Marriage to a Turkish citizen does not confer citizenship of its own accord. We address the conditions under Art. 16 of Act No. 5901, the authorities to which the application is made, the documents required, the interview and archive research stages, and the routes to be followed against a refusal decision.
Act No. 5901 affords foreign nationals several routes to citizenship, each with its own list of conditions and documents. In this briefing note we address the routes to acquisition, the authorities to which the application is made, the stages of the process and the legal remedies available against a refusal decision, from a practical perspective.
A foreign national found to be working without a work permit and the employer who engaged that person each face a separate administrative fine. We address the amounts of those fines, the additional obligations placed on the employer, the deportation process and the routes of objection.
Turkish citizenship acquired subsequently may be annulled where a false statement has been made or important matters concealed. We examine the grounds for annulment, the provision governing the liquidation of assets, and the objection and the action for annulment to be pursued against the decision.
The Ç-113 code, entered on the records of foreign nationals assessed to have crossed the border irregularly, gives rise to a two-year entry ban. We examine when the code is imposed, the administrative objection and annulment routes, its relationship with a deportation decision, and how those processes operate.
Foreign nationals against whom criminal proceedings are conducted during their time in Türkiye have their permits cancelled and a Ç-114 code entered on their records. We examine the two-year entry ban this record creates, the objection and annulment routes, and the deportation and administrative detention dimensions.
Entered in respect of foreign nationals assessed to have supported themselves by illegitimate means, the Ç-116 code gives rise to deportation and a five-year entry ban. We examine the basis of the code, the options of objection and annulment, the applicable time limits, and its relationship with the deportation decision.
The Ç-117 code is entered against foreign nationals employed without a work permit, and the Ç-119 code where the administrative fine imposed is left unpaid. We examine the consequences of both records, the time limits for objection and for an action for annulment, and their connection with the deportation decision.
The Ç-141 code, based on a suspected connection with international terrorism, makes a foreign national’s entry to the country conditional on prior authorisation and often arises alongside deportation. We examine the ground on which the record is created, the objection and annulment routes, the time limits and the court with jurisdiction.
The Ç-149 code, issued against foreign nationals suspected by the risk analysis units of links with conflict zones, gives rise to a five-year entry ban. We examine the objection and court routes for removing the record, the time limits, and its relationship with a deportation decision.
The Ç-152 code is one of the restriction records that bar a foreign national from entering the country as a precaution and for a fixed period. We examine the objection and annulment routes for having the record lifted, its relationship with deportation and administrative detention decisions, and the timelines and costs involved.
A work permit, once obtained, is not permanent; it may be cancelled where the situations listed in the Act arise or upon the employer’s request. We address the grounds for cancellation, the employer’s application procedure, and the objection and litigation routes against a cancellation decision.
The cancellation of a residence permit rests on different grounds depending on the type of permit, and service of the decision leaves only a narrow window in which to act. We examine the grounds type by type and assess the routes of administrative objection, the action for annulment and the stay of execution.
A foreign employee moving to another branch of the same employer, or taking on a different role at the workplace, requires a transfer of the existing permit. We examine the requirements for a transfer, the application procedure, and the objection and court remedies to be pursued against a refusal.
Employing foreign personnel in a private home for the care of the elderly, the sick or children is subject to a permit. We address the application channels, the criteria the employer must satisfy, the list of documents, the social insurance obligations and the legal remedies to be pursued in the event of a refusal.
The employment of pilots, technicians, flight attendants and cabin crew is tied to numerical ratios and capital thresholds specific to the aviation sector. We examine the permit criteria, how the e-permit application works, the elements required in the employment contract, the wage floor, and the objection and litigation routes available in the event of a refusal.
Employing a foreign national physician in Türkiye requires pre-approval from the Ministry of Health, unlike a standard work permit application. We address, in practical terms, the criteria sought in the physician and in the employing health institution, the set of documents, the fees, the action for annulment to be brought in the event of refusal, and the extension regime.
For a foreign national teacher to take up a post in Türkiye, pre-approval from the Ministry of National Education and a permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security must be obtained together. We address the qualifications required, the equivalence process, the list of documents, the minimum salary, the extension procedure and the legal remedies against a refusal decision.
The establishment of a company in Türkiye by foreign natural and legal persons rests on a technical process conducted through MERSİS. We examine the stages of incorporating joint stock and limited liability companies, the fields of activity subject to permission, the registration documents, the costs and timescales, and the notification and compliance obligations arising after incorporation.
