Student Residence Permit in Türkiye
Official Turkish name: Öğrenci İkamet İzni
Short answer
The Student Residence Permit (Turkish: öğrenci ikamet izni) is for foreigners who study for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree at a higher education institution in Türkiye.[1] Primary and secondary school pupils who do not hold a Family Residence Permit also need it, under extra conditions.[1][2] For university students the permit can be issued to cover the whole study programme.[2] The provincial migration directorate decides each application.[1]
Who this permit is for
| Group | Rule |
|---|---|
| Associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students at a Turkish higher education institution | Eligible for a student permit.[1] |
| Primary and secondary school pupils | Possible if a person or organisation covers their care and costs, and their parents or legal representative consent.[1] Pupils with a Family Residence Permit do not need a student permit: a family permit lets children attend primary and secondary school until 18.[1][2] |
| Students brought to Türkiye through public institutions | Can be given a permit for the length of their studies.[1] |
| Students sent to a Turkish preparatory class or course by their university | Permit until the start of the next study term, if they document their situation.[2] |
| Special students, open education and distance learning | No student permit is issued for these.[2] |
A student permit gives no right to a residence permit to the student’s parents or other relatives.[1] The Regulation lets a student act as sponsor only for a Family Residence Permit for their spouse and children.[2]
How long the permit lasts
| Situation | Duration |
|---|---|
| Higher education (associate to doctorate) | Can be issued from the application date to cover the whole programme.[2] |
| Not graduating within the normal study period | Extended by up to one year at a time, never beyond the maximum study period.[2] Each year you bring a student document showing you are active and your expected graduation date.[3] |
| Primary and secondary education | Granted and extended in one-year periods during the studies (Law Art. 38/2).[1] The Regulation sets it up to one year, valid until the start of the next school year.[2] |
| Study shorter than one year | The permit cannot be longer than the study period (Law Art. 38/4).[1][2] |
| Through public institutions | For the length of the studies.[1] |
Requirements
Article 39 of the Law sets three conditions:[1]
- You submit the information and documents for your study situation under Article 38.
- You are not a person who must be refused entry under Article 7 of the Law (for example, someone with no valid passport or visa, or with documents obtained by fraud).
- You give the address where you will stay in Türkiye.
Your passport (or passport substitute document) must be valid for at least 60 days longer than the permit you request.[1] Primary and secondary pupils who apply from inside Türkiye need a visa that matches their purpose.[2]
Documents
The official list comes from the e-İkamet student document PDF (version dated 18 March 2025).[3] The directorate may ask for more information or documents.[3]
Common documents
| # | Document | When it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Residence Permit Application Form, signed by you, your legal representative or your lawyer with a power of attorney[3] | All applications |
| 2 | Photocopy of the passport (or passport substitute document) pages with your identity details and photo, and of any visa pages; bring the original on the day you submit your file[3] | All applications; visa pages only if you have a visa |
| 3 | Two biometric photos, taken within the last 6 months, white background, ICAO standard[3] | All applications |
| 4 | Receipt showing you paid the residence permit document fee[3] | All applications. See fees |
| 5.1 | Current “Document of Residence” (Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi) from e-Devlet (turkiye.gov.tr) plus an electricity, water, gas or landline bill, or a new subscription contract[3] | Extension and transfer applications (also when changing province or permit type) |
| 5.2 | A document showing where you will stay: title deed photocopy and numbering document (own home); notarised rental contract with the landlord’s details (rented home); proof of stay and payment receipt (hotel or similar); signed and stamped dormitory document (dormitory); or the host’s notarised undertaking, the spouse’s too if the host is married, and a current utility bill or new subscription contract in the host’s name (staying with someone)[3] | All applications; one option is enough |
| 6 | Valid health insurance covering the permit period: one of a bilateral social security agreement document, an SGK provision document, an SGK general health insurance application document, or a private policy (first page with the policy number)[3] | All applications, unless the general health insurance rule below applies |
| 7 | UETS (National Electronic Notification System) address document from a central PTT branch[3] | Extension and transfer applications; not required under 18 |
| 8 | A document showing your student status, signed and stamped (or e-signed) by your school, or taken from e-Devlet[3] | All applications |
After a first application is approved, you must complete address registration within 20 working days.[3]
Health insurance and general health insurance
Students who ask to join general health insurance (genel sağlık sigortası) within three months of their first registration do not need separate health insurance.[2][3] After joining, they must inform the migration administration.[3] Students who do not apply within those three months lose this right and must take out private health insurance.[2]
Fee
The student document list asks only for the document fee receipt.[3] The Regulation says students at Turkish schools and faculties get the permit without the residence permit fee. Students at schools that do not count as Turkish schools, such as consulate, embassy and international schools, pay the residence permit fee.[2] See Residence permit fees.
