SHORT RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR TOURISTIC PURPOSE (6-12-24 MONTHS) 

UPDATED on April 15,2024

ATTENTION: We keep this website up-to-date with recent developments, news, and your questions.  Please email us for more information if you require expert assistance. For any form of residence permit, please contact us: FAMILY PERMIT, SHORT TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT: Touristic Stay, Academic Research, Turkish Language Course, Internship, Property Purchase, Business Connections, Business Investment, Health Treatment, and so on.
 

Are you terrified of the Turkish bureaucratic system for obtaining a residency permit? Maintain your cool and contact the Istanbul Foreigners Office.
Obtaining a residence permit appears to be difficult at first. You must apply with accurate information and supporting documentation. We will provide you with general information on SHORT TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT.

IMPORTANT: You can not apply "LONG TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT" if you haven`t been living here with residence permit for 8 years. If you want to apply up to one year touristic is the best option if it is your first time. So, if you want to stay here more than one year, you have to apply with a purpose of BUSINESS or PROPERTY HOLDER not as touristic stay. So please do not apply to "LONG TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT" for longer period.

If you decided to get a residence permit in Turkey as touristic purpose, this page helps for general information. If you want to get basic support service during your residence permit process for application, instant feedback and collecting the documents without mistakes our service fee is 12.500₺. Please email us if you want our service for SHORT-TERM or FAMILY purpose. We are giving basic and full support all around Turkey. For other purposes of stay please email to info@istanbulforeignersoffice.com

*Basic Support includes making an registration/appointment without mistake, printing and copying your documents, virtually assisting you for all the steps of residence permit process with all locations on Google Maps provided through WhatsApp, directing you to right places without losing time, arranging your all documents for the appointment/posting in an order,  tracking your permit status and information back up service till the end of your residence permit.  Basic support does not include accompanying you to your appointment day at Immigration Directorate of Security or any related branches.

For the renewal/extension applications our service fee is 9.500₺  as Basic Support.

For our loyal clients (at least 3 applications per person in recent years or since 2014) who are applying for renewal it is 8.000₺


As it goes with bureaucracy, some services require extra assistance such as notary assistance, tax office payments, registering a tax number, translation and notarization solutions, opening a bank account, converting your driver’s license, registering your mobile phone and SIM card, and sometimes even writing a petition. We have an extra services list to help you ease through this tedious drudgery. 

For the service fees plus expenses if those are going to be paid all together at once by debit or credit card, according to our company`s tax rate (+20%) shall be added to basis assestment. 

If you need full support assistance to authorities we will list you all our extra services and we can set all required extra services together according to your requirements. If you need also courrier service, we can make distant / virtual  consultation as well.

 

Let`s see what conditions are waiting for you in your residence permit process:

First of all, you should check from this link your country`s regular visa permit. This regular visas generally 30 days or 90 days depending on country. Also there are some regular visas like 15 days. If you haven`t arrived to Turkey yet you can check Turkish government`s e-Visa website. 

IMPORTANT: You can not get a residence permit without passport, so please apply with your passport, your national ID does not work for residence permit.

You fell in love in Istanbul and Turkey then you would like to have a residence permit. So you should apply for residence permit in the allowed days of your visa. If your visa is expired and you are still in Turkey land please check FAQ bottom of the page.

STEP 1: Making an application

Before visiting our office and starting application process, we recommend you to have these documents with you in order to complete your process succesfully:

-Your passport

-Digital picture of you (white background, biometric, recently taken)

-Your detailed address in Turkey

-Valid Health Insurance (You can get health insurance from our office in Şişhane,Beyoğlu) 

-Your own or trusted Turkish Mobile number (recommended)

After visiting our office with the mentioned documents above, we will provide our information form in order to start your process. This form helps us to know you better and complete your application without mistake. If you have questions in your mind or you are not sure about getting an assistance service, please do not hesitate to contact us via info@istanbulforeignersoffice.com

If you mention your full passport name, birthdate and nationality at your email then it will help us the answer you correctly.