The liaison office is the principal means by which a company established abroad can come to know the Turkish market without entering into commercial activity. The permission process, the prohibitions on activity, the employment of staff, bookkeeping and the office’s tax position are addressed from a practical perspective.
A separate work permit need not be obtained for every foreign national to be employed in Türkiye; the legislation places a limited group of foreign nationals outside that obligation. We address who is granted the exemption, how the e-exemption application works, the charges payable and the legal routes available in cases of refusal and cancellation.
Renewing the residence permit held by a foreign national in Türkiye before it expires depends both on a strict timetable and on a set of documents that varies with the permit type. We address how the extension application is made, which documents are required, how many times permits may be renewed and the route to follow against a refusal.
The permit of a foreign national employed in Türkiye under a work permit is not renewed automatically. We examine the timing of the extension application, the conditions required of the employer and of the employee, the list of documents, the special sectoral requirements, and the remedies to be pursued against a refusal.
Foreign nationals who wish to set up their own business in Türkiye without being tied to an employer need a work permit of an independent nature. We examine who is eligible for this permit, the application process conducted through the e-permit system, the document file, and the grounds for refusal and cancellation.
Employing foreign personnel in the entertainment sector depends on capital and employment criteria specific to the employer. We address the conditions for the application, the documents required, the clauses required in the employment contract, the minimum pay thresholds and the legal remedies against a refusal decision.
The employment of foreign nationals in Türkiye is subject to a permit to be obtained from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. We address how the application is conducted through the e-permit system, the categories of permit, the Ministry’s assessment criteria, the sectoral document lists and the remedies available against decisions of refusal and cancellation.
Entered on an allegation of a connection with terrorism, the G-89 code closes a foreign national’s entry into Türkiye with no time limit. We set out, in practical terms, the assessment that leads to the code being entered, the routes of administrative objection and annulment, and the steps to follow against deportation and administrative detention decisions.
We examine systematically the factual basis of each restriction code classified under the letters Ç, G, K, M, N, O, V and Y, the entry bans and prior permission requirements they give rise to, and the routes by which a code may be lifted through administrative application and an action for annulment.
The Ç-138 code issued in respect of foreign nationals turned back at a border gate creates an entry ban of up to five years. We examine the circumstances in which the code is entered, the routes of administrative objection and annulment, their time limits and their costs from a practical perspective.
We address the conditions of the indefinite residence permit granted to foreigners who have resided in Türkiye for eight uninterrupted years, the method by which the period is calculated, the income criterion, the rights it confers, the grounds of cancellation and the legal routes to be pursued against adverse decisions.
A separate work permit regime is provided for foreign managers who will serve in foreign direct investments of special significance. We examine the concept of key personnel, the investment thresholds, the domestic and overseas application procedures, the documents required and the legal remedies to be pursued in the event of refusal.
For a foreign national placed in a removal centre pending deportation, the route to liberty runs through an objection to the magistrate’s court for criminal matters against the administrative detention decision. We address who the decision is issued against, the maximum periods of detention, the objection procedure and the alternative obligations.
A foreign national whose request for Turkish citizenship is refused has two separate routes open: an administrative objection to the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs, and an action for annulment before the Ankara administrative courts. We examine the grounds of refusal, the time limits and the prospect of reapplying from a practical standpoint.
Refusal decisions issued by the Directorate General of Migration Management rest on criteria that vary by type of permit. We examine the grounds for refusal permit by permit and address, in practical terms, the objection and annulment periods that run from notification.
A foreigner faced with a deportation decision has two routes: bringing an action for annulment within seven days, or applying for an annotated visa. We examine the conditions governing the decision, the administrative detention regime and the mechanisms of challenge.
Marrying a foreign national in Türkiye requires an application to the marriage registry office with a complete file. We address the applicable law, the documents required, the health report, the post-marriage notifications and the family residence permit application.
Applied on the basis of Interpol records, the N-99 code makes a foreigner’s admission to the country subject to prior permission and in practice produces the result of an entry ban. We address the grounds on which the code is imposed and the administrative application, annulment action and annotated visa options from the perspective of practice.
We address the preconditions foreign natural persons and foreign companies encounter when opening a bank account in Türkiye, the documents required, the possibility of acting under a power of attorney, the differences in practice between banks, and the role of the account in citizenship by investment.
Foreign associations and foundations may establish a branch or representative office in Türkiye only with permission. We examine the content of the application to the Ministry of Interior, the role of the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the duration of the permission and the annual notification obligations.
