Residence permit transition application is an application made by foreigners who stay in Turkey for more than 90 days, if the purpose of stay changes. Residence types are divided into six basic categories in Turkey. According to this:

• Short term residence permit
• Long term residence permit
• Student residence permit
• Family residence permit
• Humanitarian residence permit
• Residence permit for victims of human trafficking

When the foreigner’s purpose of stay in Turkey changes, he or she must apply for a residence transfer. The documents to be submitted during the application vary depending on which type of residence the person wishes to move to. For example, if a person is staying in Turkey with a student residence permit and has graduated, he / she can apply for a 6-month tourist residence permit. Again, if the student has started to work in Turkey after graduation, he can apply for a short-term residence permit along with his work documents. In another example, a foreigner who stays in Turkey with a family residence permit can apply for a short-term residence permit if the marriage union ends. Of course, certain conditions must be fulfilled in applications for change of residence type. These conditions are determined by the official authorities of the Republic of Turkey. Applications are made through the system and should be present at the application center in person if required by the official authorities. The documents to be submitted when applying for a residence permit transfer are determined separately for each category.

Documents Required for Short-Term Residence Transfer Application

• Passport
• 4 photos
• Residence permit application form
• Documents showing sufficient financial means during the stay
• Health insurance
• Original and photocopy of the old residence document
• Documents explaining the reason for applying for the type of residence to be transferred
• Accommodation documents; If staying in a rented house, a notarized rental agreement, if staying at a hotel, hotel documents must be shown. In addition, if the person is a student or staying in a dormitory, he or she must submit an e-signed accommodation document. If the person applying for a change of residence type will stay with a relative or acquaintance, he must submit a notarized commitment from the landlord. If the host is married, the spouse must also make a commitment.

Persons who will apply for a short-term change of residence must submit a supporting document for the new residence. These documents are determined according to the purpose of stay according to the following:

• Those who are in Turkey for scientific research
• Those who own real estate
• They will stay in Turkey due to their commercial business or connections.
• Will participate in in-service training programs
• Persons participating in internship programs
• Those who will stay more than 90 days for tourism purposes
• People to be medically treated
• Those staying in Turkey at the request of the judicial and administrative authorities
• Those who complete their education and apply for a transfer within 6 months
• Those who will attend international education programs or Turkish courses

Transfer from Family Residence Permit to Short Term Residence Permit

Persons who previously lived in Turkey for at least 3 years due to family reasons and now want to change their residence permit due to the breakdown of the marriage union must meet the following conditions. Persons who meet the following conditions can officially apply for residence transfer with the necessary documents.

• Court decision of people who are now divorced on the condition of being married for 3 years
• Court decision proving the situation of victims of domestic violence without the requirement to be married for 3 years
• Previous residence permits must also be submitted in the application.
• If the foreigner’s spouse has died and the marriage union has ended, the spouse’s death certificate must be presented.

Documents Required for Long Term Residence Transfer Application

• Residence permit application form
• Passport
• 4 photos
• Originals and photocopies of previous residence permits, if any
• Signed and stamped document obtained from the governorship or district governorships showing that they have not received any social aid in the last 3 years.
• Document showing that you have sufficient financial means
• Criminal history record
• Address registration document obtained from population directorates
• Valid health insurance to cover all family members
• Married persons must also submit their marriage certificates in their residence permit extension or transfer applications.
• Photocopy of sponsor’s passport or ID card
• Document issued for refugee and subsidiary protection status holders (instead of identity cards)

Documented proof must also be submitted on a case-by-case basis, as accommodation documents will vary depending on where the person is staying. If the person is staying in the rental house, the notary approved rental agreement, hotel, etc; if they are staying in public accommodation, they must present these documents. Persons staying with third parties must submit a notarized undertaking from their hosts.

Documents Required for Family Residence Permit Transfer Application

Persons legally residing in Turkey for any purpose and marrying a citizen or resident of the Republic of Turkey can apply for a family residence permit. The most important issue evaluated by the official authorities of the Republic of Turkey in these applications is the authenticity of marriage. In marriages made on paper and only for obtaining a residence permit, the foreigner’s application to change the residence type is rejected. In this case, the cancellation of the foreigner’s current residence permit and, if necessary, deportation decision can be applied. Required documents for transfer application:

• Passport
• 4 photos
• Photocopy of the spouse’s passport or residence card in Turkey
• Photocopy and original of the identity card of the spouse in Turkey
• Photocopy of work/residence card if the spouse in Turkey has a residence permit
• Document showing that the spouse in Turkey has sufficient financial means
• Health insurance to cover all family members
• Criminal history record
• Document showing that he/she is registered in the address registration system
• The original and photocopy of the marriage certificate and all marriage documents
• Birth certificate, if a child under the age of 18 makes the application for change of residence
• Child custody certificate in case of divorce
• If one of the parents has died, the death certificate of the deceased must be presented.