Extra documents for a child
| Document | When it is needed |
|---|---|
| Certified birth certificate | If the mother and father cannot be identified from the passport or national ID[3] |
| Certified custody document, or certified consent from the other parent | After divorce; consent if custody is shared or the other parent has visiting rights[3] |
| Certified death certificate of the parent | If one parent has died[3] |
| Certified decision of absence (gaiplik) | If one parent has been declared absent[3] |
| Single parent certificate | If the child was born outside marriage and the other parent has custody[3] |
| Photocopy of the parent’s residence permit, work permit, work permit exemption card or residence permit application document | If available[3] |
| Certified consent from the parent or legal representative abroad, and a notarised undertaking from a person or organisation in Türkiye named in that consent | If the child is under 18[3] |
| Student or education visa | Pupils in primary and secondary schools[3] |
Documents from Turkish authorities must be signed and stamped or e-signed. Documents from abroad need an Apostille and a notarised Turkish translation. If the country is not part of the Apostille Convention, or the document has no Apostille, it needs approval by the relevant country’s authorities (consulate or embassy approval, and approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or other authorised Turkish authorities) and a notarised Turkish translation.[3]
How to apply
The student, or the school where the student will study, can apply after the student’s pre-registration is complete.[2] Students placed by a decision of the International Students Evaluation Board do not need pre-registration.[2] Göç İdaresi currently takes applications inside Türkiye through the e-İkamet system, followed by an appointment at the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.[4] See Applying on e-İkamet.
To extend, apply from 60 days before your permit expires, and always before it expires.[1][4] See Extending a residence permit.
Changes during your studies
| Change | What to do |
|---|---|
| Any change in your student or registration status | You and your school report it to the provincial directorate within 20 days.[2] |
| New faculty or department at the same university, or a new university in the same province | Apply to the student affairs or international student office within 20 days.[3] Your permit stays valid if your studies have no break and you report on time.[2] |
| New university, faculty or department in a different province | Within 10 days, apply on e-İkamet choosing the new province, and go to the new school’s student affairs or international student office with your documents.[3] The directorate in the new province ends your current permit and issues one for the new study period.[2] |
| Freezing your registration | Your permit ends from the date you freeze your registration.[2] |
Working as a student
Associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students in formal (örgün) education in Türkiye can work if they get a work permit.[1] For associate and bachelor’s students, the right to work starts after the first year, and the details are set by other laws and Presidential decrees.[1] A valid work permit counts as a residence permit.[1] Work permits are outside the scope of this guide.
Refusal, cancellation and non-extension
Under Article 40 of the Law, a student permit is refused, cancelled if already granted, or not extended in these cases:[1]
| Reason | Source |
|---|---|
| The Article 39 conditions are not met, or stop being met | Law Art. 40/1(a)[1] |
| Evidence shows that you cannot continue your studies | Law Art. 40/1(b)[1] |
| The permit is found to be used for a purpose other than the one it was granted for | Law Art. 40/1(c)[1] |
| There is a valid removal (deportation) decision or entry ban against you | Law Art. 40/1(ç)[1] |
The Regulation repeats these reasons.[2] If a Türkiye Scholarship (Türkiye Burslusu) student’s permit is refused, cancelled or not extended, the scholarship institution is informed.[2] The decision is notified to you, your legal representative or your lawyer, and the notice must explain how you can challenge it.[1][2] If you apply again within six months after a refusal or cancellation, you must give a new reason for your request.[2] See Refusal and cancellation and Appeals.
Student years and long-term residence
When the Law counts continuous residence, only half of the time spent on a student permit is counted. Time on other permits counts in full.[1] This matters if you plan to apply for a Long-Term Residence Permit later.
After graduation
Your student permit ends on your graduation date. The ten-day period to apply for a new permit that fits your new purpose starts on that date.[2]
The Law allows people who completed higher education in Türkiye to apply for a Short-Term Residence Permit within six months of graduation (Article 31/1(i)).[1] This permit can be granted once only, for up to one year.[1] See Short-Term Residence Permit and Switching residence permit type.
If you are not sure which period applies to you, ask your provincial migration directorate before the ten days end.
Sources
- 6458 sayılı Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu (consolidated text), Art. 7, 21/2, 24/2, 25, 27/1, 28/2, 29, 31/1(i), 31/4, 34/4, 38, 39, 40, 41. mevzuat.gov.tr, accessed .
- Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanununun Uygulanmasına İlişkin Yönetmelik, Art. 21/10, 26/1, 30/5, 35, 36, 37, 39. mevzuat.gov.tr, accessed .
- Öğrenci İkamet İzni Başvurularında İstenen Belgeler (PDF dated 18 March 2025). e-İkamet (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı), accessed .
- İkamet Genel Bilgiler. Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı, accessed .
- Residence Permit Types. Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı, accessed .