Turkish residence permit: what foreign citizens need to know, open and closed areas
The popularity of Turkey today is best illustrated by statistics: according to the Migration Service, more than 1,300,000 residence permit holders live legally in the country. In addition, the Republic of Turkey leads the world in the number of accepted refugees.
According to the current Turkish laws, citizens of other countries have the right to stay in the state without a visa from 30 to 90 days, depending on the country of their citizenship. For those who plan to stay for a longer period of time and maintain a legal residence status, there is the possibility of obtaining a residence permit (TPL).
Since 2022, there have been changes in Turkish legislation affecting the procedure for obtaining residence permits for foreigners. In particular, a ban was introduced on the issuance of residence permits in a number of demanded regions of the country, as well as other adjustments to the process of legalization of residence.
Up-to-date information about the legal grounds for registration of ikamet card, the list of regions where it is possible to obtain a residence permit, as well as information about the areas with temporary restrictions on the issuance of primary permits will be presented in our material.
Requirements for obtaining a residence permit in Turkey
A residence permit is an official document that allows foreign citizens to legally reside in Turkey for a long period of time. One of the most popular types of residence permits - short-term. It can be issued for a period from 6 months to 5 years.
To obtain a residence permit in Turkey, a foreign citizen must fulfill one of the conditions:
- Tourists: provide a travel itinerary and data on the place of accommodation, such as a rental agreement. The validity period is up to 2 years. Entrepreneurs: provide an invitation from a company or partner. Validity period - about 6 months.
- Property owners: you must provide a certificate of ownership (TAPU) and proof of the value of the property. Since October 16, 2023, the minimum value of real estate for a residence permit is 200,000 USD. Such residence permit is issued for a period of up to 2 years.
- Scientists and researchers: a permit is required to conduct scientific research in Turkey.
- Foreigners studying Turkish language: a document from an accredited educational institution is required.
- Students: proof of enrollment in a university or internship is required, indicating the duration and place of study. The primary student residence permit is usually issued for up to one year with the possibility of renewal.
- Patients of Turkish clinics: it is necessary to provide a contract with the clinic and a receipt of payment for treatment. The validity of the residence permit is limited to the period of treatment.
- Foreigners coming to Turkey for family reunification: it is necessary to provide documents confirming kinship. The validity period is up to 3 years.
- Citizens of Northern Cyprus: a document proving citizenship is required. A residence permit is issued for a period of up to 5 years.
Victims of human trafficking and persons with humanitarian reasons can also obtain a residence permit if their life is threatened in their home country.
Long-term (indefinite) residence permit is available for persons who have been residing in Turkey for more than 8 years under a residence permit.
Open and closed areas for residence permits
Turkey has experienced a marked increase in the number of migrants in recent years. This increase has led to significant changes in the real estate market: the demand for housing has increased, leading to higher rental and sale prices, as well as higher costs of goods and services. Amid the discontent of the local population, the country's authorities decided to limit the issuance of residence permits in some areas, which should contribute to a more balanced distribution of migrants in popular tourist regions.
Closed areas
Closed areas of Turkey are areas where the issuance of primary residence permits (PRP) has been temporarily suspended.
Initially, 781 districts in Turkey, where the number of foreign residents exceeded 25% of the total population, suspended the issuance of residence permits. In 2022, the quota was reduced to 20% and the list expanded to 1,169 districts.
Categories of non-residents who are not eligible for residency processing in closed areas after July 1, 2022:
- Individuals seeking to apply for a primary residence permit relying on a long-term apartment lease.
- Foreigners applying for a second residency if they have not previously resided in one of the closed areas.
- Investors who purchased a home in a gated community after July 1, 2022.
Claiming a residence permit in a closed area after July 1, 2022 are eligible:
- Owners of Turkish real estate who executed a TAPU before the new legal provisions were introduced.
- Foreigners applying for a prolongation of the residence permit of Turkey in a closed area, if they continue to reside there and in previously purchased or rented apartments.
- Persons who apply for a secondary residence permit in the same neighborhood and plan to change the address of residence within the same neighborhood.
- Tenants who have completed a notarized rental contract before July 1, 2022.
- Applicants for family residence permit.
- Students of Turkish universities, educational buildings of which are territorially located in closed areas.
- If the purpose of buying real estate - a profitable investment.
Important! In the list of closed areas of Turkey for residence permits, as a rule, include separate neighborhoods that are part of large areas of various cities.
