Documents for a Turkish residence permit

The core documents for every short-term permit

These come from the "common documents" section of the PMM e-İkamet document list, which we downloaded on 21 October 2026. e-İkamet is the PMM online system where you fill in the form and book the appointment.

1. The application form, printed from e-İkamet after you complete it online.
2. A copy of your passport.
3. Two biometric photos.
4. Receipts for the residence permit fee (harç, the state charge) and the card fee. Nationals of fee-exempt countries pay only the card fee.
5. Valid health insurance that covers the whole permit period.
6. A declaration or proof that you have sufficient and regular means for your stay.
7. Proof of address in Turkey.
8. For renewals and transfers, a national electronic notification address (UETS, the state's official e-mail system for legal notices).

Booking the appointment on e-İkamet is free. PMM warns applicants about intermediaries who charge money for appointments.

Passport validity

Your passport must stay valid for at least 60 days beyond the end of the permit you ask for (Law No. 6458, Articles 7 and 21). If your passport runs out soon, renew it before you apply, or the permit will be shorter than you hoped.

Health insurance

PMM accepts four kinds of proof:

• a certificate under a social security agreement between Turkey and your country;
• a provision document from SGK, the Turkish Social Security Institution;
• proof that you applied for SGK general health insurance;
• a private health insurance policy.

Most first-time applicants use a private policy. Many insurers sell policies made for residence permits, often with an age limit of about 65 to 70. Check the policy dates against the permit period you request.

Proof of address

For a first application, PMM accepts one of these: a title deed plus a numarataj document (the address number record from the municipality), a lease certified by a notary, a hotel booking paid for the whole period, or a notarised undertaking from a host. For renewals and changes, you need a current residence certificate (Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi) from e-Devlet, the state online portal, plus a utility bill.

After your first permit is approved, you must register your address within 20 working days. Renewals and transfers need an address that is already registered.

Visa fee for visa-free entrants

If you entered Turkey visa-free and this is your first permit, you pay a single-entry visa fee with the application, unless your nationality is exempt (PMM list, item 5).

Extra documents by permit ground

The home used for a property permit must be lived in by you. PMM says it cannot be rented out or used for income. Land, fields and commercial units do not qualify. Read the property residence permit page before you buy.

For tourism, PMM defines sufficient income as at least 1.5 times the net minimum wage for a single applicant. When a family applies together, it is at least one minimum wage per family member. With the 2026 net minimum wage of TRY 28,075.50 a month (reported by Turkish accounting and law sources), the single-applicant level comes to about TRY 42,113 a month. That figure is our own calculation.

Turkish law also lets PMM ask for a criminal record certificate (Law No. 6458, Article 32). It is not on every applicant's list, so keep a recent one ready if your file is unusual.

Documents for the tax side

A residence permit is an immigration document. It does not make you a Turkish tax resident on its own, and tax residency does not give you a right to stay. Tax residency comes from Income Tax Law Article 4: a domicile in Turkey, or more than six months of continuous stay in one calendar year.

If you plan to use the 20-year exemption for foreign income (Income Tax Law Article 20/D), you need one more document. It is the exemption certificate (İstisna Belgesi), issued by your tax office. The exemption is not automatic. Without the certificate you pay normal Turkish income tax of 15% to 40% on worldwide income.

• Apply by the end of the calendar year in which you become a tax resident.
• If you become resident in November or December, apply by the end of February of the next year.
• For people who became resident between 1 January and 31 October 2026, the deadline is 31 December 2026. For residence starting in November or December 2026, it is 28 February 2027.
• Late applications are refused (Communiqué No. 333, Article 3 and Example 2).

Do not confuse this with 31 July 2027. That date is the deadline of the separate asset peace scheme, not of the 20/D certificate.

Before you apply, the tax office checks two things: that you are already a Turkish tax resident, and that you had no Turkish domicile and no Turkish tax liability in the three calendar years before. Turkish rent, dividends, interest or capital gains in those years do not block you. Turkish wages or business income do.

Most foreigners also need a Turkish tax number before they have a foreigner ID number. It is used to buy property, open some bank accounts, pay permit fees and buy insurance. Law and university guides describe it as free, issued against a passport, online through the Revenue Administration (GİB) or at a tax office.

A working order

1. Check that your passport will stay valid at least 60 days past the permit you want.
2. Get a tax number and, if you buy, check that the neighbourhood is open to new foreign residents.
3. Arrange health insurance for the full permit period.
4. Fill in e-İkamet, pay the fees and book the appointment.
5. After approval, register your address within 20 working days.
6. Once you are a tax resident, apply for the exemption certificate before your deadline.

The full step order is on the application process page, and fees are on the cost page.