How to Get Turkish Residence: The Ultimate Guide 2025

For many, Turkey isn’t just a great place to visit on holiday — it’s the ideal location to build a new future. 

Whether you’re drawn by the rich history, the investment opportunities or the unbeatable mix of East meeting West, obtaining Turkish residency could be your key to a new chapter. 

Some see Turkey as an affordable second home base with a low cost of living and promising investment opportunities, while others are attracted by the potential fast-track to citizenship. 

Whatever the case, there’s enormous value in holding a second residence, whether this is part of a Plan B strategy or a step towards a new passport.

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. 

Bureaucracy in Turkey can be frustrating and the economy has had its ups and downs. But for the right person, the benefits of a Turkish residency far outweigh the challenges.

So, is Turkish residency right for you? 

That’s a tough question to answer. So, whether you’re looking to relocate, invest or just create a solid backup plan, the Nomad Capitalist team has put together this in-depth guide to break down everything you need to know.

Whatever path you choose to follow, you’ll need the best, impartial advice you can find. That’s something Nomad Capitalist can help you with.

Turkey Country Overview

With a population of over 85 million, Turkey is a huge market located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, the West and the Middle East.

During the summer, Turkey enjoys a Mediterranean climate that sees sunseekers flock to its shores. Midwinter is a lot bleaker in Turkey than in rival tourist destinations in the Med. Turkish terrain is more mountainous and not so flat and uniform.

The Turkish economy is mixed, with both the state and private companies driving its growth. It has evolved from a primarily agricultural economy to one more focused on industry and services.

Turkish Residency Benefits

Turkey offers an attractive business environment for entrepreneurs interested in setting up a company in a new jurisdiction. The country is similarly appealing if you want to invest in real estate.

By becoming a Nomad Capitalist client, we can show you how you and your family can specifically benefit from a residence permit in Turkey.

Turkish Citizenship

While citizenship by investment in Turkey is possible, you now have to make a minimum investment of US$400,000 instead of the previous US$250,000.

It must be said that Turkey has a solid real estate market, allowing you to see returns on your property. For this, you also get a Turkish passport, with visa-free travel throughout most of South America.

Turkey’s CBI scheme has an option for investors to deposit US$500,000 worth of Turkish Lira in a Turkish bank for three years. 

This used to be connected with the Foreign Exchange Protection Scheme (KKM), allowing investors to avoid the volatility of the Turkish Lira. However, since the start of 2025, this is no longer the case for new applicants.

As CBI programs go, we consider Turkey’s offering quite niche, especially when compared to more popular programs like Malta’s naturalisation program or the Carribean citizenship-by-investment programs.

With so many countries vying for your investment (and so many local firms fighting for your business), choosing the right CBI program can be exhausting.

But as a Nomad Capitalist client, we can help inform your decision-making and make the entire process simpler and faster.

Turkish Residency Requirements

Most foreign visitors to Turkey arrive using an e-visa. How long you can stay in Turkey on an e-visa depends on the country from which you enter Turkey and your passport or travel document.

If you’re arriving from the US, you qualify for a 90-day stay thanks to a tourist visa obtained at a Turkish Embassy. 

Regular tourist visas (e-visas) are valid for a maximum period of six months.

On top of that, you’re eligible for a short-term tourist residence permit. There are various short-term visas available, which can be issued for a one to two-year period each instance. They do not require a continuous stay in Turkey.

The six different residence permits available include a family residence permit, humanitarian residence permit, student residence permit and residence permit for victims of human trafficking. 

The two main ones are the short-term residence permit and the long-term residence permit.

You’re exempt from acquiring a residence permit in Turkey if you hold a registration certificate as an international protection applicant or if you have an exemption from a residence permit pursuant to multilateral or reciprocal conventions to which Turkey is a party.

If you’re moving to Turkey to work, you won’t require a residence permit, as your work permit will suffice. A valid work permit serves as a residence permit in this case.

Short-Term Residency Permits in Turkey

If you buy real estate, establish a business or plan to make business connections in the country, you can be eligible for a residence permit.

