How Much Money Is Needed to Get a Residence Permit in Turkey 2023

Since 2017, the number of foreigners with a residence permit in Turkey has gone up by 2.5 times, to 1.35 million people. Most of the time, to move, they get a short-term residence permit that lasts from a few months to two years and can be extended. In Turkey, a residence permit is called an ikamet.

The cost of a residence permit starts at $200. The amount varies depending on the duration of the permit, the citizenship of the applicant, and his age. There are a few extra costs that are listed below.

Foreigners must pay state duties, medical insurance, notary fees, and interpreter fees to obtain a residence permit in Turkey.

The residence permit card fee is 356 TRY, or $20. A residence permit card replaces a foreigner's internal passport and lets you open a Turkish bank account or enroll a child in school.

The residence permit fee for submitting an application for a residence permit depends on the foreigner's country of citizenship and the time frame for which they want to stay in the country. How much the fee is:

from 5 to 25 $ for the first month;
from 0.5 to 5 $ for each subsequent month.

The governmental fee for a one-year residence permit in Turkey is $25 for Russian citizens and $80 for Kazakh, British, and Americans. The Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Kosovo, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Turkmenistan citizens are tax-free.

Fee for consideration of an application for a residence permit in Turkey for citizens of different countries

Notarial services. To get a residence permit, a foreigner will need to have a real estate lease agreement, income certificate, and birth certificate for each child under 18 years old notarized. A Turkish sworn translator translates and certifies foreign-language documents.

A bank statement or certificate proves income. Lawyers from Ikamet recommend showing a regular income of at least $675 per (TL 12,750) person per month, and the minimum account balance for a residence permit for a year will be $8,000. A notarized translation of a bank statement costs roughly $30 per page.

In order to get a residence permit based on the lease, it must be notarized. This kind of service costs $100. Some notaries ask for a translation of the tenant's passport that has been signed by a notary public, while others just sign the contract without a translation. If a foreigner lives with family or friends, they must show a notarized undertaking to live instead of a lease agreement.

A foreign passport and a notarized translation of the child's birth certificate are needed to get a residence permit for a child under 18 years old. Only a certificate with an apostille, which is a special stamp that proves the document is legal overseas, will be accepted for translation. A notarized translation costs $100.

For a foreigner to get a residence permit, it costs from $50 to get health insurance. It gives coverage of at least 50,000 TRY per year, which is about $2,650. Up to 80% of the cost of medical services are paid for by insurance.

The cost of the policy depends on the insurance company, the age of the insured person, the amount of coverage, and the list of services and diseases that are covered by the policy. Extended insurance costs about $1,500 a year and can cover things like dental care, a psychologist's services, or an annual checkup.

Insurance can be bought at a branch of the insurance company or on the ikamet.com/sigorta website.

Expenses for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey:

• state taxes for consideration of an application for a residence permit - from $10 to $80, depending on the citizenship of the foreigner;
• state taxes for issuing a residence permit card - TL 356 / $20;
• medical insurance - from $50, depends on several factors, the amount of coverage and the list of services;
• notarized translation of a bank statement to confirm sufficient income – $50 per page;
• notarization of the lease agreement or undertaking, if there is no title deed (real estate) - $100;
• notarized translation of birth certificates for children under 18 years of age, or marriage certificate - $100.

What types of residence permits are issued in Turkey

In Turkey, there are six types of residence permits, each for a different reason and length of time:

• Short-term - valid from six months to two years for property owners, tourists, entrepreneurs and eleven more categories of foreigners.
• Family - for up to three years for foreigners married to a Turkish citizen.
• Student - for the duration of training in a Turkish university.
• Humanitarian - for up to one year for those who cannot return to their homeland, for example, because of a natural disaster.
• For victims of trafficking in human beings - for a period of one month with the right to renew for three years.

The residence permit can be changed to a different type of document if the reason for getting it has changed. It can also be extended an unlimited number of times.

If the cadastral value of a home in Turkey is at least $75,000, the owner can get a residence permit. Such rules are in place in cities with more than 750,000 people, which includes 30 provincial capitals. The cadastral value in smaller cities is $50,000. Owners of any residential property, no matter how much it was worth, could get a residence permit until May 2022.

The certificate of ownership, or TAPU, says how much a piece of land is worth, not the amount written in the contract to purchase it. With a property worth at least $400,000, an investor can become a Turkish citizen in 6 to 8 months.

Tourists can get a short-term residence permit if they rent a place to live for six months and can prove they have enough money, which is about $675 per month. A bank statement or a work certificate can show proof of income. A tourist residence permit doesn't let you work for a Turkish company or do business in the country. However, it doesn't stop you from working remotely for a foreign company or setting up a business in Turkey.

To get a residence permit after February 2022, you will need to show a notarized lease agreement. The owner of the property signs the lease agreement for the residence permit, and the renter is present at the notary.

Some areas will stop giving out residence permits so that foreigners don't make up more than 25% of the population in those areas. Under the restrictions were the parts of Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya, which are the most popular cities in Turkey for foreigners. There is a list of places where you can't get a residence permit on the website of the Migration Service of Turkey.

A foreigner may not get a residence permit if the reason for their stay does not match the reason for getting a residence permit. Tourist residence permits, which freelancers and digital nomads use, are usually turned down.

Entrepreneurs who want to do business in Turkey and property owners have a better chance of getting a residence permit. Families can get Turkish residency or citizenship if a member of the family owns property in Turkey with a cadastral value between $50,000 and $400,000. There are some conditions.

