If you are looking for a residence permit for touristic purpose please click on the link below:

http://istanbulforeignersoffice.com/en/residencepermit/touristic-stay

Residence Permit for Exchange/Erasmus/Mevlana Students (2023 July Update)

Are you afraid of Turkish Bureocratic System for residence permit? Keep calm and ask Istanbul Foreigners Office.

Getting a residence permit looks a bit difficult at the beginning. This page will help you how to do it step by step. There are two different residence permit for Erasmus students. Erasmus Learning Residence Permit and Erasmus Internship Residence Permit. We are going to explain you the learning one how to do it step by step.

IMPORTANT: If you are an Erasmus+ Internship Student or an Erasmus Student in any Turkish University, you have to apply SHORT TERM residence permit, not STUDENT. 

Our visiting hours for STUDENTS in the weekdays between 16:00-17:30. If you are going to get a health insurance from our office please email to info@istanbulforeignersoffice.com

Erasmus Learning Residence Permit: (Updated: July 10, 2023)

If your stay in Turkey is less than 90 days and your visa allows you to stay here 90 days, you do not need to apply for residence permit.

If you have visa on your passport more than 90 days you still need to apply for residence permit.

Turkish People who live in Europe if they have Turkish ID or Blue Card (Mavi Kart) they do not need to apply for residence permit. 

EU citizens have 90 days stay in 180 days. So if you are staying more than 90 days you have to apply for residence permit. It doesn`t matter you leave Turkey and come back. Your visa doesn`t start again. You can go out of Turkey and come back in your first 90 days. After you spent your 90 days you will be overstayed in the country that`s why you need residence permit.

You are ready to go to Istanbul but you have doubts about residence permit. If your hosting university in Istanbul confirmed your application you should not be nervous. You can fix all your paper issues in Istanbul from now on.

STEP 1: The arrival day to Turkey land

You took your flight, jet, bus, ship, bicycle etc. and you arrived to Turkey. Depending on countries you might need e-visa or consulate visa. Some countries can even get in without visa.

After you passed the customs the police will stamp your passport. After you get the stamp on your passport, your adventure starts!

If you stil reading this article, most probably you need residence permit. Before doing application just prepare these documents with you in order to have a succesful application:

-Your original passport
-Active Turkish Mobile Number (Better to use your one)
-Valid Health Insurance  
-Detailed Residence Address in Istanbul (for the card delivery in case of university address is not possible)

You can start your application process for residence permit via  Directorate General of Migration Management (Göç Genel Müdürlüğü) web site. Click on the link below and choose English in order to make it easier for you. But if you are getting techinal failure errors please continue with Turkish Menu. That`s why it is better to make a Turkish friend who will help you.

Screenshots may seem older than usual but if there is no big change at the application system we keep the former versions of our guideline.
 

https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/

STEP 2: Applying for residence permit online

We recommend you to do your application with a computer connected to a printer but you can also save it to your computer as PDF file. Also you should already have to know your detailed home address in Istanbul. When you are filling the application form, it is going to ask you your Turkish Mobile number. It is going to ask your university faculty and student number.  It is also very important to have a valid health insurance when you are doing your application, because you have to know the validity date of your insurance. You can visit our office between 16:30-17:30 in the weekdays if your insurance will be acceptable by officers or not. .

If you have further questions and want to get information and updates please join our Erasmus Facebook Group 2023

https://www.facebook.com/groups/415292481988146/

Let`s start to do it!

Then the pre-registration screen will show up to fill your details:

You can fill your personal information here. We recommend you to put email as Communication Preference. Mobile SMS system works but maybe you will lose it. Emailing system is safe to save it, click email and type your email address correctly then click NEXT.

TIP: Please use a computer when you are verifying your application in case of any mistake with mobile phones.

Then you will face with the "Activation Page" if you put your mobile number and email correct:

You put the code received and continue the application.

