How to get a Turkish residence permit
Are you considering moving to Turkey and wonder how to get a Turkish residence permit? In this article, I’ll explain all the main options to obtain Turkish residency.
All information in this article and more is also included in my YouTube video:
Overview Turkish Residence Permit
Getting a residence permit in Turkey has become much more restrictive in recent years. I will explain the main nine categories to get residency in Turkey.
- Travel Visa for 90 days
- Digital nomads visa
- Work permit
- Tourism purposes
- Students
- Special purpose residency
- Family residency
- Property-related residency
- Turkish citizenship by investment
1) Travel Visa for 90 days
First of all, let’s begin with a standard tourist visa. Citizens of many countries can stay up to 90 days within a 180-day period in Turkey. This is the most common entry option, but it does not grant long-term legal status.
2) Digital nomads visa
Number two is the digital nomads visa. You may qualify if you work remotely, hold a university degree, are between 21 and 55 years old and earn more than 3,000 US dollars per month. Citizens of 36 countries are currently eligible. This visa gives you residency in Turkey for one year, with the possibility of renewal. Check this link for further information.
3) Work permit
Number three is the work permit. If you find employment in Turkey, your employer must apply for a work permit for you. The good news is a work permit automatically includes a residence permit. Also check my other video for job opportunities for foreigners in Turkey.
4) Tourism purposes
Number four is residency for tourism purposes. This option used to be quite popular, but nowadays it is very hard to get approved. Even renewals are quite difficult now. You must demonstrate the ability to cover your own living expenses. Many foreign retirees also used this option to apply for residency in Turkey. Nowadays, most applications are rejected, so don’t place too much hope on this option.
5) Students
Number five applies to students. If you are admitted to a university in Turkey, you can get a residence permit. This also applies if you attend a Turkish language course. And if you graduate from a Turkish university, you can apply for an additional one-year residency to search for a job.
6) Special purpose residency
Number six covers special purposes. This category includes, amongst others, scientific research, educational programs, long-term medical treatment or establishment of a business.
7) Family residency
Number seven is the family residence permit. If a foreigner is married to a Turkish citizen, the spouse and any dependent children can apply for a family residence permit.
8) Property-related residency
Number eight is property-related residency. If you buy real estate in Turkey worth more than 200.000 US dollars, you can apply for a residency permit. The property must be used by you and your family and not rented out.
Be careful though: Some neighbourhoods are closed to new residence permit applications, because their foreign population share already exceeds 20%. You can check here which neighbourhoods are closed for foreign residence permits.
9) Family residency
Number nine is Turkish Citizenship by investment. This program has different options, but the most popular is property investment. If you buy one or several old or new properties with a total value exceeding 400.000 US dollars, then you are eligible to apply for Turkish citizenship. This gives you and your family full rights and obligations just as Turkish citizens.
Source and disclaimer about Residency application in Türkiye
Every type of Turkish residence permit has its own procedures and requirements. Make sure to check the latest regulations carefully. Unfortunately, regulations change quite often.
This article reflects the status as of September 2025. Main used source is the official website of the Migration department of the Ministry of Interior. You can check it here.
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