As a rule of thumb, the Turkish government issues short-term residence permits for a maximum of two years.

However, suppose you demonstrate an interest in investing in Turkey subject to conditions laid out by the Council of Ministers. 

In that case, you and your spouse and children may obtain a five-year short-term residence permit. On the back of this, you can apply for Turkish citizenship or a long-term residence permit.

You cannot apply for a residence permit at a Turkish Embassy abroad. Applicants must submit the following documents to the relevant Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after filling in the online application form on the e-residence system of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website:

• Residence permit application form
• Photocopy of passport or equivalent travel document
• Four biometric photographs
• Proof of sufficient income or sustainable financial resources for the duration of your stay
• Documents/receipts for the payment of the residence permit fee and card fee
• Title deed proving your ownership of immovable property in Turkey​
• Valid health insurance.

If you’re applying for a short-term residence permit by setting up a business or making business connections in Turkey, you must provide the following additional documents:

• Letter of invitation from the person or company
• Notarised company activity certificate
• Notarised tax registration certificate
• Notarised trade registry gazette
• Notarised signature circular.

To get an extension on your residence permit ID card, you must submit the same documents to the relevant Provincial Directorate of Migration Management you gave for your original application. 

This must be done by mail within five business days once an application is submitted through the e-residence system. Residence permit extension applications are possible 60 days before the residence permit ID card’s expiry but are impossible after the expiration date.

Long-Term Residence Permit in Turkey

As Turkish authorities issue long-term residence permits indefinitely, foreign citizens are not required to apply for an extension for their residence permit ID cards. 

For long-term residence permits, if you have continuously resided in Turkey for at least eight years, you must submit the following documents to the relevant Provincial Directorate of Migration Management: ​

• Residence permit application form
• Original and photocopy of passport or equivalent travel document
• Photocopy of the previous residence permit document
• Four biometric photographs
• Proof that you have not received any social aid from governmental institutions and organisations in the last three years
• Bank account proof of financial sufficiency and regular means of subsistence for the duration of the stay
• Police record document
• Valid medical insurance.

Turkish Residency Permit

If you want to stay longer in Turkey than is allowed by a tourist visa or touristic residence permit, you are going to have to apply for a Turkish residence permit. There are exemptions, such as if you enjoy international protection status.

The Turkish residence permit type that’s right for your situation depends on why you’re applying and the intended period of residence in the country. 

You might be enrolled in one of the country’s student exchange programs or looking for temporary protection. Here is a summary of the different categories:

• Family residence permit
• Student residence permit
• Humanitarian residence permit
• Residence permit for human trafficking victims
• Short-term residency permit
• Long-term residency permit.

Whether it’s a family residence permit, student residence permit, short-term residency that doubles as a medical residence permit, or a long-term residency that equates to a business residence permit, you are going to need to provide the following documents:

• Application for residence permit form
• Photocopy of passport or equivalent travel document
• Four biometric photographs
• Proof of sufficient income or sustainable financial resources for the duration of your stay
• Documents/receipts for the payment of the residence permit fee and card fee
• Title deed proving your ownership of immovable property in Turkey​
• Valid health insurance.

A Turkish residence permit is a means to many ends, offering the chance to claim a foreign work permit and secure a Turkish passport. A family residence permit allows your family to benefit from free primary or secondary education.ermit and secure a Turkish passport. A family residence permit allows your family to benefit from free primary or secondary education.

Turkish Residency: FAQs

Go Where You’re Treated Best

Turkey presents an attractive business landscape and real estate market for entrepreneurs and investors eager to see returns on their investments. 

But, if you’re considering Turkish residency or citizenship, be sure to do your due diligence and seek professional advice, as laws and requirements change. 

With several countries competing for your investment, finding the right RBI or CBI program can feel overwhelming. 

Whatever your situation, Nomad Capitalist can simplify your decision-making process and help you improve your position in a jurisdiction that aligns more with your values.

At Nomad Capitalist, we’d like to help you solve your offshore puzzle and go where you’re treated best.