Turkish Residence Card Photo: Sizing & Formatting Your Photo [And a Hassle-Free Visa Photo Tool]

About the document

Turkish residence permit photo

In Turkey, as visa validity or visa exemption status is about to expire, the given document by the authorities for foreign nationals who want to stay for longer is called a Turkish residence permit. Turkish residence permit photo must be 50 mm X 60 mm on a white background. There should be absolutely no pattern in the background. In the Turkey residence permit photo, the head size should be 25-35 mm, and 50-75% of the photo should be covered by your head. Turkish residence application photo must be taken within the last 6 months to reflect the truth. Light and shading are very important in photographs taken for residence. The background should be clear and not have any shadows. The face should reflect its natural colors. Any light other than white should not be reflected on the face. The eyes of the person whose Turkish residence permit photo is taken should be open, colored glasses or sunglasses that prevent the eyes from being seen should not be used.

Is a residence permit required for every foreigner?

Foreign nationals who are not Turkish citizens can travel to Turkey via e-visa or visa exemption. However, foreign nationals whose visa period is about to expire are required to get a Turkish residence permit if they want to stay in Turkey more than they are allowed.

Residence check after making the residence permit application online

After the residence appointment process, you should get the residence status according to the identity information you submit in your application online. Make your search with the passport number you wrote on your application and enter your information such as mobile phone number or e-mail address. After all these steps, whether you have done a Turkey residence permit application or a change of residence, you will be able to check all the actions you have made with e-ikamet and view the status of your application

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Giving a commitment about the person you are going to stay within Turkey

If you are going to stay with someone whom you know of like a friend in Turkey, to officialize this, you need to submit your notary-approved residence when applying for e-ikamet in the immigration office. Also, If you plan to stay with a family, notary approval of not only one person but also the household is required. All these procedures can be lengthy and tedious, but it is a rule set by the immigration administration for obtaining a residence permit with commitment.

Residence permit when basic needs are met by the community

In cases where humanitarian needs such as accommodation, nutrition are met by state institutions, proof of the financial need for this support is sought for people who will receive a Turkey residence permit. In addition, the person who will receive a residence permit under these conditions must have general health insurance. If you receive residence permit for the purpose of medical treatment in Turkey which the care you receive and substantiating a residence may be requested to submit your application and supporting documentation.

Long term residence permit application

People who have applied for a short-term residence permit for years have the right to apply for a long-term residence permit in order to extend their residence permit. However, you must meet certain requirements for a long-term Turkey residence permit application. These residence conditions are as follows:

• Spending 8 years in Turkey with a short-term residence permit.
• Not having any social aid received in the last 3 years.
• Having a financial source of income to support the person and his or her family, if any
• Having a general health insurance
• Not having a feature that would threaten public order and security

Foreign nationals who meet the conditions above can obtain a long-term Turkish residence permit by applying for a long-term residence appointment.

After getting a long-term residence permit, there are some situations when you have to be careful of entering and leaving Turkey. Long-term residence permits for such purposes as education, health, and public service obligation in the foreign territory will be canceled if there is any interruption with your stay in Turkey for a year long. You can leave and enter the territory of the Republic of Turkey as much as you wish but the length of your stay abroad cannot exceed a year.

Application of residence permit through a work permit

An application for a residence permit must be made within 60 days of the expiry of the work permit. Well, if you are wondering whether someone with a work permit needs a Turkish residence permit too, don't worry. The work permit that you have officially obtained also substitutes the residence permit. However, you are a foreign national who must return to your home country as of the end of the work permit, to keep staying in Turkey, you are required to apply for a residence permit. To continue to stay in Turkey legally,  make this Turkey residence permit applicationh when it is needed and carefully follow your expiration dates.

Residence permit in case of cancellation of the work permit

In case of the foreign nationals’ expiry date for a work permit, a residence permit in Turkey continues for 10 more days. During this period, it is expected for a foreigner to leave the country or apply for a residence permit in Turkey. If the foreign national has both a work permit and a residence permit, the residence permit will not be canceled if the work permit is canceled. In a legal manner, he/she may keep residing in Turkey.

If the conditions for obtaining a Turkish residence permit are as a student, then the foreign national who holds a work permit can also make a Turkish residence permit application with it.

A work permit is considered to be a legal residence permit. So, you remain to stay in Turkey legally. However, you have to declare your residence. For this, you need to go to the Immigration Administration department of your city and apply for a residence permit. In this step, you can also take actions such as a residence permit process check on the internet.