The purchase of a dwelling or land in Türkiye by foreign natural and legal persons is not unrestricted but a transaction framed by statute. We examine, from a practical standpoint, the area and regional limits under Article 35 of the Land Registry Act, the register searches to be carried out before the sale, and the documents to be submitted to the land registry directorate.
A judgment given abroad produces no effect of its own accord within the Turkish legal order. We examine, from a practitioner’s perspective, the preliminary and substantive conditions of an action for recognition and enforcement, the courts with subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction, the documents required and the effects the decision produces.
Article 9 of the International Labour Force Act sets out subparagraph by subparagraph the circumstances in which a work permit request is to be refused. We examine the grounds of refusal, the assessment criteria applied by the Ministry, the foreign nationals exempt from those criteria, and the objection and annulment proceedings to be pursued against a refusal.
Renunciation of Turkish citizenship usually arises where a person is moving to the citizenship of a state that does not permit dual nationality. We examine the conditions for renunciation, the application procedure, the documents issued, the consequences for the spouse and children, and Blue Card status.
Foreign nationals who acquire immovable property of a residential character in Türkiye may request a short-term residence permit on the basis of that ownership. We address the value thresholds, the valuation and payment rules, the documents sought, the extension procedure and the remedies against decisions of refusal and cancellation from a practical standpoint.
We address the conditions for the residence permit for medical treatment, to which foreign nationals wishing to receive treatment in Türkiye apply, together with the application steps, the documents requested, the term of the permit, the position of accompanying persons and the legal remedies to be pursued against adverse decisions.
An exceptional type of permit is available to foreign nationals who cannot satisfy the conditions for the other residence permits, within the situations exhaustively enumerated in the Law. We examine the circumstances in which this permit is issued, where and how the application is made, its duration and extension, and the remedies to be pursued against refusal and cancellation decisions.
We examine, from a practitioner’s perspective, the types of residence permit required by foreigners who wish to remain in Türkiye beyond their visa or visa-exemption period, the steps of the application, the permit durations, the documents required and the legal remedies available in the event of refusal.
The spouse and children of a Turkish citizen, or of a foreigner present in Türkiye under a residence permit, may seek a family residence permit by relying on a sponsor. We examine, from a practical standpoint, the statutory conditions for this permit, the documentary file, its duration, the prospects of refusal and cancellation, and the legal remedies available.
Where the periods of a residence permit, work permit, visa or visa exemption are exceeded, Ç-series restriction codes are applied to the foreigner. We address the scope of these codes, the entry ban periods they carry, and the routes of administrative objection, an action for annulment and an annotated visa.
Blue Card holders who were Turkish nationals by birth and later left that status may regain citizenship without being subject to a residence condition. We address the single substantive condition governing the application, the administrative process followed, the documents required and the routes available against a refusal decision.
Tourists who wish to remain in Türkiye beyond the ninety-day visa period apply for the residence permit for tourism purposes. We address its conditions, the set of documents, the grounds of refusal and cancellation, the extension procedure and the administrative remedies from a practitioner’s perspective.
The short-term residence permit is a flexible type of permit that is not tied to a single ground and may be requested on a wide range of grounds of stay. We address the grounds of application, the documents sought, the periods of permit, the possibilities of refusal and cancellation, and the extension procedure in practical terms.
For foreign nationals subject to a restriction code, the annotated visa is a limited way of coming to Türkiye without the entry ban being lifted. We examine the purposes for which the visa is granted, the authority to apply to, the documents required for each type of visa and its relationship with a deportation decision.
The right of foreign nationals studying in Türkiye to remain in the country depends on a student residence permit. We address the stages of the application, the conditions and documents required, the duration of the permit, the extension procedure, the grounds for cancellation and the legal remedies available against refusal decisions.
The Blue Card, granted to those who have left Turkish citizenship with permission, preserves for its holder the greater part of the rights belonging to nationals. We address the legal nature of the card, the application procedure, the conditions sought and the rights left outside its scope.
The foreign identification number beginning with 99 is a precondition for almost every official transaction in Türkiye. We address which applications generate the number, how foreign nationals without a residence permit may obtain one by the exceptional route, how it is checked and how duplicate or incorrect records are corrected.
The G-26 code is imposed on foreign nationals associated with the activities of illegal organisations and gives rise to both deportation and an entry ban. We address the ground on which the code is imposed, the administrative objection and annulment routes, the annotated visa option, and the deportation proceedings that must be run in parallel.
Resting on an assessment of activity against national security, the G-82 code leads to a foreigner being turned back at the border or deported for an indefinite period. We examine the basis of the code, the requirement of concrete evidence, and the routes of objection and annulment.