How to get a residence permit in Turkey

The Presidency of Migration Management, also known as GÖÇ, is in charge of giving out residence permits. It takes between one and three months to finish. You can only apply for a residence permit in Turkey. Documents cannot be sent to consulates outside of Turkey.

1. From 1 day: Prepare documents, get a TIN, buy medical insurance;
2. 1 day: Apply and make an appointment with Immigration;
3. 1 day: Attend an interview at Migration Management;
4. 1—3 months: Get approval and residence permit card.

After submitting a preliminary application via the website e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr, applicants are invited to an interview - rendezvous - at the Migration Management. The system will automatically schedule the interview date and the office address of Migration Management for document submission.

On the website for Migration Management, you can also check the status of an application for a residence permit. After the residence permit is approved, a temporary residence permit is downloaded and replaces your internal passport until your card arrives.

The list of documents for a residence permit in Turkey:

• Application for a residence permit - print out from the online application.
• Passport and its copy.
• Birth certificate for children under 18 years of age – apostille, notarized translation.
• Biometric color photos — 4 pcs.
• A certificate of income or an account statement is a notarized translation, if the statement is not from a Turkish bank.
• Receipts for the payment of state taxes for the issuance of a residence permit and a residence permit card.
• Foreign health insurance.
• Proof of residence. Property owners provide a TAPU certificate, tenants - a notarized lease agreement, TAPU certificate, and numerataj from the landlord. Applicants who stay with relatives or acquaintances have a notarized undertaking to reside.
• Additional documents depending on the type of residence permit. For example, for a tourist residence permit, a travel plan is provided for the entire period of validity of a residence permit, and for a residence permit for entrepreneurs , an invitation from an individual or a company with which the foreigner plans to cooperate.

An interview at Migration Management takes about 15 minutes, but waiting in line for an appointment can take anywhere from one to three hours. The people who work in migration speak Turkish and not much English. The applicant can hire an official interpreter at the Migration office, if one is available, or bring one or use an online electronic translator, if necessary.

If a foreigner applies for a residence permit through the e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr website, the state fee is calculated and paid online. Along with the main list of documents, the payment receipt is brought to the interview place for GÖÇ.

A foreigner needs to get a Turkish TIN (Vergi Kimlik Numarası) in order to pay the state duty for a residence permit in person. TIN can be obtain from the tax office for a fee or online through the ivd.gib.gov.tr website.

How to extend a residence permit, get permanent residence, and Turkish citizenship

At least 60 days before the permit expires, it must be renewed. The steps are the same as for getting a residence permit: get paperwork, make sure you have medical insurance, and apply to the Migration Management. Now, a copy of a valid residence permit card and a utility bill are also on the list.

After eight years of living uninterrupted in Turkey with a residence permit, you can get permanent residency, also called a "long-term residence permit." A foreigner won't be able to apply for long-term if he spent more than a year outside the country during this time.

To get a permanent residence permit, the applicant must show, among other things, a residence permit:

• A certificate that he did not receive social benefits for three years before applying for permanent residence.
• Certificate of no criminal record in Turkey and the country of citizenship.

Turkish Citizenship: A person can become a naturalized citizen instead of a permanent resident after living in Turkey for five years with a real-estate residence permit. Before you apply, you can't have been out of the country for more than a month at a time or for more than a year in total during this time. The person also needs to pass a test on how well they know the Turkish language.

In exchange for investments of at least $400,000, investors can get Turkish citizenship in 6 to 8 months. There are six ways to put money to work:

• Buy real estate with a cadastral value of $400,000.
• Buy units of the investment fund in the amount of $500,000.
• Buy government bonds in the amount of $500,000.
• Invest in a new or existing company from $500,000.
• Open a deposit in a Turkish bank in the amount of $500,000
• Employ 50 Turkish citizens

To gain Turkish citizenship, nine out of ten investors opt to buy real estate. The Turkish real estate market is liquid and profitable. The cost per square meter of residential real estate in Turkey is the lowest in Europe, at approximately $700 per square meter, increasing by 3.5 times over the past five years.

The main thing about residence permit in Turkey

• The Turkish residence permit is valid from six months to two years with the possibility of extension.
• Residence permits are issued to property owners worth $50,000, entrepreneurs, as well as tourists who want to stay in the country longer than 90 days a year or 60 days in a row.
• Obtaining a residence permit in Turkey costs from $200 per year and depends on the duration and country of citizenship of the foreigner.
• To obtain a residence permit, a foreigner pays a state tax for a residence permit and a residence permit card, buys medical insurance, pays for a notarized translation of a certificate of income or a bank statement. If necessary, pays for the notarization of the lease agreement and the notarized translation of birth certificates of children.
• After 8 years of living in Turkey, you can get an indefinite residence permit - permanent residence.
• Turkish citizenship by naturalization can be obtained after five years of living in the country. Investors receive Turkish citizenship in 6-8 months in exchange for investments from $400,000. Some conditions apply*

Conclusion

You can apply for a residence permit if you are a foreign property owner in Turkey. The application process is relatively simple and straightforward, and can be done online. However, it is important to make sure that you meet all the requirements before applying, as the application can be rejected if you do not.

Want to apply for a residence permit in Turkey? You can check out resources here at Ikamet. We cover everything from residency, citizenship, property, insurance and more specifically for expats in Turkey. Come see our resources at Ikamet.