Foreign investors who will apply for Turkish citizenship by investment must first obtain a short-term residence permit in Turkey in accordance with the first paragraph (j) of the article 31 of the Law No. 6458.
In general, a foreign investor must enter Turkey with a valid visa, e-visa or visa exemption in order to apply for a short-term residence permit in Turkey. Following the legal entry of the foreign person into our country by taking advantage of a visa, e-visa or visa exemption, the foreign person who wants to extend their stay in Turkey should apply for a short-term residence permit for Turkey online. In many metropolis cities (such as İstanbul, İzmir, Ankara) the waiting time for the appointment and interview date in the normal Turkey short-term residence permit application process is quite long (between 8 and 24 weeks). However, applications made in the type of special Turkey residence permit issued for the acquisition of Turkish citizenship through investment are concluded within 1 to 10 days after the online application is made.
Application processes are followed by the Private Citizenship Information Offices located in Ankara and Istanbul. In case the foreign person issues a special power of attorney to make the relevant application, the applications can be concluded remotely with a power of attorney without requiring the foreigner to enter Turkey.
Turkey short-term residence permits to be issued in accordance with the first paragraph (j) of Article 31 of Law No. 6458 can be issued for up to 5 (five) years, but generally, an application is made for a period of 1 (one) year and a residence permit is issued for 1 (one) year. On the basis of this period, the validity period of the foreign person’s passport and the validity period of the private health insurance policy he/she provides are taken into consideration. Turkey residence permit cards are sent by mail to the address specified by the applicant during the online application between 2 and 4 weeks after the application process is completed.
Required documents
- A valid visa, e-visa or exemption period that has not expired at the time of application.
- A valid passport (must be valid for the duration of the residence permit applied for) and a notarized Turkish translation.
- 4 (four) updated, biometric photographs suitable for passports.
- Private health insurance. This health insurance must be obtained from Turkey and the policy period must cover the residence permit period applied for. The amount of private health insurance is between 300 – 600 Euro, including expenses and taxes, depending on the nationality, health, age and similar reasons of the foreign investor.
- Address information. For the process the online application, the residence address of the foreigner in Turkey is requested. A hotel’s address declaration may be sufficient for the first application. However, it is possible for the foreigner to submit a notarized rental agreement or declare a workplace address. Address information is important since the residence permit card will be delivered to the address to be notified by the foreigner.
- Certificate of conformity obtained within the scope of investment made.
- Receipt of payment of card fee and fee. Card and tuition fees may vary depending on the nationality of the foreigner.
- Special Power of Attorney. Specially prepared for customers who will receive consultancy services from ATA Corporate
