Visa, Residence and Citizenship in Turkey

The Turkish government has issued recently a law that allows submitting and getting the Turkish visa electronically as you simply apply for tourist or trade visa via the electronic visa system on (https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/). The e-visa can be obtained via the electronic system, which started in 2013, easily within minutes through the Internet from anywhere in the world.

Currently, the developing of the necessary legislation is in progress to enhance the base of the electronic application of the visa and ensure that foreigners get visas through practical ways to be adopted in parallel meanwhile. In this context, on the 11^th of April 2014, the following have been determined:

• Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, German, Arabic, and Chinese were added to the electronic visa system as well as the already existing languages namely English, French, and Spanish.
• You can pay via credit cards, bank cards, which are commonly used in addition to visa cards, and master cards.
• The necessary base, to make it possible to get visas from the offices of the airline companies, which are spread over the cities and airports to transfer passengers to Turkey, is to be developed.
• The tourist companies, which receive tourist groups, are allowed to apply for an electronic visa to the whole tourist group and may combine the individual fee for each application into one payment for the whole group.
• Foreigners, who arrived in Turkey without getting a visa, can apply for a visa through the electronic rooms to be based at the Turkish airports.
• The fees of the visas obtained electronically through the website will be cheaper than the fees of those visas obtained at the airports though. For more information about the fees of the visa, visit the following website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkey):

Fees for E-Visa via E-Visa Application System.

In coordination with all representatives of the concerned in the public entities as well as the private sector, the necessary measures are being developed to overcome the obstacles that may appear in the transitional phase of this new application. They aim to terminate, definitively, the waiting time at the airports through putting this new application in service within the shortest time.

Residency in Turkey:

First: tourist residence permit: This requires a travel document, a document of exchange of $ 6000 US dollars into Turkish lira, health insurance, which costs 700 TL (about $ 350), and an annual rental agreement certified by the municipality.

Second: residence permit for buying a property: the foreigner who buys a property in Turkey is given a residence permit, annually renewable as long as the property is registered under his name. The family members of the property owner, (Wife and children aged under 18 years), are also given a residence permit as companions to the owner.

Through this residency, the owner of the property has the right of residence in Turkey and nothing more; he is not allowed to apply for Turkish citizenship.

Documents needed for a residence permit for those who own a property in turkey:

1. Title deed of the property (instrument).

2. Earthquakes insurance of the property.

3. Passport valid for, at least, six months.

4. Marriage contract translated to Turkish language and certified by the Turkish embassy in the home country.

5. Family register for the children translated to Turkish language and certified by the Turkish embassy in the home country.

6. Birth certificates for the children translated to Turkish language and certified by the Turkish embassy in the home country.

7. Health insurance from Turkey for each family member.

Cases that are granted Turkish citizenship:

1. 5 continuous years of legal residence in Turkey, yet this residence should not be for the purpose of the study.

2. Those who are of a Turkish origin and belong to the Ottoman origin.

3. Marring a Turkish citizen be that a male or a female for 3 years. In this case, the foreign spouse can obtain the Turkish citizenship, if s/he proves the family cohesion.

4. Businessmen, investors, artists, economists, thinkers and everyone who contributes to the development of agriculture, trade, industry, art, and sport.

Due conditions to obtain the Turkish citizenship:

1. To meet the required period of time, and continue the permanent residence in Turkey.

2. Health certificate from the Ministry of Health reports that s/he is free of contagious diseases (such as AIDS).

3. To be of a good behavior.

4. To have a job or a source of income for him/her and his/her dependents. S/He should speak the Turkish language fairly.

5. S/He must not be a threat to the national security of Turkey. S/He must not be imprisoned in Turkey for a criminal case.