Family residence permit in Turkey

Who can get a family permit

Article 34 of Law No. 6458 lists three groups of family members:

• the foreign spouse;
• minor children;
• dependent children.

The sponsor is the person already in Turkey. That can be a Turkish citizen, or a foreigner who holds a residence permit, a work permit or a scientific research permit.

Both spouses must be at least 18. In a polygamous marriage, only one spouse can get a family permit.

How long the permit lasts

A family permit is issued for up to three years at a time. It can never run longer than the sponsor's own permit. If the sponsor holds a one-year tourism permit, the family members get at most one year too.

What the sponsor must show

Article 35 sets these conditions for the sponsor:

The one-year rule does not apply to sponsors who hold a work permit or a scientific research permit. It also does not apply to foreigners married to Turkish citizens.

For scale, the 2026 net minimum wage in Turkey is TRY 28,075.50 a month, and the gross figure is TRY 33,030, according to Turkish accounting and law sources.

The one-year wait and how to plan around it

For a foreign sponsor on a property or tourism permit, the one-year rule means the family cannot join on a family permit in the first year. Under the PMM rules for short-term permits, two other options exist:

• Each adult applies for a short-term permit in their own right, for example on the property ground if the home is co-owned. PMM, the Presidency of Migration Management, accepts co-owned family property with proof of the family ties of the owners on the title deed.
• The family applies together for tourism permits. The PMM income test then asks for at least one minimum wage per family member.

Whichever route you use, every family member needs health insurance for the whole permit period. See the short-term residence permit and property residence permit pages.

Children and school

A family permit gives children the right to attend primary and secondary school until they turn 18. A child who has held a family permit for three years can switch to a short-term permit on turning 18.

Documents

The family member files the application on e-İkamet, the PMM online system, with the core documents every applicant needs: form, passport copy, photos, fee receipts, health insurance and proof of address. The sponsor's income, housing, insurance and address documents go with it. The full list is on the documents page, and fees are on the cost page.

Tax: each family member is a separate taxpayer

A family permit is an immigration status. It does not make anyone a Turkish tax resident, and tax residency does not give 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.

Turkish income tax is charged on individuals. The 20-year exemption under Article 20/D is written for "individuals" (gerçek kişiler) with no nationality test. A person who becomes a Turkish tax resident on or after 1 January 2026, and had no Turkish domicile and no Turkish tax liability in the three calendar years before, pays no Turkish income tax on foreign-source income for 20 years.

The exemption is not automatic. Each person must get an exemption certificate (İstisna Belgesi) from the tax office by the end of the calendar year in which they become resident. If residence starts in November or December, the deadline is the end of February of the next year. For a family that moved in 2026, that is 31 December 2026, or 28 February 2027. A late application is refused.

Points families should check:

• The three-year look-back is personal. A spouse who earned Turkish wages or ran a Turkish business in the look-back years cannot get the certificate, even if the other spouse can. Turkish rent, dividends, interest or capital gains in those years do not block anyone.
• The exemption covers foreign-source income only. If a spouse works from Turkey, that pay is Turkish-source income and is taxed at 15% to 40%, wherever the employer sits.

Turkey also has a reduced 1% inheritance tax rate for 20/D beneficiaries. See inheritance and gift tax for what is and is not settled.