for processing the application and a fee for issuing an ikamet card. This can be done at the local tax office, the cash desk of institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Finance of Turkey, and at the branches of some banks.
The procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey can be completed for you by an authorized person on the basis of a notarized power of attorney.
After submitting the application, foreigners have the right to stay in Turkey until they receive an Ikamet card. As a rule, the maximum period for consideration of applications does not exceed 90 days, but in practice most of the responses arrive within two to three weeks.
Residence permit in Turkey – not a mandatory condition for foreign owners, but just an opportunity. If your purpose of purchase – vacationing several times a year or renting out apartments to generate passive income, you can come to the resort country under visa-free entry conditions.
The Point Property company will be happy to help you find high-quality Turkish real estatefor any requests, including for a residence permit under TAPU.
These materials have been prepared for informational purposes and are not of a commercial nature.
Point Property – a certified real estate agency that specializes in providing a full range of real estate services for transactions with residential and commercial real estate in Turkey, as well as diverse after-sales services.