As we are Exchange/Erasmus students, we are short term humanbeings in this world, that`s why we click on SHORT TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT APPLICATION:

IMPORTANT:  If you are an Exchange/Erasmus Learning Student or Erasmus Internship Student, you should choose "SHORT TERM"  this type of application changed by 2020.

After you choose SHORT TERM you face with the application form. Please fill the details carefully in order to not have problem later:

You should fill your details the same with your passport. MORTY SMITH can be your name but if you have “EXTRA” name on your passport as your second name, you should put it as well. Please fill all the blank boxes with red mark.

If you have some special letters at your name like "é" , ß, ã, Ä, do not write them down on your application.  Use your name without special characters. If your name is ZDENĚK just put it ZDENEK.   If it is LÁURA just put it LAURA

Then click "Next"

It is enough to fill the red  fields. Then click "Next" again.

When you are filling your birth date, please mind that is American way (mm/dd/yyyy) if you use the English Language application. If you are filling with the Turkish Language application, you should fill as European way (dd/mm/yyyy)

If you have two nationalities, we recommend you to fill it as well.

Here, you are going to fill your passport details. 
 

When you are filling your Date of Issue and Validity date of your passport; please mind that is American way (mm/dd/yyyy) if you use the English Language application. If you are filling with the Turkish Language application, you should fill as dd/mm/yyyy

If you are older than 18 years old and you are going to show up at your appointment, you should select "I lodge the application on my behalf"

"Abroad Contact Information" page is obligated as well. You can not continue to next step without filling the red fields. So you can put your home country address and contact details.

CONTACT DETAILS in TURKEY:

Important: If you are staying another city than your university`s district, please apply to the city where your univerity is located. Some students had problem former semesters because of wrong city applications. You must applyto the city where your university/faculty is located.

Example: One student studying in Ankara but living in Istanbul applied from Istanbul then his application was rejected because he was supoosed to apply residence permit from Ankara not from Istanbul.

Here, you should pay attention when filling your address information. You can see a succesful address declaration below. This module is being feeded from "Turkish National Address Database". So, you should put first Istanbul as Province, then your District(İlçe), then "Mahalle" then "Cadde/Sokak/Bulvar" and finally your Building Number and Apartment Number. You can ask to your Turkish flatmate/landlord for the detailed address.

This address is your postal/home address and your residence permit card will come to this address. You should be very careful when you are filling this part, otherwise you might lose your residence permit on the mailing process and if you write a wrong address on this part, you might have some difficulties to receive your residence permit card. If you choose all the steps on the address, your address will became a white box with your address details as you see below.

For Phone contact you should have a Turkish Mobile number, after you deliver all your documents and payments are done, your documents will go to Ankara. When your residence permit card is ready, your tracking number will come to this Turkish Mobile number by PTT (Turkish National Post Service). Please do not delete the SMS from your mobile which is coming from PTT. You can track your Residence Permit Card after you received SMS from PTT: 

https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/ptt-gonderi-takip

Do not forget to fill your email address correctly, you might receive an email from Immigration Office if needed. So, it should look like below:


 

After completing this page we click NEXT for the WORK INFORMATION page:

You are here for studying not for working so you should click on "Çalışmıyor" and click NEXT again.

STUDENT INFORMATION (please only fill the page for students with attendance)
Here is for your current study information, you are studying in Turkey so you should put the information of your hosting university. In order to fill all red fields, you need your student certificate which can be requested from your faculty or International Office. Your student certificate has all the information needed here. You can ask to your international cars if your university is STATE or FOUNDATION.

Satirical Tip: You can check also CARPARK of your campus if there are expensive cars parked by students, then it is a FOUNDATION University. (But it is better to ask your international office)
 

INCOME INFORMATION: 

You can put Income information according to the money you receive from your family and scholarship as Turkish Lira. You won`t need to prove this part but it is better to put average amounts.

