Visa and Residence Permit

General Health Insurance for International Students

Requirements to obtain general health insurance:

1. Locate your foreign ID number on your residence permit. If you do not know your foreign ID number, visit tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr/ to find it. If you are unable to find your ID number after visiting this website, go to the foreigners’ department of a police station with your residence permit and ask for your foreign ID number.
2. Obtain a printout of the page from the website specified above, indicating your name, surname, and foreign ID number.
3. Submit a copy of the aforementioned document to the International Student Office. If you have already completed this step, there is no need to repeat it.
4. You can pay your premium debt by visiting any Ziraat Bank branch with your foreign ID number.

Student Visa and Residence Permit for International Students

A student visa is not required for registration.

In accordance with the legislation of the Ministry of the Interior implemented on 17.06.2014, the requirement to present a student visa during registration at universities has been waived for students from visa-exempt countries. For more information, visit www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa .

All students must apply for a residence permit within a month after their entry to Turkey at the latest.

In accordance with the decision made by the Ministry of the Interior, actions and processes regarding foreigners are now conducted by Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. Therefore, all processes concerning foreigners (including those carried out by the foreigners’ department of district police departments) are handled at the service building of the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management (Vatan Caddesi, No: 64, Istanbul).

The following documents are required for the residence permit processes conducted by the Directorate of Migration Management. You can schedule an appointment for a residence permit at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/

For any information regarding your entry to Turkey, stay in Turkey, or exit from Turkey, you can call the Communication Centre for Foreigners by dialing 157 or by visiting www.goc.gov.tr

Required Documents:

1. An application form obtained from e-residence;
2. This form is generated on the e-residence (https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/ ) system. The form must be printed out and signed by the foreign national student.
3. A Document Specifying the Address Details:
4. International students are required to submit a document regarding their place of residence (rental, dormitory, hostel, etc.) in Turkey, which must clearly and comprehensibly confirm that the person is staying at that address. (If the student stays in a dormitory, a signed/stamped document must be obtained from the dormitory administration; if it is a rental, a notarized rental agreement must be obtained; if the person is staying with an acquaintance, a written contract must be issued with the tenant resident by a notary or any other document must be presented if the housing is different from the above-mentioned).
5. A receipt certifying that the fee required for obtaining a residence permit has been paid:
6. International students must present this receipt, obtained after paying the fee to an authorized revenue office or authorized banks, along with the application form.
7. The following documents must be obtained if the applicant is under age 18:
   1. A Letter of Consent must be obtained from authorities in the applicant’s country certifying that the parents permit him/her to live and study in Turkey. However, if the parents are legally present in Turkey, this document will not be additionally requested.
   2. A Birth Certificate is requested from the applicant if the ID card/passport of the applicant cannot confirm the legal parents.
   3. The letter of consent and the birth certificate must be apostilled. The apostilled documents are processed with both the original document and its notarized Turkish translation presented together.

Note: The residence permit can be issued up to 2 months before the expiry date of the passport. If the student has 3 months before the expiry date, he/she can obtain a maximum of 1-month residence permit. Therefore, the expiry date of the passport must be extended by referring to the Directorate of Migration Management.

Students wishing to extend their residence permits must schedule an appointment 2 months before the end of their residency. If the residence permit has expired, it will be processed (with a penalty) provided that an appointment is made within 10 days from the expiry date. Appointments made on the 11th day are deemed invalid, and it is necessary to exit and re-enter the country to obtain a residence permit again. This also applies to graduating students.

Note: Do not leave the country without first obtaining a residence permit.