Foreigners who are in Turkey for touristic travel purposes and whose visa/visa exemption period has expired can continue to stay in Turkey with the help of a tourist residence permit.
For comprehensive information on issues such as tourist residence permit application, application conditions, tourist residence permit rejection, please continue reading our guiding article prepared by our expert lawyers!
What is a Tourist Residence Permit?
Foreigners coming to Turkey for tourism purposes must obtain a tourist residence permit in order to stay in Turkey longer than their visa period and to continue their touristic trips. A tourist residence permit is one of the short-term residence permits.
See Also What is a Short-Term Residence Permit?
Residence permit for tourism purposes is regulated under Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection. In this context, foreigners who wish to stay in Turkey are granted the right to stay in Turkey for a certain period of time without a visa or for more than 90 days, even with visa exemption.
How to Obtain a Tourist Residence Permit?
The application process for a touristic residence permit starts with the online application and submission of the required documents to the Migration Management. Subsequently, an interview will be held at the Immigration Administration on the appointed day and time, and the foreigner’s residence permit will be approved or rejected according to the result of the interview.
Within the scope of the application, the Migration Management will assess whether the purpose of the applicant’s stay in Turkey is indeed tourism, and this assessment will be based on the declaration of the applicant and the documents submitted by the applicant.
If the authorities believe that the applicants do not have a touristic purpose during the interview or if the required documents are not submitted by the applicant, the application will be rejected. For this reason, it is very important to apply with the support of a lawyer in the process that needs to be carried out very meticulously.
You can find more detailed information in our article titled How to Obtain a Residence Permit?
What are the Conditions for Obtaining a Touristic Residence Permit?
As we mentioned before, a tourist residence permit is one of the short-term residence permits. For this reason, the conditions for obtaining a tourist residence permit are generally the conditions for obtaining a short-term residence permit.
Accordingly, the conditions for applying for a tourist residence permit are as follows:
- To submit the necessary documents related to the application
- Not to be one of the foreigners who are not allowed to enter Turkey
- If requested, to submit a document showing the criminal record issued by the authorities of the country of citizenship or legal residence
- Providing address information regarding the address where he/she will stay in Turkey
On the other hand, applicants for a tourist residence permit are also required to submit documents regarding their travel plans.
For detailed information on the subject, you can take a look at our article titled “What is a Short-Term Residence Permit and How to Obtain One?“
Which Documents are Required for a Touristic Residence Permit Application?
There are a number of documents that must be submitted for tourism residence permit applications. Incomplete or incorrect submission of these documents will negatively affect the applicant’s application. For this reason, we recommend that you apply for a tourist residence permit with the support of an expert lawyer.
The main documents required for a tourist residence permit, which is a type of short-term residence permit, are as follows:
- Residence permit application form
- Photocopy of passport or passport replacement document
- Biometric photo
- Documents showing that you have sufficient financial means for the duration of your stay
- Valid health insurance covering the period of stay (signed and stamped original of the insurance policy)
- If registered in the address registration system, a document showing this status
- Document showing the place to stay
On the other hand, depending on the specifics of your application, the competent authorities may request other documents from you.
How Long Does a Residence Permit for Tourism Purposes Take?
Although the finalization of tourist residence permit applications directly depends on the intensity of the competent authority and other factors, the application is usually finalized within 1 month. However, in accordance with the relevant legislation, the competent authority is obliged to give a positive or negative response to the application within 90 days.
During the application period, the applicant foreigner may leave Turkey for a period not exceeding 15 days.
Rejection of a Tourist Residence Permit Application
An application for a tourist residence permit is rejected on the grounds that the applicant does not meet the application requirements or submits incomplete documents during the application. In general, the rejection of a tourist residence permit application is based on the following reasons
- The applicant is subject to a deportation or entry ban order
- Residence permit application after visa expiration
- The applicant has an infectious disease that is dangerous to public health
- The applicant does not meet one or more of the requirements
What to do if the Tourist Residence Permit Application is Rejected?