Source of Income: FAMILY+SCHOLARSHIP
Current Occupation: Student

INFORMATION ON INSURANCE:

Please read carefully in the required documents part at the bottom of this article "Health Insurance" topic. If you do not put your correct insurance information it is not possible to skip next page without a wrong type of insurance.

After you click Add button, your insurance info will be transferred to below line then click NEXT:
 

You faced with the technical failure page, right?

In this case you should change the language of the page from English to Turkish, and then you can put the details again but please mind that you should put European calendar in Turkish page as you can see below:

Then you should have this page:

SHORT TERM DECLARATION INFORMATION

Please read this part carefully when you are putting tick next to a paragraph. You have to tick all of the red ones but you should know all this information also by clicking on it.
In brief, you are declaring that you are aware about the law and residence permit and you will not misuse it. That`s why, you are here for studying not for working. We recommend you to read carefully in order to understand what the government is expecting from you. 

 

You shall not tick the boxes below if you are not related with the topic. 

We will mention about the required documents one by one so you can click NEXT on this page in order to complete your process.

Please do not forget to join our Facebook Group for your questions: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415292481988146/

FINALISING YOUR APPLICATION

Do not forget the calendar! If you are using ENGLISH page then the calendar is American way (mm/dd/yyyy), if you are using Turkish Page the calendar is (dd/mm/yyyy)

We are on the last page in order to complete your application.  You can fill the information according to your needs. 

As you are Exchange/Erasmus/Mevlana Student, you should choose "The Ones Receiving Education within the scope of Exchange Programs"
You can start to count from your arrival day to end of your study how many months you will stay here then you can set the "Requested Duration as 5-6 months if you are one semester student.

Your arrival date is your "Starting date that has been requested" and you can set the "Expiry date has been requested" according to your end of education date on your student certificate. Your health insurance expire day shall be longer than the expiry date that has been requested.

After you fix this part, please click complete to finalise your application.

You will face the Application Procedures in Progress page. Now you can update your information if there are some changes on your application information. If you are completed all the information correct you click on the "Create an appointment request / Print the registration Form". 

You have to make an application in order to print your application form. So you can select "I would like to Make an Appointment only for myself and then click "Resume"

You will choose now any branch offices that you can reach. We recommned you to check this screen in the morning time in order to find more options,  the new module system is giving and automated appointment date to applicants who are residing in Istanbul, you should complete your documents and show up at appointment date. 

So after choosing the branch office preferably nearby you we click on "Make an appointment request" tab.

After you are all done with this, you should download your PDF file or print your registration form out. We are calling it registration form because we do not have an appointment date yet. Immıgration Office is going to email the appointment date in the following days.

Your application PDF file shall look like this: (we are sharing only the first page)

So, once you received the email (it takes sometimes a week) regarding your appointment date, you can login to your application page and print out the new application form with appointment date. We explained how to log in to your application below:

Some days later...

You get the email or SMS from Immigration Office:

 

Congratulations! You have an appointment day now. You can wait for the appointment day and prepare your required documents.  When you login to main menu, you will see the "Print the Application Form" tab. If you are having problems with your application, you should first contact your International Office in the university, if your university can not fix it, we haven`t mentioned here the problem, you can email us. You can call us as well but sometimes we are really busy in the office with our expat clients that`s why please visit our office between 16:00-17:30 in the weekdays. We have almost all the information here, if you are visiting our office we will not answer the questions which are already answered here.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

As you see on the necessary documents list first three documents are easy to prepare. 

- Print the "Residence Permit Application Form" (the one you downloaded to your computer as PDF file on the last page of application, must be signed by the foreigner and/or his/her legal representative)

- Four (4) pcs photos (must have been taken within the last 6 months, against a white background and biometric. Do not upload family, selfie (stadium selfie included), unrecognizable, non up-to-date or black and white photos into the system, otherwise residence permit document shall not be issued!)

