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Immigration and Citizenship Law

Foreign nationals’ status in Türkiye and residence, employment, protection and citizenship procedures.

ABOUT THIS FIELD

Immigration and citizenship law covers entry, residence, employment, international protection, removal and administrative detention, as well as the acquisition and loss of Turkish citizenship. Time limits and application requirements are particularly important because most procedures are administrative in nature.

The administrative authority examines the application in light of the person’s status, the documents submitted and the specific conditions governing the procedure concerned. For measures such as deportation and administrative detention, the competent review body and the applicable time limit vary with the type of decision; the date of notification and the content of the decision should therefore be established at the outset.

PROCESS AND TIME LIMITS

Residence and work permits

A stay in Türkiye beyond the period allowed by a visa or visa exemption requires a residence permit appropriate to its purpose; short-term, family, student and long-term residence permits are subject to different conditions. A work permit is obtained separately, and a valid work permit counts as a residence permit.

Deportation

A deportation decision may be challenged before the administrative court within seven days of its service. Except in the cases listed in the law, the foreign national is not deported during the time limit for bringing the action or until the case is decided (Law No. 6458, Art. 53).

Administrative detention

Administrative detention may be challenged before the criminal judgeship of peace. It may not, as a rule, exceed six months; where removal cannot be completed, for example because the foreign national does not cooperate, it may be extended by up to six more months (Law No. 6458, Art. 57).

International protection and citizenship

International protection applications and the administrative and judicial remedies against negative decisions are governed by separate provisions of the law. Turkish citizenship may be acquired through the general procedure, by marriage or exceptionally; a refusal may be challenged before the administrative courts.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can a foreigner who marries a Turkish citizen acquire citizenship?

Marriage does not confer citizenship directly. A foreigner who has been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage continues may apply, provided that the couple live as a family, the applicant does not engage in activities incompatible with the marriage and there is no obstacle in terms of national security and public order (Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Art. 16).

Who can apply for a long-term residence permit?

Foreigners who have stayed in Türkiye with residence permits for at least eight uninterrupted years, and those meeting conditions set by the Ministry, may obtain a long-term residence permit. Refugees, conditional refugees, holders of subsidiary protection, humanitarian residence permit holders and persons under temporary protection cannot transfer to this permit (Law No. 6458, Art. 42).

How long is the entry ban for a deported foreigner?

A foreigner deported from Türkiye is banned from entering the country. The entry ban lasts up to five years; where there is a serious threat to public order or public security, it may be extended by up to ten more years (Law No. 6458, Art. 9).

How are foreign documents submitted?

Civil status, marriage and education documents issued abroad are, as a rule, submitted with an apostille or consular legalisation and a sworn translation. The applicant makes sure that the documents are current and consistent with each other.

When should a residence permit be renewed?

An application for renewal is made to the governorate from sixty days before the permit expires and, in any case, before it expires (Law No. 6458, Art. 24). An application made after expiry may leave the foreigner in an unauthorised stay.

Can a foreigner in a removal centre meet a lawyer?

Yes. In removal centres, foreigners have access to and may meet their relatives, a notary, their legal representative and their lawyer and use telephone services; they may also meet consular officials and UNHCR staff (Law No. 6458, Art. 59).

DOCUMENTS

The following documents are usually used when a file in this field is reviewed:

  • Passport and residence permit card
  • The administrative decision served
  • Marriage, birth and civil registry documents
  • Employment or education documents
  • Health insurance and address records
  • Foreign documents with apostille and sworn translation
SCOPE

Principal areas of work

  1. 01

    Short- and long-term residence permits and family and student residence permits

  2. 02

    Work permit applications and changes of permit type

  3. 03

    Acquisition of Turkish citizenship through the general, exceptional or marriage-based routes

  4. 04

    Administrative and judicial remedies against refusal of citizenship applications

  5. 05

    Challenges to removal decisions and entry bans

  6. 06

    Objections to administrative detention and alternative obligations

  7. 07

    Applications concerning international and temporary protection status

  8. 08

    Real estate acquisitions and family-law procedures involving foreign nationals in Türkiye