The application for a residence permit for touristic purposes is rejected as a result of the person not meeting the necessary conditions at all or no longer. In this case, the application process can be started again after the conditions are met again.
On the other hand, if the applications of foreigners who meet the requirements and have progressed the application process correctly are rejected, an annulment lawsuit can be filed to cancel the rejection decision and re-evaluate the application. In this process, we recommend that you seek the support of a lawyer specialized in residence permits.
See Also Residence Permit Application Rejection
How to Extend an Expired Tourist Residence Permit?
Touristic residence permit extension applications have almost the same system as the first application. The difference in this case is that the “Extension Application” option should be selected when starting the application.
After the online application is completed, you should go to the Provincial Immigration Administration on the appointment date with the documents required for the extension application.
The most important point here is the following: An extension application can be submitted up to 15 days after the expiry date of the current residence permit, starting from 60 days before the expiry date.
Which Documents are Required for a Tourist Residence Permit Extension Application?
The same documents are required for the tourist residence permit extension application as for the initial application. It will be checked whether the applicant still meets the eligibility requirements for this residence permit and whether he/she is using the residence permit for its intended purpose.
On the other hand, unlike the first application, applicants are also asked for a photocopy of the expired residence permit.
Refusal of Residence Permit for Tourism Purposes
The residence permits of foreigners who have obtained a residence permit for tourism purposes may be revoked under certain circumstances. Accordingly
- When the foreigner fails to meet one or more conditions of the residence permit
- When the residence permit is used for other purposes
- Failure to start using the residence permit within 6 months
It can be canceled in cases. So what should be done when the tourist residence permit is canceled?
What to do when a tourist residence permit is canceled?
If the residence permit for touristic purposes is revoked, the foreigner may initiate the appeal and lawsuit processes for the revocation of this decision within 60 days. In this process, first of all, an objection should be made to the administration that made the relevant decision, and if the result is negative, an annulment lawsuit should be filed. It is also possible to file an annulment lawsuit directly against this decision without applying for an appeal.
What Can We Do For You?
As Güneş & Güneş Law Office, we provide professional service to our clients with our 25 years of experience and expert attorney staff. We stand by our clients for legal processes and applications all over Turkey, especially in Antalya, Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Mersin.
For our foreign clients who want to apply for a residence permit:
- Providing consultancy on residence permit
- Applying for a residence permit
- Preparing the necessary documents for the residence permit application
- Preparing for a residence permit application interview
- Initiating and following up the relevant appeal and litigation processes in case of refusal of residence permit
We provide professional services in 4 languages (Turkish, Russian, German, English). For more information about short-term residence permits and application processes, you can contact us via our Whatsapp contact line.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can Touristic Residents Work in Turkey?
Foreigners who have obtained a residence permit for tourism purposes do not have the right to work due to their residence permit. Foreigners with a tourist residence permit may apply for a work permit if they meet the necessary conditions.
What Happens If Missing Documents are Submitted in the Application for a Touristic Residence Permit?
If missing documents are submitted to the competent authority within the scope of the application, an additional period of 30 days is granted. If the documents are not completed within this period, the application will be removed from the process. On the other hand, submission of missing documents both prolongs the process and negatively affects the application.
How Much Money Should I Have in the Bank for a Tourist Residence Permit Application?
Although there is no savings requirement for applications, the person must have sufficient savings for the period for which he/she wants to obtain a residence permit.
Can Turkish Citizenship be Obtained with a Touristic Residence Permit?
The period of stay in the country in line with the touristic residence permit will not be taken into account in the time limit required for citizenship. Although the touristic residence permit does not show the purpose of settling in the country, it is sought to show the condition of settling in the country for citizenship.
How Many Years Does a Tourist Residence Permit Give the Right to Stay in Turkey?
Tourist residence permits are usually issued between 6 months and 1 year. A tourist residence permit cannot exceed 1 year.