- Passport or original and photocopy of passport substitute document (pages containing identity information and the page containing photo and processed pages)

- Print out of your e-Visa (if it is required for your country) or copy of your student consulate visa page on your passport

- Declaration which states that financial capacity is to be provided sufficiently and regularly throughout the stay (Is declared in the Application Form. Directorate may request supporting documents. So, you do not have to show any documents as Erasmus/Exchange/Mevlana student. Officers might ask you to sign some documents during your appointmnet because you are student.
 

The documents you see below are important when you are collecting please read carefully.

- Student Certificate:  For your student proof paper (Öğrenci Belgesi); you should mind that your paper is not 15 days older than your appointment day. So, take your student paper (öğrenci belgesi) from your faculty or international office some days before your appointment day in case. It shall mention your study term, name and it shall have the logo of your university on the paper (antetli kağıt), original one signed and stamped.

Additional Document (not necessary if you have Name and Surname part on your passport):

-If your full name on the passport is not seperated by the name and surname lines, you have to get a certificate of equivelance from your consulate in Istanbul or Ankara.

Finally, it is time to explain most complicated one:


Genel Sağlık Sigortası (Health Insurance) 

This is the most important one generally students do mistakes about it. On the 10th of May 2016 a new circular is published by Immigration Office and there are some changes about Health Insurance.

What happens if you do not provide health insurance?

If government determines that you do not have health insurance they will cancel your residence permit. In this case you will be overstayed in the country after your allowed visa days passed . And overstaying without reason might cost you around 3000-6000₺ plus administrative fines plus overstay daily fines as the law says. That`s why we recommend you to work with us in order to follow your process without mistake. As we heard, some students received an email from Immigration department that they should bring their health insurances. Let`s read how many options we have then you can ask your questions by emailing us.

Important Notice: If you go to your appointment without insurance, Immigration Officers will give you a paper to sign, This is a paper that you will bring a health insurance to department in 30 days. So please do not think that you do not need health insurance if your appointmet is completed without health insurance. Health Insurance Network and Immigration Office has a common database where they can check if any insurances is made for your name or not. Even you made an insurance and you do not deliver it to Immigration Office they will cancel your residence permit and it causes fines and probable bans from Turkey when you are leaving Turkey end of your study period.

You have three options for the insurance:

a)    Having a public insurance from your country (only countries listed below)

If you have a public health insurance in your country and your country is mentioned below you will be exempted from Health Insurance if you do these steps. In order to reach these documents you should contact with your public insurance office and you should receive the forms arranged for your name and details.

Requirements to be fulfilled to be exempt from the General Health Insurance: 

If you have a formulary "Medical Assistance Entitlement Certificate" indicated below, please give one copy to the Istanbul Social Security Directorate in Unkapanı. The Social Security Directorate/Center will give a paper in return. Give the copy of your formulary and the Turkish letter given by the Social Security Directorate Center to your Immigration Officer at your appointment as your Health Insurance.

• Germany T/A 11, T/A 9, T/A 20 ,

• The Netherlands N/TUR 106, N/TUR 111, N/TUR 121

• Belgium BT.8, BT 16

• Austria A/TR 3, A/TR 4

• France  SE 208-01 FT, SE 208-02 FT SE 208-30 FT, SE 208-06 A FT, SE 208-28 FT,SE 208-09 FT

• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus K.K.T.C/T.C. 3, K.K.T.C/T.C. 6

• Romania R/TR 3, R/TR5, R/TR 6

• Bosnia-Herzegovina BH/TR 4, BH/TR 6, BH/TR 7

• The Czech Republic CZ/TR 111

• Macedonia MC/TR 4, TR/MC 6

• Luxembourg TR/L 3, TR/L 5

• Albania AL/TR 4, TR/AL 5

The contact information of the Istanbul Social Security Directorate and Social Security Center in Fındıklı (Fındıklı Tram Sation on the way to Kabataş), Istanbul is given below. You should find the office "Yurtdışı İşlemleri Servisi" (Service of Foreign Operations)

