Turkish Residence Permit — Frequently Asked Questions

An official document allowing foreign nationals to legally reside in Turkey beyond the 90-day tourist visa allowance. Required for stays longer than 90 days in any 180-day period.

If you plan to stay in Turkey for more than 90 days continuously, or for more than 90 days total in any 180-day period, you need a residence permit.

No. You must be physically present in Turkey to apply. Applications are submitted at the local Göç İdaresi office.

Short-term is the most common. Family permits are for spouses and children of permit holders. Digital nomads use short-term permits. See /residency/ for full permit types.

Approximately ₺9,358/month per person as of 2026 — equal to the Turkish minimum wage. Use our income checker at /tools/income-checker/.

Since October 2023, the property must be worth at least $200,000 USD, confirmed by an independent appraisal.

Yes. Any regular, documented income source is accepted — employment, freelance, pension, rental, dividends.

Yes. You must have a policy from a Turkish insurer covering the full duration of your permit period.

No. Some districts and mahalles are closed to new foreign permit applications. Use the restricted areas tool at /tools/restricted-areas/ to check your address.

Passport and copies, 4 biometric photos, health insurance, proof of address, income and bank statements, and your e-ikamet appointment confirmation. Full checklist at /tools/document-checklist/.

Yes. All non-Turkish documents must be translated by a sworn (yeminli) translator. Marriage and birth certificates also need apostille.

Your passport must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the permit end date you are applying for.

Foreign official documents — criminal records, marriage and birth certificates — typically require an apostille from your home country authorities.

Online at e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr. Appointments can be scarce in peak season — book as early as possible.

4–8 weeks from appointment to receiving your card. Istanbul takes longer (6–10 weeks) due to volume.

By PTT (Turkish postal service) to your registered address. You can also collect in person.

You must rebook. Missed appointments cannot be transferred. Peak season bookings can be months out — do not miss yours.

Apply 60 days before expiry. Do not wait until after expiry — fines apply and re-entry may be affected.

No. Renewal requires physical presence in Turkey and a valid Turkish address.

No limit, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

A 10-day grace period applies. After that, fines accumulate and you may receive an entry ban. Contact Ikamet immediately if your permit has expired.

1,162 mahalles (neighbourhoods) across Turkey are currently closed to new applications. In Istanbul, 10 entire districts are fully closed. See /tools/restricted-areas/ for the full list.

Yes, you can live there — you just cannot use that address for a new residence permit application. Existing permit holders can renew at restricted addresses.

You cannot use that property as your permit address. You would need to use a different qualifying address — or apply via a different route such as citizenship by investment.

A standard residence permit does not authorise work in Turkey. You need a separate work permit for employment by a Turkish employer.

Yes. Working remotely for clients or employers based outside Turkey does not require a Turkish work permit.

After 8 years of continuous legal residence. See /residency/long-term/ for details.

The investment route to citizenship does not require prior residence. The naturalisation route requires 5 years of long-term residence (i.e. 8+5 = 13 years total from arrival).