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The Republic of Turkey is a transcontinental country located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, extending across the Anatolian and Thracian peninsulas into the Balkans area. It borders Georgia to the northeast, Armenia to the east, Iran and Azerbaijan and Russian territorial waters in the Black Sea to the north, to the northwest with Bulgaria and Greece, to the west with the Greek islands of the Aegean sea, to the south with Cypriot waters, the Mediterranean Sea and Syria, and to the southeast with Iraq.
Due to its strategic position, located between Europe and Asia as well as between three seas, Turkey is a historical crossroads between Eastern and Western cultures and civilizations. Its territory has been home to several great civilizations such as the Persian Empire, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, among others.
The country is inhabited by 80 million people. Its capital is Ankara, although its most populated city, as well as financial, cultural and commercial center, is Istanbul. Its official language is Turkish and its official currency is the Turkish Lira (TRY).
If you wish to settle in Turkey and start your business or purchase a property, you may apply for a Residence Permit.
There is no minimum investment amount required; you just have to prove that you own a property or you are running a business, and that you have sufficient financial means to live in the country.
Your dependents (spouse and dependent children) may apply for a family visa, once you get your residence permit.
This permit is issued for a maximum of two years, extendable, provided that you are still running the business or owning a property, have stayed in the country at least 184 days per year, have been a tax resident and you have enough income to support yourself and your dependents.
After 8 years of legal residency, you may apply for a long-term residence permit, which will allow you to live in the country indefinitely. To be eligible, you must have not received any social aid from governmental institutions in the last 3 years prior to application, have sufficient and sustainable financial resources, and have a clean criminal record.
Instead of a long-term residence permit, after just 5 years of legal residency with a total interruption of less than six months, you may apply for citizenship. You must prove ties to the country, not have been convicted of any crimes, not have any serious disease and have sufficient income to support yourself and your dependents. In addition, you must attend an interview to prove your ability to speak Turkish.
A Turkish Residence Permit is an authorization to remain in Turkey for longer than three months in half a year, under purposes as settlement, working or studying.
A residence permit enables you to live in Turkey, study, get married, convert to Turkish drivers’ license, get tax number, open a bank account, purchase property, make investments, and much more.
If your purpose of moving to Turkey is working, you will only need a work permit, which also serves as a residence permit.
Every person that moves to Turkey with the intention to remain in the country for more than three months needs to get a Turkey Residence Permit upon arrival. Without a residence permit, your stay in Turkey will be considered illegal.
You will be exempt from this requirement if one of the following applies to you:
Depending on the visa type you hold, the purpose of application and the intended period of residence in Turkey, you can apply for one of the following residence permits:
The Turkish short-term residence permit is the most sought after among all other residence permits. You can get this residence permit for any of the following purposes:
A family residence permit can be granted the foreign spouse of a Turkish national, his/her minor children and his/her dependent foreign child. The sponsor must have enough income to support those applying for a residence permit in order for them to get the permit.
You can get a student residence permit if you are in Turkey under the purpose of enrolling in primary or secondary education. If you already have a family residence permit you will not need this one.
You will be eligible to apply for this residence also if you are planning to study at the levels of associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate, specialty training in medicine (TUS), and specialty training in dentistry (DUS) in a higher education institution in Turkey.
If you have resided in Turkey for at least eight years uninterruptedly, under a residence permit issued by the Turkish authorities, then you can lodge an application for Turkish long-term permit which has an indefinite validity.
Note that if you have resided in Turkey for the specified period as a refugee, conditional refugee and secondary protection status holders, humanitarian residence permit holders and temporary protection you are not eligible to apply.
You can apply for this residence permit if you are in Turkey without a valid visa or residence permit, but no deportation decision has been taken against you, you are waiting for your deportation, or you cannot return to your country of residence due to emergency reasons.
If you are a victim of human trafficking, and you are in Turkey, you can apply for this residence permit.
On the day of your appointment, you will need to submit several documents at the nearest office of Directorate General of Migration Management. The required documents for a Turkish residence permit are as follows:
Note that according to your situation, the type of residence permit you are applying for and your nationality, you may have to submit additional documents. Make sure you submit them all on time, as required.
The validity of a Residence Permit in Turkey depends on the type of permit that you hold, as follows:
Dual citizenship is recognized in Turkey. You are not required to renounce your previous nationality to become a citizen of Turkey.
Turkey Citizenship by buying home/Real Estate, grants full citizenship for life and can be passed to future generations by descent. Turkish citizens will have full access to Turkey investment opportunities. Fast Process with Economic citizenship in 5-6 months.
Turkey is considered an attractive destination due to its warm climate and geographical location. Holding a tourist passport grande visa-free travel to more than 100 countries including Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The Republic of Turkey is a transcontinental country located between Europe and Asia. Given its convenient location, it is an ideal country for travellers and investors. Today, Turkey is one of the most respected countries in the world and is known for its economic structure and the fact that it is also a member of the IMF, United Nation, NATO, G-20 and the World Bank. Turkey joined the EU Customs Union in 1996 and is commencing negotiations with the European Union.
The Turkish Citizenship Law no 5901 has been amended to regulate citizenship by investment. The citizenship programme was introduced in the Government Gazette on 19th of September 2018. The law states that there are various investment options for an applicant to obtain citizenship by investment. The citizenship can be granted on the resolution of the President of Turkey provided that it does not affect public order and national security.