For example, in Istanbul closed more than 50 neighborhoods, in Adana - about 75, in Ankara - more than 20, in Mersin - 60. The list is being replenished and adjusted according to the situation. Which areas of Turkey are closed for residence permits in 2025, is described in detail on the official website of the Migration Service of Turkey (Göç).
Closed neighborhoods of popular regions and cities of Turkey:
Closed for residence permit neighborhoods in Istanbul
Neighborhood - Microdistrict
Avcılar - Deni̇zköşkler, Merkez, Gümüşpala
Bahçelievler - Şi̇ri̇nevler
Başakşehir - İki̇telli̇ O sb, Zi̇ya Gökalp
Beşiktaş - Yildiz
Beyoğlu - Kocatepe, Şehi̇t Muhtar, Bülbül, Çukur, Kamer Hatun, Kalyoncu Kulluğu, Eni̇şehi̇r, Kati̇p Mustafa Çelebi̇, Bostan, Asmali Mesci̇t
Esenyurt - Koza, Yeşi̇lkent, Zafer, Pi̇ri̇ Rei̇s, Gökevler, Akevler, Sultani̇ye, Bağlarçeşme
Fatih - Mi̇mar Kemaletti̇n, Mesi̇hpaşa, Saraç İshak, Muhsi̇ne Hatun, Balabanağa, Mi̇mar Hayretti̇n,Ni̇şanca, Kemalpaşa, Kati̇p Kasim Mahallesi̇ İskenderpaşa, Molla Gürani̇, Molla Hüsrev, Akşemsetti̇n
Küçükçekmece - Beşyol, Küçükçekmece İki̇telli̇ Osb, Mehmet Aki̇f
Sarıyer - Maslak
Şile - Meşruti̇yet, İnönü, Ergenekon, Meci̇di̇yeköy, Cumhuri̇yet
Tuzla - Aydınlı KOSB
Ümraniye - Dudullu OSB
Zeytinburnu - Maltepe, Yeni̇doğan, Nuri̇paşa, Yeşi̇ltepe
Antalya districts closed for residence permit
Döşemealtı - Aosb 2 Kısım, Aosb 3 Kısım
Konyaaltı - Li̇man, Hurma, Sarisu
Muratpaşa - Topçular
Closed areas for residence permit in Alanya
Kargicak
Mahmutlar
Kestel
Avsallar
Closed areas for residence permit in Mersin
Akdeniz - Adanalioğlu Li̇monlu, Si̇teler, Kültür, Cami̇şeri̇f, Cumhuri̇yet, Çankaya, Mesudi̇ye, Abdullah Şahutoğlu, Hami̇di̇ye, Ki̇remi̇thane,Üçocak, Hürri̇yet, Mahmudi̇ye, Barış, Kazanli, Hal, Akdeni̇z, Turgutrei̇s, Yeni̇, Müfi̇de İlhan, Bahçe, Özgürlük, Mi̇thatpaşa, Gündoğdu, Nusrati̇ye, Yeşi̇lçi̇men, Çay
Erdemli - Kizkalesi̇
Gülnar - Yanişli
Mezitli - İsti̇klal, F ati̇h, Seymenli̇, Vi̇ranşehi̇r, Yeni̇
Silifke - Arkum, Say, Sökün, Tosmurlu Osb, Kurtuluş, Pazarkaşı
Tarsus - Konaklar, Çatalca, Yunus Emre, Egemen, Kulak, Bahşi̇ş, Yeşi̇ltepe, Atalar, Çöplü, 82 Evler, Kelahmet, Barbaros, Kargılı, Akarsu, Baharlı, Şehi̇tkeri̇m, Gi̇rne, Bahçe
Toroslar - Turunçlu, Alsancak, Demi̇rtaş
Yenişehir / Mersin - Dumlupinar, Palmi̇ye
Ankara districts closed for residence permits
Altındağ - Tüm
Beypazarı - Beytepe, Rüstempaşa, Zafer, İsti̇klal, Cumhuri̇yet
Çankaya - Devlet, Cumhuri̇yet
Keçiören - Yeşi̇löz
Mamak - Tüm
Polatlı - Esentepe, Gülveren, Yeni̇
Sincan - Malıköy Başkent Osb
Yenimahalle - Anadolu, İvedi̇kköy, Karşıyaka
Closed for residence permit areas of Izmir
Bornova - Yunus Emre, Işıklar, Zafer, Seri̇ntepe
Buca - Seyhan
Karabağlar - Aşik Veysel
Konak -Tan, Fai̇k Paşa, Yeni̇, Mi̇rali̇, Ali̇ Rei̇s, Ti̇ler, Sakarya, Altay, Bozkurt, Pazaryeri̇, Altinordu, Uğur, Kubi̇lay, Süvari̇, Yeşi̇ldere, Kocakapi, Akarcali, Murat, Kadi̇fekale
Torbalı - 19 Mayıs, Karşıyaka
Areas of Bursa closed for residence permit
Karacabey - Fevzi̇paşa
Nilüfer - Fethi̇ye Osb, Osmangazi, Demi̇rtaş Dumlupinar Osb, Seli̇mi̇ye, Hocahasan, Çırpan,İnti̇zam, Altıparmak, Alacamesci̇t, Ahmetpaşa, Ki̇remi̇tçi̇, Santral Garaj, Doğanbey, Şehabetti̇npaşa, Kuruçeşme
Yenişehir / Bursa - Hidirbali̇
Yıldırım - Anadolu, Duaçinari, Beyazit
Open areas
Open areas are those areas in Turkey where foreign nationals can apply for a residence permit on the basis of real estate ownership or on the basis of a rental contract.