Rejection of the residence permit application

If your Turkish residence permit application has been rejected, there are a few things you must do which are:

• First, you must notify the rejection of the residence application to your legal representative or lawyer.
• To understand the reason for the rejection, you must understand your rights and obligations.
• If you receive a rejection, you cannot apply again within six months for the same purpose.
• In this step, consult with the Immigration Officers to investigate the reasons for the rejection of residence and try to make up your documents completely with the instructions given to you. Then, you can apply again.

Missing documents in a residence permit application

It is a common situation that some necessary documents are missing in the applications and the documents that must be presented are not submitted. In such a case, the Directorate of Migration Management gives the applicant a period of one month to complete the missing documents for the Turkey residence permit. If you do not complete and submit your incomplete documents within the specified period, your application will be canceled. If you encounter such a situation, you must make your application again from the beginning.

Residence permit interview

If you are unable to attend your Turkey residence permit interview due to some force majeure, you should know that your application will be canceled. If you wish to stay legally in Turkey you must get a Turkey residence permit appointment again. However, if you have reached the end of your legal stay, a visa violation contract will be applied. In the same manner, if you did not go to the residence permit interview even though your Turkish residence permit has expired, residence permit violation proceedings will be made.

Residence permit application fee

In Turkey, you do not pay any application fees when you apply for a Turkish residence permit. First, all applications are made online and then an interview appointment is made. You do not pay any fees during this period. However, you have to pay a fee after the application. This fee is called a residence fee and a card fee. In addition to that, if you have penalties such as visa or residence permit violation in your registry, you must also pay them. Of course, if you have a penalty, you are expected to have the fees paid for these violation penalties prior to your Turkish residence permit application. When applying for a Turkey residence permit, it is recommended that you consult the Immigration Officers at the provincial administration so that you can take actions safe and sound in this process.

Residence permit for foreign students

You cannot apply for a residence permit in Turkey as a special education student or by studying remotely. However, you can apply for a residence permit if you are physically studying in the territory of Turkey.

If you registered yourself for a Turkish language course, or if you came to Turkey with a Turkish student visa, you can apply for a residence permit and/or you can get a short-term residence permit. However, it is worth remembering that you can only get a residence permit in this way twice. You can apply for a student residence permit by confirming your documents through the Turkish and Foreign Language Application and Research Center. If you are not registered to a university because your Turkish language level is not sufficient enough, you may be directed to a Turkish language course. In this case, you can also apply for a student residence permit. It is recommended that you apply for another type of residence permit since a student residence permit is not granted for open education faculty, special students, or remote studying.

Residence permit after university change

Another issue that closely concerns foreign students is the change of Turkish residence permit after the university change. If you are changing faculty or department at the same university and there will be no change in your city of residence, you will not need to change residence as well. Therefore, you do not need to update your Turkey residence permit. While the Turkish residence permit you are holding is valid, you are expected to notify the immigration office about your change of school or department within 20 working days. When you make this change, your residence permit will be extended during your education period. If you fail to notify the authorities your residence permit will be canceled and your stay will not be legal in Turkey. In these important situations such as school and department changes, it is useful to follow the legal procedures carefully for your residence permit. All these changes are made free of charge and no fee will be required. However, if your school does not considered to be a Turkish school then you will be paying the school fees for a residence permit.

Another important thing to be aware of is that your residence permit expires within 10 days from your graduation date. Therefore, you must apply again to continue to stay legally in Turkey.

Residence permit for primary and secondary education

If you reside in Turkey as a foreign national, you can obtain a residence permit in this way and if you want to send your child to a school in Turkey. You do not need to apply for another type of residence permit. However, there are some important things to consider when making these applications on behalf of your child:

• When applying for the Turkish residence permit application of children under the age of 18 as parents, a letter of consent, a letter of commitment, and a birth certificate are required.
• Also, foreign nationals who will study at the primary and secondary education level have a visa requirement.
• On the other hand, residence permits to be given to those within this scope are granted residence permits for a period of one year from the beginning of one academic year to the beginning of the next academic year.
• Rarely, a residence permit can be issued to cover the entire education period.

Extending the residence permit period from abroad while already having a residence permit

Turkey residence permit applications are made only in the territory of Turkey. Unfortunately, you cannot apply from abroad. However, you can extend the duration of the Turkish residence permit application online after returning to Turkey. If it is not possible for you to come to Turkey for your application for some reason, you can always make someone else apply for you on your behalf.

Finally, with the law enacted in 2016, the restriction on entry and exit from abroad in short-term residence permits has been completely removed. There is no longer any restriction for short-term residence permit holders to enter and exit abroad.