top of page
Search

Student Residence Permit in Turkey



Student Residence Permit in Turkey

Student residence is one of the most important types of residence permits in Turkey, as the student residence permit in Turkey is granted only to students at universities and institutes/colleges, whether private or public. The student residence permit is not granted to school students, whether in public or private schools — they are only granted a short-term tourist residence permit, even though the reason for the residence remains study in Turkey.

We will present the steps for obtaining the student residence permit in order, according to the following table of contents:

  • The online appointment

  • The mandatory health insurance for the residence permit

  • The tax number

  • Translation and notarization of the passport

  • A student document from one of the Turkish universities

  • Payment of the residence permit fees

  • Personal photos

  • A copy of the passport and visa

  • The lease contract

1. The Online Appointment

This can be obtained from the Turkish Migration Directorate's website: https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr.

Important notes,

provided by Hallak Services, to help you avoid mistakes when applying for the online appointment — pay close attention to the accuracy of the information in the application while booking the appointment:

  1. Write your first name and last name exactly matching your passport, especially for nationalities where the name is written with four or five parts — the names must be distributed across the first-name and last-name fields so that when combined, the result exactly matches your name in your passport, because correcting your name after the residence permit is issued is costly and very difficult, and you will run into problems opening bank accounts or handling procedures at the notary due to the mismatch.

  2. Use a recent biometric photo, less than 6 months old — some residence permits have been rejected because of the photo.

  3. Declare your source of income and your ability to support yourself while living in Turkey, and state a correct figure for your income in Turkish lira along with its source.

  4. State the date you moved to your address in Turkey to match, as closely as possible, the date of the lease contract or the date of the property purchase.

  5. Link your health insurance number and its date precisely to the appointment request (so you must obtain health insurance before starting the appointment procedures).

  6. Double-check that you write the passport number and its start and end dates correctly, otherwise you will not be able to complete the application.

  7. Enter a Turkish phone number and a correct email address, otherwise you will not be able to complete and follow up on the application later.


Most Important Note

You should not book a residence appointment before you have entered Turkish territory — whether this is your first application for a residence permit or a renewal. Booking the appointment before entering Turkish territory is a major reason for your residence application being rejected. The Migration Directorate's website gives three options for the residence application: "First-time request" — meaning you are applying for the first time while holding a valid visa that has not yet expired. The second option is "Extension or renewal of residence" — in case you already hold a residence permit and intend to renew it as the same type for a second time. "Change of residence type" — in case you hold a residence permit, for example a tourist one, and want to change it to a family residence permit or any other type.


After selecting "first-time request," options will appear for you to choose the type of residence — student residence. After taking the above into account, the application will ask you for the student's information in Turkey, as follows: the student number or university enrollment number; the start and end of the studies as a whole; the university's name; whether it is public or private; the name of the major or department; and the detailed address of the faculty or university. A student can apply for a residence permit for the number of years of study — meaning that if the student is studying an engineering major for 4 years, they can obtain a residence permit for four years. If the student has a preparatory year for language, whether English or Turkish, the residence permit will be for one year the first time, and can then be renewed for the number of their study years or less — taking into account the passport's expiry date.

2. The Mandatory Health Insurance for the Residence Permit

This is mandatory for people between the ages of 18 and 65. For people younger than 18 and older than 65, health insurance is not a requirement for obtaining the residence permit — otherwise, it is a requirement. To obtain health insurance, only 4 pieces of information are needed from the person: a copy of the passport or residence permit; the detailed home address in Turkey; the health insurance start date — which should preferably match the date of the residence appointment application if this is a first-time application, or match the residence permit's end date if the application is for a renewal. Health insurance prices vary by age and by gender — you can click the link to see health insurance prices. Hallak Company is an agent and official partner of dozens of private insurance companies. With Hallak Company, you will get the best prices and the best quality — yes, you are in the right place.


You can request health insurance through Hallak Company.

3. The Tax Number

This is implicitly required to pay the residence permit fees, which we will mention later, and it can be obtained through the tax office's website. Hallak Company recommends paying close attention to the information and writing it correctly, matching your passport — correcting it later consumes a lot of time and effort. After obtaining the tax number, you can save it on your phone or as a paper copy — you will need it later in many procedures until the residence permit is issued.

You can request the tax number through Hallak Company.

4. Translation and Notarization of the Passport

The notary in Turkey (known as NOTER) requires the passport to be translated and notarized into Turkish, due to the difference in naming conventions between the Turkish system and other countries. Hallak Company advises you to keep a copy of your translated and notarized passport with the notary — you will need it in many subsequent transactions in Turkey.

You can request the sworn translation and notarization at the notary through Hallak Company.

You can request the sworn translation and notarization at the notary through Hallak Company..

5. A Student Document from One of the Turkish Universities

After finalizing your enrollment at a Turkish university, the student receives a student document containing their university information — this is the document required when submitting the student residence permit application at the Turkish Migration Directorate.

6. Payment of the Residence Permit Fees

Students are exempt from the residence permit fee and only pay the card fee, which amounts to 360 lira.

7. Personal Photos

Recent biometric photos (less than 6 months old) — 4 photos are required, whether the application is for a first-time residence permit or a renewal. Hallak Company advises you to request an electronic copy of the photos via WhatsApp or email, for later use when booking the online appointment.

8. The Lease Contract

This must state the name of every adult over the age of 18, with each person's signature on the contract, along with the landlord's (the property owner's) details and signature. A very important piece of information about the lease contract: the new version of the lease contract now requires the tenant, or all tenants, to attend along with their passports, and the property owner to attend with their ID card if they are a Turkish citizen (their legal representative may attend on their behalf), before the notary, in order to draw up the lease contract — this has become a mandatory requirement as of 2022. The copy must be an original in the file of every adult over 18 years of age; a non-original copy is sufficient in the files of children under 18. If the residence application is a renewal, you can add proof of civil registration, known as an address registration record (ADRES KAYIT), which replaces the lease contract, but only for renewal cases.

You can request everything related to the lease contract through Hallak Company.


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page