You can go to Fındıklı by tram from Kabataş or You can walk from Taksim Square , you will see SGK Building like in the picture on the left below. We know, it says Beşiktaş but you should not go to Beşiktaş. It is in Beyoğlu. You get in the building and go to YURTDIŞI İŞLEMLER SERVİSİ. The guy will help you for your papers and he is asking also your father name and birth place (on your passport if you have please note it down as same). And you should be careful that your expire date of your insurnce shall be longer than your acceptance letter`s last date. After you have a paper from the application room, you are going to a bigger office room to get paper for "İkamet Tezkere Yazısı". You get into that room and ask to officer which officer you should go according to your surname. The officer prepare you a Turkish Paper and you will take it to the chief officer get his sign and turn it back to the officer you get that paper. S/he will give your "İkamet Tezkere Yazısı" and Congratulations you have insured by SGK!!! Save this paper and add to your documents.

b) Getting insurance from Turkey

You have two options for Turkish insurance, one is public one is private insurance. 

If you take your student student proof paper from your university , you can go to SGK office in your district in order to get registered for public health insurance (SGK). But in this case you won`t be registered to private hospitals in case of accident or treatment. It will only cover the public ones and it will make a bit bureoucracy in case of illness or accident. So it is totally your decision to make a public or private health insurance. If you believe that you are tough enough that you won`t get sick or have an accident feel free to do a public health insurance. 

If you are planning to do a private health insurance in order to be insured well, we are working with Gulf Turkey and Ankara Insurance Company. We are preparing Turkish Insurances for 1.950 - 2000₺ (original passport needed) for Erasmus students who are 18-25 years old. Erasmus Students who are between 26-30 years old will pay only 1.975-2.200₺ (original passport needed). It includes the last papercheck before your residence permit appointment as well. 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

Gulf Insurance Fees for Erasmus/Exchange Students (Updated 22.05.2023)

We are working with Gulf Turkey and Ankara Sigorta (original passport needed). Our insurance meet all the requirements of the government. Visit our office to obtain your insurance. You can email to info@istanbulforeignersoffice.com

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%

Thank you for reading. If you have questions, do not hesitate to call us. +90 (212) 249 67 57

Please make an appointment before visiting our office in Taksim.

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

Please do not forget to join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415292481988146/

TAX PAYMENT  (IMPORTANT!)

After printing out your application, you will see in the first page of application some payments chart. You should focus only 356₺ payment on that page. Because online tax payment system will ask from you to pay whole fee, but you do not have to pay whole amount, if you are not lazy, we recommend you to get a tax number with your passport and paying it in person, by this way you will save fairly enough amount of money. In order to get tax number you can go to Beyoğlu, Mecidiyeköy, Avcılar, Kadıköy or Bostancı, Yakacık Tax Offices depending where you live, there are tax offices you can get tax number and also you can pay the fee, so we advice you to go to Mecidiyeköy, Avcılar, Kadıköy or Bostancı Tax Offices. In Beyoğlu Tax Office you can get tax number but you can pay the tax at Eminönü Hisar Tax Office.

You can get tax number online from this page: https://ivd.gib.gov.tr/

You will only pay 356₺.  Please do not forget to make a copy of your tax payment!

But if you are an Erasmus+ internship student or you came to Turkey only for Turkish Course and if you do not have e-visa or consulate visa you will pay this 3.457₺ extra. Erasmus Learning students don`t pay Fee amount and 3.457₺ single entry visa fee. 

STEP 3: Appointment Day

If you prepared all your documents as mentioned above now you are ready to go to appointment.

IMPORTANT: Please contact your International Student Office of your university if you need to deliver your documents to your University or you should show up at the appointment. It is important to keep in touch with your International Office.

Actually there is not so much to explain because if you go your appointment on time you will go to one student residence permit officer.  After collecting and checking papers if there is something missing they will let you know.