Accommodation documents are the person’s rental house, property owned, hotel, etc. It requires proof according to situations such as collective accommodation or staying with third parties. During the application, the person must submit documents proving their accommodation.

The types of residence permits for which transfer applications can be made are limited to short-term, long-term, family residence permits and student residence permits. Humanitarian residence permits and victims of trafficking are not suitable categories for transfer of residence type applications.

Pre-requisite for Health Insurance in Change of Residence Type Applications

In the change of residence type applications, just as in the first applications, the person is asked to provide a valid health insurance covering the requested residence period. When applying for a family residence permit, the sponsor is expected to have a health insurance covering the whole family. For residence permit types other than this, health insurance must be provided by the applicant. Students, on the other hand, can benefit from the general health insurance within three months from the date of registration, upon request. However, after taking out general health insurance within 3 months, students must notify the administrative units. The following insurances are accepted as valid health insurance;

• A document showing that the person has a valid health insurance in accordance with the bilateral social security agreements between the country of citizenship and Turkey. This document must be signed/stamped/e-signed from the provincial social security units.
• Signed/e-signed, stamped/sealed provision document obtained from the Social Security Institution of Turkey (SGK)
• Application document to be a general health insurance holder of the Social Security Institution to be declared during the residence transfer application appointment
• Private health insurance for at least 1 year (The policy must contain the phrase “This policy covers the minimum coverage structure specified in the circular on private health insurances to be taken out in residence permit requests dated 06/06/2014 and numbered 9.”)

If private health insurance will be offered in the residence type change application, a signed / stamped photocopy of the policy may be submitted.

Address Declaration Obligation

Foreigners in Turkey are also obliged to notify the official authorities of their address changes. These addresses can be accommodation venues such as a house or a hotel. However, in any case, there is an obligation to report a fixed address. In addition, it is important for the persons who have applied for a residence permit to report their telephone and e-mail information in an up-to-date and correct manner, in order for the competent authorities to reach the foreigner and to deliver the residence permit.

The foreigner living in Turkey and making a change of address must submit the necessary documents by applying to the provincial directorate of migration administration or the provincial population and citizenship offices within 20 working days. Failure to declare a change of address may result in an administrative fine.

Evaluation Criteria and Result Time in Transfer Applications

Regardless of which type of residence permit application is made, the first evaluation criterion is whether the person fulfills the requirements for the requested residence. During the application, the person should not have used their previous residence permits for other reasons. For example, if he worked illegally while staying in Turkey with any of the types of residence permits without a work permit, administrative sanctions will be imposed.

The current residence permits of people who work illegally without a work permit are canceled. Administrative fines are imposed on the employer. In addition, deportation procedures of the foreigner can be initiated at all costs belonging to the employer. Therefore, misuse of the current residence permit creates a disadvantage for the applicant in subsequent applications.

After all documents in the type of residence permit are completed, the application stage to the official authorities of the Republic of Turkey can be started. Applications must be made through the official registration platform directed by the immigration authority. Applications that are not made through the correct platform will not be accepted. Necessary fees are also paid at the application stage. After the electronic application for residence transfer is made, the payment receipt should be attached to the existing documents and sent to the immigration administration. At this stage, third parties authorized by power of attorney can also apply for files. However, if the official authorities deem it necessary, the person can be summoned to the application center in person.

Residence permit transfer application must be made 60 days before the end of the current residence and in any case before the expiry of the previous residence period. All residence permit applications are finalized by the official authorities of the Republic of Turkey within 90 days at the latest. However, people who have made a residence transfer application with incomplete documents are given time to complete their documents. Therefore, the deadlines for applications with incomplete documents get longer. The period of 90 days, which is the finalization period, starts after the completion of all documents. The deadline for completing missing documents is 30 days. Applications of those who do not provide the missing documents within 30 days are removed from the process. Result times are determined according to the regulations of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection.

E-Residence Transfer Application Fees

The fees to be paid in the process of changing the residence permit type vary depending on the nationality of the person. The fees paid during the application are paid in US dollars. The Turkish Lira value of the fees varies according to the exchange rate on the day of application.

Residence permit fees are paid online from the internet tax office. In order to pay, the application number created during the e-residence transition application must be entered on the tax office screen. Then, it is necessary to switch to the immigration administration residence permit fee payment screen. By entering the application number in the section that appears on the screen, the person can pay the specified fee with a credit or debit card. Fees must be paid before the appointment date given to the person in residence change transactions.

Residence permit application process is a process that must be carried out meticulously with all its stages. Unless the conditions specified in the Law on Foreigners and International Protection are fulfilled, no residence permit is granted under any circumstances.