Turkey Introduces New Rules for Tourist Residence Permit

Turkey is the world’s tenth-largest tourism hub and annually hosts millions of tourists from around the globe. One method the Turkish government has employed in recent years to attract more tourists and foreign investors was granting tourist residence permits. However, since late 2022, the country’s policies have gradually changed and the new tourist residence law in Turkey has replaced previous regulations!
If you’re looking to obtain a tourist residence permit in Turkey, we recommend not missing the rest of this article. We will review the new rules for Tourist residence permit and tourist residence laws.

If you’re looking to obtain a tourist residence permit in Turkey, we recommend not missing the rest of this article. We will review the new rules for Tourist residence permit and tourist residence laws.

Has the Law for Obtaining a Tourist Residence Permit in Turkey Been Revoked?

Until before March 2022, the Turkish government aimed to increase the country’s income from the tourism industry by granting tourist residence permits to attract foreign investment. Unlike European countries that grant residency through work or study, Turkey is a fully investment-friendly country and prefers to grant residency or citizenship by attracting cash and financial investments.

As a result, it sought to bring in foreign currency by offering a six-month tourist residence opportunity to foreign tourists. According to this law, any tourist who traveled to Turkey for tourism and leisure could live in the country without a visa for 90 days out of every 180-day period. The duration of the tourist residence was only six months and a fundamental requirement was providing real and credible documents to the Immigration Department to show that the purpose of the trip was tourism and leisure.
However, from the beginning of March 2022, members of the opposition party to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (then President of Turkey) objected to the government’s excessive granting of various types of residence permits to foreign nationals.

Following these objections, the Turkish government’s granting of tourist residences gradually faced serious limitations and almost from October 2023 until now, no requests for citizenship residence are being approved.
All applications, even with real and credible documents indicating financial capability and a tourist purpose for the trip, are being rejected. Although no official statement has been issued by the Turkish government or the Immigration Department regarding the cancellation of tourist residences, it appears that this opportunity is currently closed to applicants!

Why Was the new rules for Tourist residence permit Implemented?

You might be curious about the reasons behind the existing restrictions on obtaining a tourist residence permit in Turkey and why opponents of the ruling party were against the excessive granting of various types of residences, especially tourist residences to foreign nationals.
According to reports presented by leaders of six opposition parties to Erdoğan, the presence of foreign nationals under the pretext of tourist residence had caused numerous problems, including:

• Shortage of rental housing and increased rental rates for Turks
• Rising property prices, especially small one-bedroom units
• Decreased employment opportunities for Turks due to hiring foreign workers at lower wages
• Employment of illegal immigrants in unregulated jobs
• Increased economic inflation

The issues raised by representatives and various parties were well-documented and had made living conditions difficult for the Turkish people. Therefore, it was natural for the government to impose restrictions on granting such residences to improve the livelihood of Turkish citizens and gain positive feedback from the opposition.

Interestingly, after implementing this law, in addition to severe restrictions on granting tourist residences, more than 100,000 immigrants whose tourist residence permits had expired and who had not applied for other types of residence or could not continue living in Turkey returned to their home countries.

The Best Alternative Methods for Obtaining Residence in Turkey

Now that obtaining a tourist residence permit in Turkey has faced restrictions and you have to forgo it, you might wonder what other methods are available to apply for Turkish residency?!

Currently, you can apply for Turkish residency through three methods: student residence, work residence, and renewable residence through property purchase. Below, we will briefly introduce these methods:

1) Student Residence in Turkey

The student residence method is suitable for those who want to live in Turkey for a while by continuing their education in Turkish universities and then apply for a passport. Turkish universities are on par with or even better than Iranian universities in terms of academic level and educational quality, and they offer opportunities for admission to European and American universities. This method is the easiest migration route for young people over 18 years old and is a renewable type of residence.

2) Work Residence in Turkey

If you are specialized in professions needed in Turkey, rest assured that you can apply to migrate to this country through a work residence or Çalışma İzni (Work Permit). Currently, Turkey has announced needs in fields like Information Technology and Programming, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Accounting and Finance, Business Affairs, Translation, and Engineering disciplines such as Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering. Therefore, if you are an expert in these areas and have a suitable resume, you can apply for a work residence permit in Turkey. The duration of this type of residence is one year and is renewable.

3) Residence Through Purchasing Property in Turkey

Another method that most investment-minded individuals choose is obtaining residence through purchasing property in Turkey. By buying a property worth at least $200,000, you can receive a one-year renewable Turkish residence permit for yourself, your spouse, and children under 18 years old.
This method is almost the most reliable way to obtain Turkish residency. However, it has some important legal limitations, which we explain below:

• The property you purchase must be valued at least at $200,000.
• The property must be outside prohibited areas (areas where more than 20% of the residents are foreign nationals).
• The property must be residential (villa or apartment) and habitable.

With this method, you can receive your Turkish residence permit and Kimlik card in less than a month and settle in the country without hassle. Just keep in mind that during your entire residence period, you are not allowed to work in Turkey.

Currently, there are attractive real estate investment projects in Istanbul for obtaining Turkish residency, where you can hit two birds with one stone by participating. That is, you can both receive renewable Turkish residency and purchase a property that will increase in value due to its suitable and valuable location.

Given the changes in Turkey’s residency and immigration laws over the past two to three years and the legal updates that are likely to continue, we emphasize real estate investment with the aim of obtaining a Turkish passport, which is known as the most reliable method.

Summary

If you’re looking to obtain a tourist residence permit in Turkey, it’s better to choose another method for migrating to Turkey. A one-year renewable residence through purchasing property, student residence, or work residence with renting a house in Turkey are currently the most reliable methods you can use to apply for migration to Turkey.

We hope the content of this article has been useful for you. If you have any questions or experiences regarding tourist residence or various methods of obtaining Turkish residency, we’d be happy if you share them with us in the comments section. Perhaps the answer to your question will also be useful for other users!

FAQ

Is it possible to extend the tourist residence permit in Turkey for those who have previously obtained residence by this method?

No. The duration of the tourist residence permit is only six months and is non-renewable, unless you apply again for Turkish residency through other methods.

Has permanent residence in Turkey through property purchase been canceled?

No. Only the duration of Turkish residency through real estate investment has changed from permanent residence to a one-year renewable residence.

Is it possible to obtain Turkish residency through renting a house?

No. Only those who apply for student and work residence permits must provide a valid and registered rental agreement of their residence along with other documents to the Immigration Department. Providing a rental agreement that has been officially registered in Noter offices is among the required documents.