The ability of a foreign national present in Türkiye to carry out transactions before official institutions depends on holding an identification number allocated to them. That number is created upon an application to the competent authorities with the required documents, and it is used in almost all administrative procedures as the systemic equivalent of the person’s identity. For foreign nationals resident in the country, checking the number and correcting errors in the records are of as much practical importance as obtaining it in the first place.
What Does the Foreign Identification Number Mean?
The number in question is an 11-digit identifier beginning with the figure 99, issued in the name of foreign nationals who reside in Türkiye or who obtain a work permit. Foreign nationals conduct their business and transactions before official institutions through this number. For persons falling within the scope of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, the number is allocated by the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality.
Which Applications Generate the Number?
As a rule, the identification number is created upon the submission of three types of request to the competent authorities: a residence permit application, a work permit application and an international protection application.
In addition, a number may also be issued, upon request, to foreign nationals who for various reasons are present in Türkiye without a residence or work permit and who need to carry out a transaction at an official institution.
The Route for Foreign Nationals Without a Residence Permit
For foreign nationals in this position, the number is obtained by means of a reasoned petition to be submitted to the provincial directorate of migration management. The petition is drawn up not by the foreign national but by the institution that requires the identification number in order for the transaction to be carried out. Once the petition has been prepared, the foreign national concerned may apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management and obtain the number.
PLEASE NOTE: the allocation of a number to foreign nationals without a residence permit is exceptional in character. This route may therefore be taken only where necessity so requires, such as the conduct of official transactions.
The content of the petition is also decisive. The text must clearly indicate which business or transactions may be carried out if the identification number is allocated. In addition, the foreign national’s particulars must be set out and it must be stated that the issue of a number is requested from the Migration Management in order to enable those transactions to be completed. By way of example, a foreign national wishing to enrol a child who is not a Turkish citizen at school may apply to the Migration Management with a request petition obtained from the school.
As will be apparent, obtaining the number is a decisive threshold for foreign nationals to be able to carry out official transactions in our country. Foreign nationals who will deal with institutions such as hospitals or schools in particular should obtain this number in order to avoid difficulties. It will be helpful to seek legal support in the field of immigration law so that the process advances swiftly and smoothly.
The steps to be completed by foreign nationals who wish to obtain a residence permit in order to acquire the number are explained in detail in the note entitled “how to obtain a residence permit”.
How Is the Number Checked?
The check is carried out through the website of the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality. On the page that opens when the site is accessed, the number may be checked by entering the personal details the system requires. For the check to return a result, a number must previously have been allocated.
What Should Be Done in Cases of Duplicate Numbers and Incorrect Records?
Where more than one number exists in the name of a single foreign national, or where the registered identity details do not reflect the true position, the matter must be taken to the provincial directorates of migration management. On application, the required documents are submitted and correction of the error in the identity document is requested. This is because the information in identity documents issued in the name of foreign nationals is taken from the records of the Directorate General of Security.
Two typical situations arise in practice. Where the surname changes as a result of marriage or divorce, the information in the existing identity document is treated as incorrect. Where more than one document, such as a residence permit document and a work permit document, has been issued in the name of the same foreign national, the existence of more than one number for that person may arise.
Independent Legal Assessment
Although the identification number appears to be a technical registration matter, it constitutes the administrative systems’ equivalent of the foreign national’s legal existence in Türkiye. Without a number, a foreign national is in practice unable to carry out transactions in many areas — from school enrolment to healthcare, from banking to tax liability — even where the underlying right exists. Duplicate records arise particularly in files where the work permit and the residence permit were obtained at different times, and give rise to matching problems in subsequent applications.
The points to be observed in practice are as follows:
- Ensuring at the outset, for foreign nationals without a residence permit, that the request petition has been drawn up by the institution that requires the number
- Describing the transaction to be carried out in concrete terms in the petition, rather than relying on general expressions
- Conducting the work permit and residence permit processes on the basis of the same identity details, so that no duplicate number arises
- Not neglecting to update the records following a marriage or divorce that gives rise to a change of surname
- Submitting the correction request, together with the relevant documents, to the provincial directorate of migration management once an incorrect record has been identified
Independent Legal provides advisory services in the administrative processes relating to the procurement of identification numbers for foreign nationals, the consolidation of duplicate records and the correction of identity details.