Turkish Residence Permit Fee and the short-term route

Grounds for a short-term permit

Article 31(1) of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection (YUKK) lists the grounds. Among them:

• owning real estate in Turkey;
• tourism;
• setting up business links or a business;
• scientific research;
• medical treatment;
• Turkish language courses;
• graduates of Turkish universities, within six months of graduating;
• investors who meet thresholds set by the President, and their families.

For a person who wants to live in Turkey without a job here, two grounds matter most: property and tourism. The digital nomad certificate also leads to a short-term permit.

How long the permit lasts

A short-term permit is issued for up to two years at a time (YUKK Art. 31(2)). Investor permits can run up to five years at a time. In practice, tourism permits are often issued for one year, according to law firm reports.

General conditions

Article 32 sets the conditions for every short-term permit:

• a valid ground and the documents for it;
• you are not a person barred from entering Turkey;
• adequate housing;
• a criminal record certificate, if PMM asks for one (PMM is the Presidency of Migration Management, the agency that issues permits);
• an address in Turkey.

The property ground

The PMM document list requires a home (konut) worth at least USD 200,000, paid in lira, at the date you bought it. There is no split between big cities and other provinces. You must use the home yourself and may not rent it out. Land, fields and commercial units do not qualify. Since Law No. 7533 of 2024, the Ministry of Interior sets the type and value of property that qualifies (YUKK Art. 31(6)). The full rules are on the property residence permit page.

The tourism ground and the income test

Tourism applicants show a travel plan, a place to stay and "sufficient and regular income". The PMM document list defines the amounts:

The 2026 minimum wage figure (gross TRY 33,030, net TRY 28,075.50 a month, from 1 January 2026) comes from Turkish accounting and law sources. The amounts in the right-hand column are our own calculation.

Regular income means you have received the amount for at least the last three months. PMM accepts pension documents, three months of bank statements, a letter from a company, three months of deposit income, or a title deed plus a lease for rental income.

Documents for every short-term permit

The PMM list of common documents includes:

• the application form, a passport copy and two biometric photos;
• receipts for the residence permit fee and the card fee;
• health insurance valid for the whole permit period (a private policy is accepted);
• a declaration or proof of sufficient and regular means;
• proof of address: for a first application, a title deed with a numarataj document (the municipality's address numbering record), a notarised lease, a hotel booking paid for the period, or a notarised host undertaking.

Renewals need a registered address and a national electronic notification address (UETS). See the full document list.

Rules that apply after approval

• Register your address within 20 working days of your first permit being approved.
• A permit lapses if you do not use it within six months (YUKK Art. 19).
• A residence permit does not give the right to work. For work you need a work permit.
• PMM closes neighbourhoods to new foreign residents once foreigners pass 20% of the population. You cannot register your address there, so check the neighbourhood before you rent or buy.

What the permit means for tax

A short-term permit lets you stay in Turkey. It does not decide whether Turkey taxes your income. That depends on tax residency under Article 4 of the Income Tax Law: domicile in Turkey, or more than six months in one calendar year. A person who moves on a permit and sets up a home in Turkey usually becomes resident. A tourist does not, because Article 5 excludes foreigners who come for travel or rest.

New tax residents from 1 January 2026 may qualify for the 20-year tax exemption on foreign-source income, if they had no Turkish domicile and no Turkish tax liability in the three calendar years before. You must apply to the tax office for the exemption certificate by the end of the year in which you become resident (end of February of the next year if residence starts in November or December). Income for work done while in Turkey stays taxed.