STEP 2: Providing Correct Documents

This step is the most important part of your residence permit process. Because we should support your application with official documents depending on your nationality, passport, marital status, age, requested period of stay and of course type of application. We will suggest you the correct steps in order to have the residence permit with the requested duration. So we will answer the following questions at this process:

-Are your softcopy/hardcopy photo(s) proper for the appointment?
-Does your passport need an update or any supporting document?
-Will you pay any extra cost on your appointment day which is not mentioned on your application? (depending on your nationality)

-Which districts are closed/banned for residence permit?
-Which information you should have on your rental contract before notarizing?
-Which legal payments you can make online which ones not?
-What type of health insurance you should get? (You can read the health insurance part below)
-When shall you register yourself to National Address System?
-How can you get an e-Devlet account?
-How can you track your residence permit?
-How can you register your mobile phone to Turkish Mobile Phone System?
-Which documents will be needed for the bank account and how shall you be prepared before?
-Will you need a guarantor or not?
-Will you need supportive guarantor documents?
-Which documents will you need to support your rental contract and how?
-How can you prove your income status if required regarding your purpose of stay?
-What shall you mention in your petition letter (in a special case) in order to get a better period of stay?
-Will you need a criminal report or not?
-What are ways of getting travel flexiblity for 15 days abroad during your residence permit assesment process?

 

HEALTH INSURANCE 

It is an obligation to get a Turkish health insurance for foreigners if you are going to stay in Turkey more than your country visa allows. And if you are going to stay more than 90 days in Turkey you need residence permit

You have to get a private insurance if you are getting a residence permit. You can get private health insurance from our office in Taksim in one hour if you have a tax number.

We are working with Gulf Turkey and Ankara Insurance company.  Our insurance covers the limits of the government. And you can visit our office for your insurance needs.

You can email to info@istanbulforeignersoffice.com or you can call +90 (212) 249 67 57

Gulf and Ankara Insurance Quotation for Foreigners:

These fees are one year long health insurance. It is not possible to issue less than 12 months for this type of insurance. If you want to get residence permit you need this type of health insurance. We are ready to answer your questions regarding residence permit health insurance. 

Your Turkish insurance shall cover these limits:
                     

                                              Contracted Health Providers                Noncontracted Health Providers

Annual Minimum Limit

Patient Share

Annual Minimum Limit

Patient Share

Outpatient Treatment

5.000₺

Insured: 20%

Company: 80%

5.000₺

Insured: 40%

Company: 60%

Inpatient Treatment

UNLIMITED

Insured: 0%

Company: 100%

50.000₺

Insured: 20%

Company: 80%

STEP 3: Appointment Day

Here is the list of Branches in Istanbul

Istanbul Department of Immigration (Main Immigration Office in Istanbul a.k.a Vatan)

Hırka_Şerif Mah. Adnan Menderes Bulvarı (Vatan Caddesi) No:64, Fatih (map)

Kumkapı Immigration Center 

Çiftegelinler Cad. Büyükkömürcü Sokağı No:2 Fatih - İstanbul          (map)

Esenyurt İlçe Grup Başkanlığı

Bağlarçeşme Mh. Doğanaraslı Blv. No:151/1 Eski Hükümet Konağı / ESENYURT (MAP)
 

Sultanbeyli İlçe Grup Başkanlığı

Battalgazi Mah. Bosna Bulvarı No:136 SULTANBEYLİ (MAP)

Pendik İlçe Grup Başkanlığı

Doğu Mh. Yücel Sokak, Pendik Hükümet Konağı – PENDİK  (map)

TIP: You can pay your tax fees online by using a Turkish Credit Card or with your foreign card by paying a smal amount of commission or if you have already a TC number (YKN) you can pay at the bank. If the online payment is not working properly, you should get a tax number online if you don`t have one and then you should pay your residence permit, card, fees in person at any Tax Office near your district.

If you prepared all your documents in a proper pink folder as requested you are ready to go to appointment. Actually there is not so much to explain because if you go your appointment on time you will go to one of the immigration experts desk and show them your line number. They will tell you to wait and call you or they will start to check your papers.  If you have paid your tax online or in person to the tax office already, just keep an extra copy of it for the future.
If you haven`t paid yet, you can pay to nearest tax office where they accept residence permit fees. It costs 356₺ (It is residence permit ID fee) plus your calculated visa fee amount: It is stated on your application form. If you would like to change your duration of stay on your appointment date: experts will calculate it according to your country and permit term you need. 
 

And the country citizens below do not pay residence permit fee (excluding 356₺):

(Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Czechia, Armenia, Iraq, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Luxemburg, Malta, Denmark, Ireland)

Countries listed below do not pay the residence permit ID fee as well:

Czechia, Denmark, Ireland, Kosovo, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkmenistan

 

You may need to pay "One Time Entry Fee" (non visa country fee) depending on your nationality as well.