The G-87 record, founded on a suspicion as to general security, closes off a foreign national’s admission to the country indefinitely. We address the objection and annulment routes to be pursued in removing the code, the applicable time limits, and the steps to be taken against administrative detention.
Where the offence of fraud acquires a cross-border character, the M-67 code is entered against the foreign national and entry to the country is made subject to prior authorisation. We examine the legal basis of the code, the consequences it produces, and the objection and annulment routes to be pursued for its removal.
A company whose head office is abroad may begin commercial activity in Türkiye through branch registration, without establishing a new legal entity. We examine the conditions for registration, the documents required under the Trade Registry Regulation, the timeframe and cost, the appointment of a manager and the compliance obligations that follow establishment.
We examine, from a practical perspective, to whom the Turquoise Card — which grants qualified foreign nationals indefinite work and residence — is issued, how the points system operates, the three-year transition period, the grounds of cancellation, and the legal remedies available against refusal decisions.
We address, from a practitioner’s perspective, the grounds on which the V-69 restriction code is entered against foreign nationals deported following the cancellation of their residence permit, the routes of administrative objection and annulment proceedings, the applicable time limits, and the code’s relationship with the deportation decision.
The V-70 code, entered against foreign nationals in respect of whom it is concluded that a marriage of convenience was contracted in order to obtain a family residence permit, brings with it deportation and a five-year entry ban. We address the basis of the code, the consequences it produces and the legal routes for having it lifted.
The V-71 code, imposed on foreign nationals who fail to notify their address within time or declare an address contrary to the truth, produces consequences extending from the refusal of permit applications to deportation. We examine the grounds for the code, the sanctions it entails and the routes to its removal.
The employment of Syrian nationals holding temporary protection status is subject to rules separate from the general work permit regime for foreign nationals. We examine the conditions of application, the workplace quota, the list of documents, the fees and the possibility of exemption from a practical perspective.
A foreign national holding a valid residence permit in Türkiye may transfer to another type of permit when the purpose of the stay changes. We address the circumstances in which a transfer is possible, the periods that apply and the documents required for each permit type.
Foreign nationals who have resided in Türkiye for five uninterrupted years may apply for citizenship where they meet the conditions listed in Act No. 5901. We address the criteria sought, the calculation of the period, the documents the file must contain and the course of the administrative process.
Foreign nationals who make an investment of a specified amount may acquire Turkish citizenship by way of exception. We examine the six investment options listed in the Regulation, how the application works, the documents required, the time it takes to conclude and the routes of objection and annulment against a decision of refusal.
Foreign nationals who acquire immovable property worth at least USD 400,000 in Türkiye may apply for Turkish citizenship by the exceptional route. We examine the conditions under which the investment threshold is met, the administrative steps to be followed, the documents required and the action to be brought in the event of refusal.
The sum payable by a foreigner who overstays a visa or residence permit varies according to the country of nationality and the length of the breach. We examine the criteria used in calculating the penalty, the entry bans attached to the periods of breach, and the legal remedies available against a deportation decision.
We examine, from a practitioner’s perspective, when foreign nationals holding shares in a company established in Türkiye must obtain a work permit, the employment and capital criteria sought by the Ministry, the application channels and the legal routes available against a refusal decision.
The International Labour Force Act opens a work permit route for certain categories of foreign nationals that is independent of the general assessment criteria. We examine who may benefit from this permit, the criteria required for each category, the application procedure, the fees payable and the legal remedies available in the event of a refusal.
Engineering and architecture are among the few fields in which the opinion of the professional chamber is decisive in the work permit regime. We assess the criteria sought for employing foreign professionals, the domestic and overseas application routes, the set of documents, the minimum salary and the objection and annulment routes available in the event of refusal.
We examine, from a practitioner’s perspective, the conditions required for foreign students enrolled at higher education institutions to work, who submits the application and through which channel, the documents requested, the minimum wage threshold and the legal remedies available against a refusal decision.
The ability of accommodation establishments, SPA complexes and sports centres to employ foreign staff is tied to strict criteria. We address the conditions required for a tourism sector work permit, the course of the application, the contract terms, the extension procedure and the legal remedies available where the request is refused.
Foreign nationals documented as being of Turkish descent benefit from significant facilities in obtaining a work permit compared with other foreign nationals. We assess the scope of this status, the exemptions it provides, the function of the identity document for foreigners, the application procedure and the routes to be followed in the event of refusal.