In large Turkish cities and popular resort areas, there are many such neighborhoods. In addition, Turkey's megacities continue to grow every year with new, modern residential neighborhoods, which become available to foreign investors and tenants.
Open for residence permit neighborhoods of popular cities in Turkey:
Istanbul - Avcılar, Beylikdüzü, Şişli, Beyoğlu, Esenyurt, Fatih, Küçükçekmece and others
Alanya - Center, Payallar, Oba, Tosmur, Inzekum, Türkler, Kizilot, Cikcilli, Demirtaş
Antalya - Kepez, Altintaş
Mersin - Mezitli, Tomuk, some neighborhoods of Yenisehir
Izmir - Cesme, Urla, Foça, Bayrakli, Alsanjak, Halkapınar (Konar)
Ankara - Akyurt, Alyaş, Baya, Çalmıdere, Çubuk, Elmadag, Eltimisgud, Evren, Güdül, Haymana, Kaleçık and others
Bursa - Mudanya, Gemlik, Buyukorkhan, Harmancik, Keles, Kesrel, Hirsu, Inegol, Nilufer and others
We recommend that before you start choosing real estate in Turkey, clearly define for yourself the purpose of investment. For foreign investors who want to periodically rest in their own apartment, or those who aim exclusively at profitable financial investments, passive income from short-term rentals or resale, it is fundamentally unimportant what status - open or closed - assigned to a particular area. Decisive importance of location is acquired in the case of a decision to purchase property for the purposes of residence permit, including the prospect of obtaining a passport of a Turkish citizen. Then the object of purchase can be located exclusively in an open neighborhood.
Offer from
Many real estate market experts believe that in 2025, the Turkish market is entering the era of the buyer, not the seller. This is due to one of the key trends - the adjustment of housing prices, which makes attractive to investors objects that were previously inaccessible due to inflated prices. Now it is possible to buy liquid and promising apartments in sought-after locations at more reasonable prices.
If you were planning to buy real estate in Turkey, do not miss this chance. Our experts from PEMLAK.COM will help you find a property that perfectly meets your requirements and financial possibilities. We will provide full support of the transaction - from initial consultation and selection of the object to the registration of TAPU and provision of after-sales services.
FAQ
What areas are open for residence permit in Turkey?
The majority of districts and neighborhoods of various cities and resorts in Turkey are considered open for obtaining a primary short-term residence permit.
Which areas are closed for residence permit in Turkey
In the list of closed areas for residence permits, according to the official data of the Migration Department, there are 1,169 locations, including in such sought-after cities among investors as Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Alanya, Mersin, Izmir.
Where to see closed neighborhoods for residence permit in Turkey
A complete list of neighborhoods (mahalle), where residence permits are currently suspended, can be found on the official website of the Migration Department of Turkey.
Why a residence permit may be refused in Turkey
The main reasons for refusal to issue a residence permit in Turkey include inconsistency of declared purposes with actual ones, detection of non-compliance with migration rules and submission of an incomplete set of documents by a foreign citizen.
From the ancient streets of Istanbul to the picturesque coasts of Antalya, we have everything to help you find your perfect home in Turkey.
Hot offers in our social media!