Turkey is a nation of diverse cultural heritage, situated at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Home to beautiful architecture, stunning national parks and many points of interest, it’s the sights which draw many to this popular destination.
Heavily influenced by the Ottoman Empire, you can visit the country’s historic sites such as Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul and the Greek/Roman ruins of Ephesus (‘Efes’), which now borders the town of Selçuk. Sun-seekers can also enjoy its renowned beach destinations that include Maramis, Antalya and Alanya.
Over the past few years, the Turkish economy has struggled to maintain its rapid expansion, but it’s still forecasted to grow by 5.7% in 2021. The main challenges are related to a low labour force participation of women, a lack of skills and strict employment rules preventing key roles being filled by qualified overseas workers.
The unemployment rate for the country’s 84.34 million inhabitants is still high at 12.1% (August 2021). However, employment growth was reported in Turkey’s construction, and agriculture sectors.
Its top exports are vehicles and vehicle parts, which brought in around £15.4billion in 2020.
The capital city of Ankara, as well as the country’s employment and international relations hub Istanbul, are the focal points of Turkish business.
As a foreign worker, you’ll be hard pushed to embark on some careers in Turkey due to government restrictions on recruitment – the legal, medical and mining fields are all off-limits to international applicants.
If you’re hoping to teach English as a foreign language or enter the tourism industry, you’re in luck – English-speaking foreign workers are particularly popular in these sectors. While you won’t need to be fluent in Turkish, you’ll still need at least a good grasp of the language to succeed in your work.
While the cost of living in Turkey is generally much lower than in the UK, most graduate position salaries cover basic living costs and not much else.
There’s plenty of summer work available for those who’d like a taste of Turkish culture while earning some money, particularly in the tourism industry.
As the country continues building links with English-speaking economies, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teachers are sought after across all parts of Turkey and for students of all ages. Demand is particularly high in hotspots including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
You’re most likely to find opportunities in Istanbul, where many global companies such as Google, Red Bull, Vodafone and Colgate-Palmolive have Turkish bases.
If you’re a UK citizen travelling to Turkey for tourism or business purposes, you’re able to travel without a visa for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you plan to remain in Turkey for more than 90 days, you should either apply for a longer stay visa before you travel, or get a residence permit from the local authorities in Turkey before your 90-day stay has elapsed.
Any UK national looking for long-term work in Turkey will need to secure a work permit before arriving in the country.
There are different types of work permit depending on the types of work you do.
Permits for foreign workers are issued through businesses for specific positions, and last initially for six months although they can be extended for up to six years.
These documents include:
Once you’ve attended this appointment and submitted your documents, your employer will carry out your visa application with the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security within ten days.
You’ll need to register with your local Turkish police department within a month of your arrival to obtain the necessary residence permit for your stay.
It is highly recommended that foreigners, who wish to visit Turkey, should read the related information about our country’s visa regime.
Visa regime for Touristic and Business Purposed visit of a country may differ from Work and Education Purposed visit. Also Turkey’s visa regime may change according to reciprocity principle.
While some applicants may be exempt from visa for their touristic or business visit to Turkey, the others can obtain an e-Visa. All other applicants will need to obtain a visa through Turkish Representations in the abroad.
Visa types granted by Turkey are;
1- TOURIST/BUSINESSPERSON
a) Touristic Visit
b) Single Transit
c) Double Transit
d) Business Meeting/Commerce
e) Conference/Seminar/Meeting
f) Festival/Fair/Exhibition
g) Sportive Activity
h) Cultural Artistic Activity
i) Official Visit
j) Visit to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
2- OFFICIAL VISA
a) Assigned for duty
b) Courier
3- STUDENT – EDUCATION VISA
a) Internship Visa
b) Internship ERASMUS
c) Internship AISEC
d) Turkish Language Course Purpose
e) Course Purpose
f) Education Purpose
g) Education in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
4- WORKING VISA
a) Employment Purpose/Special Employment Purpose
b) Assigned Lecturers/Academics
c) Assigned Sportsperson
d) Assigned Artists
e) Assigned Free Zone Workers
f) Assigned Journalists
g) Montage and Repairman Purposes
5- OTHER VISAS
a) Archaeological Excavation, Exploration Purpose
b) Documentary Purpose
c) Tour Operator Representative
d) Medical Treatment Purposes
e) Accompaniment Purpose
f) Family Unification Purpose
g) Freight Vısa
h) Seafarer Visa
Working Visa:
– Foreigners lay their applications for work permit through our consular offices in the country of their residence or nationality.
– To work in Turkey, you must apply to the nearest Turkish mission to obtain work permit and visa. Your passport, visa application form and a letter from your employer are the necessary documents for your application. Other documents should be submitted to the Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS) by your employer within ten working days after your application.
– Work Permit Applications are concluded positively or negatively by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Work Permits have equivalence to residence permits. Thus, should a working permit is approved by the Ministry, the foreigner is charged an Entry Visa Fee, Work Permit Certificate Fee and Residence Fee by the Turkish consular offices. Since Work Permit Card substitute residence permit in Turkey, “Work Annotated Visa” issued by these offices can only be used for entrance and for 90 days at maximum.