If you completed all these bureocratic steps and you delivered your documents, wait for your Residence ID, as immigration officer told us, it will arrive in 15-45 days (depends by the rush). If your home address and Turkish Mobile number details on your application form are correct you will receive an SMS first and you can get the yellow post by National Post Service (PTT) to your faculty or International Office. You can even track your residence permit process from the new module.

If your regular visa is expired and you still haven`t got your residence permit. You will need İkamet İzni Müracaat Belgesi to leave the country without paying penalty. Before your card is going to be delivered, you will receive an email from Immigration Office regarding your approval of Residence Permit. After receiving this email, if your touristic visa expired and you are planning to travel out of Turkey, you can log into your application and download your temporary travel document. If you can not see this document on the website then you should go to
Fatih Immigration Office near Emniyet Metro Station M1 Line, and ask for İkamet İzni Müracaat Belgesi.  This paper allows you to travel abroad maximum 15 days till you get your residence permit ID card. You can travel freely within the allowed days of your regular visa. 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 post or SMS within 40 days, please call 157 from a Turkish Mobile Number to ask your situation if you can not get a response from 157, please visit Istanbul Migration Directorate Office in Fatih near Emniyet M1 Metro Station with the paper they gave you end of your appointment day.

Please send us your feedbacks or visit our office in the weekdays 16:30-17:30. We do not charge students for answers and questions.

Please also read FAQ part in order to get some useful information.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

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

A: You will pay a fine (depending on your nationality, age and overstay period) and it will be much more than residence permit fee.  Because you now pay only 356₺. These fines are depending on your country and age. You can pay this fine at the customs during your arrival or departure. If you do not pay this fine you will be also banned to get in Turkey from 1 year up to 5 years. 

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

A: If you still do not have your residence permit ID you can visit the Immigration Office in Fatih 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 desk. 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 recieve 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 am European Union citizen and I want to stay more in Turkey as tourist after my Erasmus period, But my visa expires end of my study. What shall I do?

A: You have two options:

If you are not extending your Erasmus period, in this case you will be tourist, so you should apply for residence permit again as touristic purpose (first application not extending) before your visa expires. You can make  a transfer application as a touristic stay, Turkish Course or Internship.

Or you can leave Turkey on the last days of your residence permit expires and then you should get into country after your exprie day of your residence permit visa.  So you will have a new touristic visa for 90 days. But this case works only if you have had a residence permit before.

Q: Shall I prepare my rental contract and notarize it for residence permit?

A: If you are an exchange student and you are staying here less that 1 year you do not need to prepare your rental contract. It is for long term students. 

Q:Why Turkish Mobile number is so important?

A: ​You will receive an SMS to your Turkish Mobile number from PTT, so check your phone and track your residence permit status after completing your application. After it is delivered to PTT office and if you do not pick it up in two months, your residence permit might be cancelled in 30 days after non-pick ups and you might have to pay between 3000-6000₺ for penalties on your departure day at the airport. If you do not pay this, you might be banned up to 5 years from Turkey.

Q: I still haven`t received my residence permit and I want to go abroad and come back. What shall I do? 

A: First it is better visit Istanbul Migration Directorate Office and ask there your ID or Id number. If it is ready you won`t have any problem about travelling. If it is not ready ask them for İkamet İzni Müraacat Belgesi.

Q: I applied for residence permit but I missed my appointment and I do not what to do?

A: If you are still in your 90 days you can apply for a new one. So please show up at your appointment!

Q: I didn`t apply for residence permit and my 90 days passed but my university is still going on what I have to do?

A: Please do not get angry but you are lazy boy or girl. If your 90 days passed in this case you have to leave country as soon as possible in order to pay less fine and come back to Turkey. You can go to Bulgaria (cheapest from Istanbul by bus) , Georgia, Greece. And you will pay fine at the airport because of overstaying. You pay your fines and then come back to Turkey you should apply for residence permit online within 10 days and show up at Istanbul Immigration Directorate Office in person.

Please do not forget to join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415292481988146/

Office Working Hours and Days for Student Visit: Weekdays / 16:00-17:30