6 Important Things to Consider When Applying for a Residence Permit 

Applying for a residence permit can be confusing and stressful, especially for first-timers. In the past few years, the volume of applicants for the Turkish residence permit has been steadily increasing, with rejection rates getting higher and higher. This is why we at Settle Turkey are here to help your application process run as smoothly as possible.

Throughout the process, it is important to remind yourself that the final decision is dependent on the immigration officers checking your application, and it can possibly be tied to factors that are out of your control – such as the political climate or many other factors that are not formally declared to the public. That said, arriving to your appointment with the strongest possible application is essential to give yourself peace of mind that you’ve done everything properly.

How to avoid a rejection on your residence permit application?

One of the most frustrating aspects about applying for a residence permit in Turkey is the uncertainty of results.

Most often the reason for the rejection is not exactly clear, but there are a few things one can do to maximize their chances of acceptance. If you do end up with a rejection, there are also steps you can follow to resolve your situation. For more details on this subject, please check out our article 4 Essential Steps to Dealing With a Residence Permit Rejection.

The best way to avoid complications in your application is to ensure that your documents are provided completely and that your information is correct and consistent. This article outlines the required documents and conditions along with some tips to get you started. 

What you need when you are applying for a residence permit: 

Applying for a residence permit consists of completing the online application form, paying the application fee and attending your appointment at the Immigration office. After you complete these steps, you will be informed about the decision within 90 days.

1. Health Insurance for applying for a residence permit

Health insurance is required for all applicants for the duration of your residence permit request. Usually providers will offer policies specifically for foreigners’ residence permit applications with a one year coverage. 

It is important that your insurer is a Turkish provider and that your coverage lasts until the end of your requested residence duration. 

Make sure to include the printed copy of your policy in your folder for the appointment in color. For more details on how to acquire health insurance, to get a free price quote based on your age, or to go ahead and process your insurance remotely in a matter of minutes, please contact us. 

2. Proof of Residence when applying for a residence permit

One of the most tricky parts of the residence permit application process is address registration or showing proof of address. 

A list of restricted neighborhoods acts as a limiting factor for foreigners who want to move to Turkey. This list consists of 1,169 neighborhoods across the country that foreigners are not allowed to register their address to. You are eligible to apply for a residence permit only if you show proof that you live outside these neighborhoods. 

When it comes to your proof of residence, putting together all the necessary paperwork can seem daunting, but is manageable if you know what to expect. For first time applicants, your rental contract needs to be notarized at a notary with the tenant and landlord both present. Be sure to also request a copy of tapu, numarataj, earthquake insurance, landlord official ID, and utility bills and information. 

Your notarized rental contract should also be included in your documents for your appointment with the immigration office for first time applications. If you’d like us to review these steps of the process with you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

3. Biometric Photos when applying for a residence permit

You need ICAO standard biometric photos taken within 90 days of your application date. Make sure that you inform the photographer of the purpose of the photos and therefore the necessary guidelines. (Also make sure you take a digital copy on a flash drive or through e-mail for your online application.)

Four printed copies are required for the appointment at the immigration office and one digital copy of the same photo is required for your online application form. When you get your photos taken at a studio, don’t forget to request a high resolution digital version sent to you.

4. Application Form for a residence permit

To start the application form, you need to finalize your decision on which type of residence permit you would like to apply for and gather all of your documents. 

It is always better to complete the application in one go due to possible bugs on the website that can reset your application form. 

When you complete the application, a .pdf document of your form will be available to download. This form should be printed in color and brought to the appointment at the immigration office. 

Although you can sometimes choose a preferred appointment location, the appointment date and time will be automatically assigned by the system depending on the availability. 

You should have a Turkish phone number available to use for the application, through which the system will notify you of your appointment time after you have paid the fees. (Thus it is important to make sure the phone number remains active and accessible throughout the application process.)

5. Application Fee Payment

After you complete your application form, you will see the option to pay the application tax and the residence permit card fee using a Turkish card on their payment portal. This system is quite notorious for not working properly however, and payment is often resolved through a tax office or online tax processing site.

If interested in our residence permit services, we’ll be able to handle these payments on your behalf. 

6. Other documents

A notary approved copy of your passport and the translated copy must be included in your list of documents. Along with the front page of your passport, the stamp of your last entry and the invoice of your application fee payment should also be included as a copy.

In addition to these required documents, you can also include optional documents such as the one stating your purpose of residence and others to supplement your application.

Types of Residence Permits

You may apply for different types of residence permits depending on 1) your length of residence (short-term or long-term residence permits) and 2) your purpose of residence (tourist, student, family, etc.). 

For more official information about who qualifies for each type of residence permit, you can also check out the official website https://en.goc.gov.tr/residence-permit-types

Useful tips when applying for a residence permit

The most common issues when applying for residence permits arise due to time management mistakes and inconsistencies in the application.

It is important to keep in mind that your application should be completed according to the validity of your visa (or non-visa period) into the country and you should also account for the amount of time they will take to assign the appointment when planning generally.

Another factor to consider is that inconsistencies across your different documents may raise suspicion and therefore lead to rejections. You should always check all of your documents to make sure the information you provide matches. 

For additional questions or concerns regarding applying for a residence permit, get in touch with us so our experts can assist you right away.