WARNING: If your country does not need e-visa (exemption from visa) or you do not have a Turkish Consulate visa on your passport in this case you might pay 3.457₺ "One Time Entry Fee Amount" as extra.
Following countries are exepted from One Time entry Fee (Non-Visa Country Fee): Azerbaijan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Czechia, Armenia, South Africa, Southern Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhistan, Kuwait, Northern Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Russian Federation, New Zealand

If you completed all these bureuacratic steps and you delivered your documents, wait for your Residence ID, averagely it arrives in 3-7 weeks (depending on rush months). For Istanbul applicants it might take up to 2-3 months dependin on the season. If you proved your address correct at your application according to the National Address System correct and Turkish Mobile number details are correct you might receive an approval email first and then an SMS. You can get the yellow post by National Post Service (PTT) to your home. You can even track your post from the tracking number at your SMS. If you haven`t got any SMS, 6-8 weeks after your appointment date, you can call 157 Call Center and you can give your personal details to the officer and if your card is ready they will tell you your tracking number.

If you are planning to travel out of Turkey after you complete all your documents, you will receive an approval email in the following 4-6 weeks. After receiving this email or SMS you can download İkamet İzni Müracaat Belgesi from e-ikamet website by logging in your account or you can go to Immigration Office branch by showing your approval email and passport. This paper allows you to travel maximum 15 days until you get your residence permit ID. You can travel with this more than one time but maximum 15 days travel abroad in total. You can get this paper only after completing your documents and payments, and after receiving the approval email. Do not forget to make a copy of your tax payment receipt to attach your 15 days travel paper. After you get your residence permit ID, you are free to travel by showing your residence permit in the borders.

Important: If you didn`t receive any SMS after receiving your approval email within 4-6 weeks, please call 157 and keep your passport and application number ready.

Please send us your feedbacks or visit our office in Taksim and we can assist you professionally.

Please also read FAQ part in order to get your answers ;)

FAQ

Q: What if I don`t apply for residence permit?

A:If you haven`t apply your residence permit on time and overstayed in Turkey after your regular touristic visa, you will pay fine (depending on country, age and overstay history) and it might be much more than residence permit fee. You may face an entry ban possibility if your overstay is more than 10 days. These fines are depending on country. You can pay this fine at the customs during your arrival or departure. If you do not pay this fine you may be also banned to get in Turkey from 1 year up to 5 years. 

Q: What if I apply my application after 15-30-90 days passed?

A:   Actually if you do not apply to residence permit in the time of your visa and you overstayed more than 10 days, you have to leave the country and come back in order to make a new appointment. Please apply on time in order to not have a problem. In the first 10 days of your overstay period, you can still apply online to residence permit by paying 5$ for each day.

Q: I spent my 90 days already and waiting for my residence permit. I want to go to visit my family for Bairam/Christmas/Easter. What shall I do?

A: If you still do not have your residence permit ID but you received an approval email from "Göç İdaresi" you can visit the İl Göç İdaresi where you did your appointment and ask them for "İkamet İzni Müracaat Belgesi" they will prepare you a paper with your details and you can stay in your country maximum 15 days. When you are back you can show this paper at the customs. If you have already a plan you can ask also for "İkamet İzni Müracaat Belgesi" on your appointment day. Müracaat Belgesi can be taken only after you delivered your papers and all the payments made to appoitnment office. Only after approval email. You can not get it before your appointment. 

Important: If you are staying in your country more than 15 days after delivering your papers and still couldn`t receive your ID please before your flight date visit your residence permit officer and ask for your Residence Permit ID number. It will help you on the borders.

Q: I applied for residence permit but then I lost my passport, ID etc. now I have a new passport, what shall I do?

A:  You have to go to first your consolate and get a paper for your passport and then report your situation to the police and declare them that you lost your passport or ID or it is stolen so then they will prepare a paper for you in order to give to residence permit office. Unfortunately there is no "LOSS" application right now but they are working on it, so you can go there by getting a normal appointment and try to ask them in person.

Q: I haven`t received my residence permit ID card to my address/I haven`t even receive an SMS to my mobile number to track it, what shall I do?

A:  In the new module system you can track your residence permit status. If you can not see any information, you can to go to Istanbul Immigration Directorate of Security office in Fatih near M1 Emniyet Metro Station. After you get into building there is a card delivery desk on the left side on the ground floor after security check. You can get your ID card from there by showing your original passport.  

Thank you for reading. If the process looks wild, do not hesitate to call us. 

Line Call : +90 (212) 249 67 57

WhatsApp number to text: +90 (535) 881 23 13

Email: info@istanbulforeignersoffice.com

Office Working Hours and Days for Visit: Weekdays -  10:30 - 17:30